Grosse Pointe North Principal to Head Up Detroit Country Day

's upper school will be under new leadership next fall as Tim Bearden, current principal of Grosse Pointe North High School, will be leaving Grosse Pointe for the Beverly Hills private school.

Bearden told Grosse Pointe Patch the decision to leave North was difficult but the position at Detroit Country Day is an opportunity for him in one of his areas of interest within the education field. 

In his new position, Bearden will be the Chief Academic Officer/Upper School Director. He said the instruction and curriculum focus he will be taking on as the chief academic officer is an opportunity to grow in an area that is of great interest to him.

Bearden wrote Grosse Point's 2.0 21st Century learning initiative, authored his district’s teacher evaluation model, and led the district’s technology grant process resulting in an infusion of interactive technology in district classrooms, according to a news release.

He has also presented throughout Michigan and the Midwest on grading and assessment, constructivism, social media in education, academic support programs for struggling learners and technology in leadership.

In his new role, Bearden will help develop curriculum and instruction standards for kindergarten through twelfth grades while still remaining in constant contact with students.

Bearden said he became interested in independent schools after learning more about the opportunities such an educational setting offers as compared to public schools. In this particular situation, Bearden said the reputation of Detroit Country Day speaks for itself.

Bearden's contract in Grosse Pointe expires June 30 and he will begin with Detroit Country Day July 1, he said.

He had a number of rolls with the district during his career, which began as athletic director and assistant principal for . Bearden then left to lead South Lake High School as its principal. Six years ago he made the change from South Lake to Grosse Pointe North. 

Bearden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, History and Social Sciences from the University of Michigan-Flint in 1986, and his Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University in 2001, a news release stated. He completed his teaching certificate in 1989 and attended Wayne State University Law School.