By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- Brandywine Public Schools Board of Education held a special meeting on Friday morning to ask further questions of superintendent candidate Kim Kramer.
Kramer, currently the assistant superintendent of Plainwell Schools, is one of two finalists for the position along with David Gray, superintendent of Eaton Rapids Schools.
Board members and Brandywine staff members made visits to both candidates' districts on Tuesday. The board determined that they had additional questions before arriving at a final decision.
Kramer was invited to the Bell Education Center on Friday at 6 a.m. to address questions regarding his experience with curriculum.
As assistant superintendent in Plainwell, Kramer spent time as director of curriculum, but for the past seven years he served as the district's director of operations. So, there was concern with his familiarity of current curriculum practices.
He acknowledged that his current duty as director of operations had not allowed him to stay fully abreast with curriculum issues, but did not see this as a setback for him getting involved in the alignment of Brandywine's curriculum.
Kramer also addressed questions of instructional strategies and pointed to the importance of having a properly trained staff.
He said times are changing and it is important to ensure that teachers are as prepared as possible to encourage a high level of student achievement.
There were also questions of Kramer's ability to handle the simultaneous duties of curriculum, operations and the bond issue.
He expressed confidence in himself to tackle to multiple duties of a superintendent, but said he will need the help of his staff.
Board members then decided to invite Gray back for additional questions at a meeting on Monday night.
Board president Jim Curran said he wanted to make sure there was no sense of urgency in hiring a superintendent.
Gray has not been contacted yet, but the board has tentatively planned a special meeting for Monday night.