By Cam Macko
managing copy
Between this school year and the last, many teachers were switched around and found themselves with a new job description. Lately, several office personnel and administrators at Midland Public Schools have been in a similar position.
After about eight weeks, interim assistant principal Dan Macek left DHS. He was asked to fill in the position due to Brian Frankovich’s absence. Macek’s last work day was on Dec. 22, just before Christmas break started.
“[Macek] was a retired elementary school principal,” Principal Pam Kastl said. “He came in as a substitute assistant principal. He’s returned to retirement now. These are all district decisions. It’s not my decision.”
The question of who would replace the former Adams Elementary Principal remained unanswered for most staff and students until Jan. 5, when it was announced that Danielle Rutterbush would take up the position of interim assistant principal Level Two.
Rutterbush began working at DHS on Jan. 11 and will continue until June 30. Whether she stays at DHS after that point or moves somewhere else is still unknown to even Rutterbush herself. She will be working with eleventh and twelfth grade students, just as assistant principal Ted Davis has in the past. Davis is intended to continue as assistant principal Level One for the rest of the school year.
“Davis is [the Level One assistant principal],” Rutterbush said. “He’s a lot more familiar and experienced than I am.”
The difference between Level One and Level Two is simply a change in responsibility.
“I’m an interim assistant principal,” Rutterbush said. “So I’m in charge the eleventh and twelfth graders, their discipline, school improvement, and other large projects, as they come up.”
Before working at DHS, Rutterbush still worked at the MPS administration.
“For eight years, I was a psychologist,” Rutterbush said. “Then I was a data coach for MPS. I worked for all the schools, K-12. I went around from school to school and helped them interpret data, basically.”
Two more changes in the DHS office personnel were also announced on Jan. 5. Assistant principal Brian Frankovich will be working at Eastlawn and Seibert Elementary Schools for the rest of this school year. While his former position as assistant principal will be filled, it still hasn’t been announced who will replace him as head of the Art and Music Departments.
Also moving is Office Professional and Registrar Diane Bush, who took a job at Plymouth Elementary School, and will be working as the administrative assistant before the end of the semester. It is still unclear who will be filling in the position Bush leaves behind, though the administration hopes to find a replacement before the second semester starts.
While the positions of administrators have lately been reminiscent of a game of musical chairs, it’s only a matter of time and patience until everyone is in their proper place and the staff and students in MPS can breathe more easily.
