Novi School Board Wants Candidates with More Principal Experience

Novi school board President Dennis O'Connor said there were two reasons Nicole Carter was not hired as Novi High School principal. 

One reason was the hiring process and the other was Carter's experience. 

“Sometimes we have to set aside the love and respect we have for an individual to remember that function we’re doing," said Trustee George Kortlandt, who voted against hiring Carter, at Thursday's board meeting.

O'Connor, who also voted against hiring Carter, said there were 67 applicants for the position and both final candidates were internal assistant principals. Kortlandt and Secretary Shari Lebo, the third vote against Carter, wanted someone with more experience.

“I would like to see the person who is selected to run Novi High School be a high school principal already to have the experience,” Kortlandt said at the meeting. 

O'Connor said when he and the board were looking for a new district superintendent a few years ago, they chose Steve Matthews because he had superintendent experience.

Carter, who is an assistant principal at Novi High School, has been serving as interim principal since Carol Diglio, former principal, moved to her new position in the district. 

School board president says he doesn't trust the hiring system

In addition to a concern over Carter's principal experience, the other issue was the hiring process. 

"In my personal opinion, I do not think the board has been actively engaged and given timely information on the candidates," he said. 

He said he voted against hiring the new Deerfield Elementary principal at the July 22 meeting, although that recommendation was approved by a majority vote, because of the same concerns about the hiring protocol. 

The hiring process will change across the district so that board members can have more information about candidates instead of only rubber-stamping the administration's recommendations, he said.