Peter Kudlak to start as new superintendent of schools by July 1

Peter Kudlak, serving as assistant superintendent in the Milan Area Schools since 2012, will take over as superintendent of the Van Buren Public Schools by July 1 after unanimous action of the board of education on May 31.
Kudlak previously was director of elementary education and elementary principal for the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for five years, elementary principal in Flat Rock for five years, and a teacher in the Ypsilanti Public Schools for five years.
This is his first job as superintendent.
He was among the 32 candidates who applied for the position to replace former Superintendent Michael Van Tassel and one of the six chosen for interviews. Before those interviews, Dr. William Brown, assistant superintendent at Lenawee ISD, dropped out as a candidate because he was hired elsewhere.
After interviewing the five remaining candidates and calling back three for second interviews, the school board chose Kudlak and he accepted. At its June 13 regular meeting the board is expected to accept the proposed contract and salary – somewhere between $130,000 and $132,000.
The salary for the superintendent’s position was posted as between $130,000 and $145,000 and Kudlak will be offered the number at the low end because this is his first job as superintendent.
Van Tassel, who also had no experience as superintendent, left the district in February with a base salary of $139,000 after starting the job in February 2013 with a salary of $135,000.
At his first interview on May 24, Kudlak said he has been in education for 21 years. He said his wife of 25 years is helping him and supporting him. He said his wife has worked events with him and even made crafty things to give to the teachers.
They have two children.
When he was asked how he builds consensus, he replied, “Listen to all the voices to be heard. Make sure all know where you’re going. They may have differences of opinion on how to get there, but they know where we’re going. It’s based on building trust.”
When asked about working with administrators, Kudlak replied that it’s important to have a good-natured group where you can tell a joke.
He said it’s important to have administrative retreats to go out and have fun and get to know each other and each other’s families.
“You have to be able to be where you can call someone up and get a different perspective … It takes a cohesive team to do that … Let your hair down,” he said.
When asked about budget cuts, Kudlak replied that since he’s a a new superintendent coming in, he would be in favor of zero-based budgeting, where you tear down the whole budget and build it back up with the most important things put in first.
He said he believed it is important to look outside the box to get services done.
When asked about how he would communicate with the board, he said he would give board members weekly updates and let them know as soon as possible about incidents. He could text, email, or phone, whatever they want. “I’ll be making a thousand decisions a day,” he said.
When asked what his most significant challenge would be, he said he has a lot to learn in a new school district: the buildings, students, parents, PTOs.
“I need to be in the community and get feedback,” he said.
When asked about his management of others, Kudlak said, “I’m very personable, open. I’m going to listen. Sometimes the weight falls on the superintendent. Other times we can decide all together.”
When asked to define school culture, he said, “Primarily it should be full of trust. Trust in the administration, teachers, parents. If teachers don’t have a voice about what’s happening in the classroom, there’s no reason for them to continue to improve. The culture is the key to everything.”
When asked how he would help the district improve education, Kudlak was enthusiastic. “That’s in my wheelhouse. That’s the main part of my job. There’s no creativity if you all have to be on the same page on the same day. More people should be trying new things.
“A culture of trial and error is good, where making mistakes is all part of being wonderful,” he said.
When asked about the shrinking school population, Kudlak said he has been a part of downsizing schools and studied the reasons for fewer students. He said he looked at falling birthrates and charter schools.
When asked what he thought a well-rounded student was, he replied it was one who knows how to make choices. Curious. Knows how to be a citizen.
“It’s important they are critical thinkers. They question. They know how to get along with everybody.”
When asked how he would support the staff and improve morale, Kudlak said at staff meetings, he would start with an award.
“People just need to be recognized,” he said, noting in the past he had a group, with members having their fingertips on the pulse of the staff, pick the people for awards.
“Make it fun,” he said, adding one time he had a piñata with school supplies inside.
“It’s a tough job,” he said of being a teacher. “They feel beat up from up above.”
He was told that during input from the community the board was told the next superintendent needed to be highly visible.
“I do shopping, walk around, am visible,” he said. “I get my haircut locally, so people are getting to know me.”
He said he is past president of a Rotary Club and he hopes to be in the local Rotary. He said he would be involved in different things in the community.
When asked how he keeps up on county and state issues, he said he just met with his state legislator and reads legislative notes every morning, the first thing when he gets into work. He said legislators call him from the floor for his opinions.
In his closing remarks in his initial interview, Kudlak said he is an excellent team member and he likes building teams. He also is an instructional leader, he said and he is for “responsibility, rather than accountability.”
During his second interview, Kudlak was asked to come up with a 90-day plan for what he would do if he was selected to be superintendent.
He said he would address the situation at Savage school first thing, where the teachers are on administrative leave.
He said he has read the papers, but, “I would like to know what we know. I need to know everything. Talk to the administrative team, legal counsel. Learn about the law suits. We need the teachers back on the job.
“Morale has kind of been down for a while,” he said. “Savage was the final straw. This has to be dealt with.”
Also during the 90 days he would meet one-on-one with each board member and find out if each is a “graph person or a paragraph person.” He said he believes the consultant from Michigan Association of School Boards should do a workshop with the board, because the MASB works with a lot of boards and knows the territory.
He also plans to open communications with staff, parents, the community, political people, and Wayne County Community College.
He said he wants to learn the history and traditions of this area because he doesn’t want to step on anything important. He said marketing needs to be done since the district is losing students. He suggested getting a professional marketer in here because those on staff are professional educators, not marketers. He said social media will be part of the marketing.
He said key positions are open and need to get filled and he needs to meet one on one with administrators. He mentioned other things he would be doing and a board member suggested that maybe he could “walk on water”
“There’s only seven of them,” he said with a laugh of the categories of action he outlined. “I’ve got 90 days.”
When asked what he thought was non-negotiable, Kudlak said, “It’s important to treat each other with respect. Teachers or administrators using power or coercion is not right.”
After a series of questions written by audience members, Kudlak concluded his interview with: “It’s very clear you have a dedicated staff. All want to do what’s best for the students. I think I can help. I believe it’s OK to fail and to try again. We want to get so we all feel proud to be a part of Van Buren Public Schools.”
After interviewing two more finalists, and reading the comments on forms filled out by audience members, the board gave comments on the candidates, with most praising Kudlak.
Dr. Rodney Green of the Michigan Association of School Boards, who was consultant on the search, said he called others beyond the initial reference list of the candidates and Kudlak had the best reference calls of all three.
Dr. Green said Kudlak absolutely is ready to be superintendent and will be a superintendent at some point. Dr. Green noted Kudlak is very good with data and has a special skill in dealing with staff.
Trustee Sherry Frazier said she talked to the superintendent, business director, and two board members in Milan and every bit of information on Kudlak was positive. “He’s a great guy. He’ll do what he says,” she said.
“He is very talented,” said Trustee Kathy Kovach. “He’s the best fit for us, what’s best for Van Buren.”