Northville Public Schools fills two key leadership posts

The Northville Public Schools Board of Education has filled two key leadership roles for the 2014-15 school year — Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services and permanent Program Supervisor for the district’s special education center program at Cooke School. 

At a Special Call Board Meeting on Tuesday, April 29, 2014, the Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Deanna Barash, currently Principal of Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan, as Northville’s new Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services. In addition, Jennifer Bugar, currently Cooke Acting Program Supervisor, was approved as the program’s permanent Supervisor. Both will assume their new posts on July 1, 2014.

Barash succeeds Robert Behnke who left Northville Public Schools in February 2014 to become Superintendent for Adrian Public Schools in Adrian, Michigan. Longtime educator and school administrator Barbara R. Lott has been serving as Interim Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services since that time. Bugar succeeds Mary Meldrum, who accepted a position with the Macomb County Intermediate School District in October 2013.

 “These two individuals will play a critical role in the day-to-day operation and future planning of the school district,” said Northville Superintendent Mary Kay Gallagher. “Both Deanna Barash and Jennifer Bugar bring a strong skill set and demonstrated leadership capacity to the district and we are fortunate to have them as part of our leadership team.”

Deanna Barash, Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services

An educator and school administrator for 17 years, Barash has been Principal of Seaholm High School, part of Birmingham Public Schools, for the past three years. Previously, she served in several leadership roles at the Talawanda School District in Oxford, Ohio, including as Principal of Talawanda Middle School for two years; Principal of Bogan Elementary School for three years; and Assistant Principal of Talawanda High School for four years. 

“Deanna brings strong administrative experience at the elementary, middle and high school levels to the position of Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services, along with a clear understanding of quality instruction, curriculum and best practice from kindergarten through graduation,” Gallagher said. “She also has a strong commitment to leadership, a focus on learning for all students, and a dedication to data-driven decision making.”

Barash has served in a number of educational leadership roles throughout her career including co-chairing the Birmingham Public Schools Strategic Planning Steering Committee for the 2013-14 school year. In addition, she led a school-wide leadership team to identify multi-year academic and school climate goals that resulted in significant improvements in student achievement and school culture; and implemented multiple Tier II intervention courses for the at-risk student population which decreased course failures by 90 percent. Barash also created student and parent advisory boards to give stakeholders a voice in curriculum and instruction decisions and to gain feedback on school performance; increased course options to encompass 21st century skills at the secondary level; and led Seaholm High School to the largest number of students taking Advanced Placement courses and exams in school history. She also helped design a comprehensive technology plan for students and professional development for staff to ensure hardware and software adds value to the classroom experience. 

“Northville Public Schools has an outstanding reputation and I am excited about the opportunity to serve as Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Services, as my passion is curriculum and instruction,” Barash said. “I look forward to working with all members of the Northville school community — staff, students and parents. I believe it is important to involve all stakeholders in discussions about curriculum and instruction as we continue to enhance our students’ educational experience.”

 “I had the opportunity to meet a number of Northville staff and community members through the selection process and am impressed with the commitment and passion they have for the district,” Barash added. “I am excited to begin my tenure with Northville Public Schools.” 

Barash earned her Bachelor of Science in Communication Education and her Master of Educational Leadership from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. She also is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Jennifer Bugar, Program Supervisor for Cooke School

As Acting Cooke Program Supervisor for the past year, Bugar has overseen the day-to-day operations of the district’s special education center program — financed through the Wayne County Regional Educational Service Agency and staffed by Northville educators. The program serves severely cognitively and multiply impaired students from preschool to age 26 from school districts across western Wayne County.

 Prior to serving as Acting Program Supervisor, Bugar was Assistant Program Supervisor for Cooke School for the 2012-13 school year. In addition, she has 14 years of experience in special education including as a teacher consultant, resource room teacher and center program teacher. Throughout her career — including in her roles over the past two years as Assistant Program Supervisor and Acting Program Supervisor for Cooke — Bugar has taken on numerous leadership and administrative responsibilities. This includes training and supervising staff for a program for moderately cognitively impaired and emotionally impaired students; providing building level professional development; evaluating students for special education eligibility and child study assessment; and serving as a mentor and trainer for new special education staff.

 “Jennifer is a talented and compassionate leader who has strengthened teacher, staff and parent involvement in school improvement processes at Cooke over the past two years,” Gallagher said. “She values the voices of parents, staff and students in fostering a strong culture of leadership and learning at Cooke, with an unrelenting focus on the holistic needs of students.” 

“I am thrilled to continue to lead our innovative Cooke team as we create curriculum, align with the Common Core Essential Elements, and support our students’ individual needs,” Bugar said. “Our opportunities are great to continuously improve our programs, create connections within our community, and use resources and best practice to provide great services for our students at all ages. We look forward to helping each student grow in the ability to communicate and demonstrate learning, both academically and functionally, in order to fulfill individual goals and engage in meaningful life experiences.”  

Bugar has a Bachelor of Science in Special Education - Emotionally Impaired and a Master of Special Education - Learning Disabilities from Eastern Michigan University (EMU). She also has a Specialist in Arts, Special Education Administration and Supervision Degree from EMU. Bugar is a 1989 graduate of Northville High School. 

Details regarding a time line and process for posting, interviewing and selecting a new Assistant Program Supervisor for Cooke School will be available soon on the district website at http://www.northvilleschools.org/.