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Schools

'Good to Great': Retiring Berkley Schools Superintendent Honored

State legislators, city officials, school administrators and parents are among the many people who turned out Monday night to show their appreciation for Michael Simeck.

Passionate, dedicated and leader – all were used to describe retiring Berkley School District Superintendent Michael Simeck and his commitment to public education before he oversaw his last Board of Education meeting Monday.

A large crowd of people filled the seats of the conference room. Their titles ranged from state representative to mayor to mom and all were there to give their well wishes to the outgoing and to thank him for his work over the last five years.

“I can’t express what you’ve done for public education in words,” Michigan Sen. John Pappageorge said about Simeck’s speeches in Lansing and Washington, DC, on the importance of public education to states and communities. “From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for all that you have done to change the way we think about it for the better.”

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Simeck received proclamations from the cities of Berkley and Huntington Woods for his service to those communities. Berkley’s proclamation was presented by Berkley City Manager Jane Bais-DiSessa and Huntington Woods’ by its mayor, Ronald Gillham. Both spoke of many of Simeck’s contributions, including his leadership, vision and ability to guide the school district’s mission and to establish its “Berkley brand.”

One common theme repeated by many of the well-wishers was the recognition of Simeck’s achievement in making the school system go from “good to great,” a common saying Simeck used often and is now part of his legacy. A few ways his colleagues said he made the already good Berkley district even better was through hiring choices, budget decisions and his commitment to the students.

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“I think the best way to judge a superintendent’s success is to see how the district was functioning before and compare it to the way it is when they leave,” explained . “And if we look at Mike’s time here, student achievement has increased and standards have been raised, even with all the budget constraints that have faced public schools during that time, so I think that speaks for itself.”

During the open session for community members to voice their appreciation for the superintendent, Jennifer Johnson, the mother of an elementary student in the district who has epilepsy, spoke about the difference Simeck made in her life.

“Words can’t convey how much you have helped me,” Johnson said. “I was a mother worried sick about leaving her precious baby at school because I was afraid something was going to happen to her, but you were so warm and welcoming that you convinced me she would be OK, so I was able to leave her knowing that and I want you to know on behalf of all parents how much I appreciated that.”

The night was not complete without many references to Simeck’s more interesting quirks like his affinity for fountain pens with brown ink and hot tea. His Board of Education colleagues even performed a poem in his honor before presenting Simeck with a brand new Mont Blanc fountain pen with a box of brown ink as a gift to remember them by.

When it was finally Simeck’s turn to take the microphone, he thanked everyone who came to celebrate his work and gave a special thank you to his family, who were seated in the front row.

“I also wouldn’t have been able to have the success I have had without being backed up by people who show up and don’t let me or the students down,” Simeck said in recognizing the dedication teachers, custodians, maintenance workers and school board have shown him over the years. “I’m forever in debt to the teachers who have taught our kids and I’m confident that I’m leaving this district in a really great place.”

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