Harbor Light News

School Board votes unanimously on new superintendent candidate

Will enter contract negotiations with Rochester educator and administrator



Michael Behrmann has entered into contract negotiations with the Harbor Springs Board of Education to serve as the district’s new superintendent. He will be coming to Harbor Springs from Rochester Community Schools. Behrmann’s family includes wife, Naomi, and daughters Katie (an elementary school teacher in New York City), Mindy, a graduate of Oakland University who plans to relocate with her parents to Harbor Springs, and Tilly, a forester with the state of Tennessee. (courtesy photo)

Michael Behrmann has entered into contract negotiations with the Harbor Springs Board of Education to serve as the district’s new superintendent. He will be coming to Harbor Springs from Rochester Community Schools. Behrmann’s family includes wife, Naomi, and daughters Katie (an elementary school teacher in New York City), Mindy, a graduate of Oakland University who plans to relocate with her parents to Harbor Springs, and Tilly, a forester with the state of Tennessee. (courtesy photo)

There are some folks who just seem to get it– that intangible thing that makes Harbor Springs so special– from the minute they arrive. It goes beyond the beauty of this place, or the town’s quaint nature, or historic context. It’s an understanding of why that overused buzzword de jour, “community,” actually means something here.

In speaking with the Harbor Springs Board of Education’s choice for the district’s new superintendent, Michael Behrmann, it quickly became apparent: this is a person who just “gets it.”

“I’m just so honored and humbled to have this opportunity,” Behrmann said in a phone interview with this paper. “Every single student I met during my visit was so kind and wonderful. This is what I saw in Harbor Springs: a community that rallies around and supports its schools and its kids. And that’s what is most exciting about this for me.”

Behrmann’s hiring is not official until contract negotiations are complete, but he said he was glad for the opportunity to connect with people now, hopefully putting the community at ease about a newcomer entering the district.

The School Board unanimously selected Behrmann, who is currently the executive director of elementary education for Rochester Community Schools, from a pool of three finalists. The final interview day included parent, staff, and community focus groups, a presentation for the board and a last round of interviews.

Behrmann has worked in education for 31 years, serving during that time as a teacher, an elementary principal, and middle school principal. In his current position, Behrmann’s work extends far be- yond just the 13 elementary schools, pre-Kindergarten, and school-age before/after care. He noted he is involved in “all facets” of the organization, including human resources, business finance, facilities, and curriculum, instruction and assessments, as well as the global awareness initiatives for the entire district.

That last responsibility is worth noting because of Rochester’s leadership in global education. Students from elementary-high school take Mandarin classes as part of a unique partnership with Michigan State University’s Confucius Institute. In addition, a wide-range of grade levels in Rochester participate in shortterm visits and cultural exchanges with a host of countries, including China. The district even hosts F1 visa students, which allows Rochester to collect tuition while enriching its student body with young people from different countries.

Of course, Rochester has more than 15,000 students. Harbor Springs has less than 800. There will be economy of scale for any such creative programming to be implemented here. Still, Behrmann said “there are some things that, no matter what size a district is, are exactly the same.”

“Students are at the core of everything we do. It doesn’t matter if there is a total of 20 or 260 classrooms. No matter where a student is placed, they should be receiving the same high quality instruction. That’s vitally important, and it doesn’t have to do with scale or size. I think one of the big advantages to being in a smaller district will be the ability to be more nimble, to adjust to new initiatives, and to really be able to provide the best in curriculum resources, best practice instruction strategies, and fidelity across the system.”

In the schools and in the community…

Being in the schools and the community– not hidden away in an office all the time– is central to Behrmann’s leadership style. He said he plans to be in the school buildings as much as possible, “because that’s where an administrator needs to be,” in order to fully immerse in a school’s culture, as well as to be visible and present for students, staff and families.

“All of our kids need to feel seen,” he said. “All of our kids need to know we love them, care for them, and are here for them.”

The same, Behrmann said, is true for teachers. Supporting educators through professional development, empowering growth and leadership, and providing a clear path that includes a “relentless pursuit of what data, research and best practices are telling us” is vital, he noted.

As a parent himself– Behrmann and his wife, Naomi, have three daughters ages 29,27,22 who all went through the Rochester Community Schools system– the new superintendent said he understands the importance of being connected and visible throughout the district. Rochester schools operate very much with a “customer service” mindset, with students and parents being the customers.

“Even if we can’t give everyone a ‘yes’ answer, I’m a big believer in listening. It’s important our parents feel heard, and that responses to issues, questions or concerns are not just given by a quick email. I like to pick up the phone and call. I like to make sure there is an authentic, personal connection,” he said.

Connection and listening are two words that are central to Behrmann’s 90-day plan, which he gave to the board as part of his final interview.

“I’ll really be looking at culture and climate– all facets at all levels– and making sure we have positive public relationships, making sure our schools are happy, joyful places,” he said.

This means Behrmann will spend a lot of time observing within the district’s four school buildings, and a lot of time outside of the Harbor Springs Public Schools campus, getting to know the community.

“I’m really looking forward to immersing myself in Harbor Springs. I plan to join organizations like Rotary and Kiwanis, and any other groups that will help me become connected here. I think in some respects, the summer is a nice time for me to start, because it will allow me some time to begin sitting down with as many people as possible,” Behrmann said of a likely July 1 start date.

“I want to collect a lot of stories, really hear people’s’ dreams, hopes and aspirations about what they want their district to be,” he explained. “Listening to people’s’ stories is so important, and I’ll be doing that knowing my work here truly starts with building relationships.”

To do this, Behrmann plans to host many stakeholder meetings and focus groups to gather information.

“Building public trust and confidence is so important,” he said.

Working with elected officials from local municipalities to state representatives is also critical, he said. Even for a district like Harbor Springs that is “out of formula” with its funding (meaning the main source of revenue comes from a non-homestead property tax millage, not a per pupil funding allowance set by the state), having good working relationships with legislators is necessary, Behrman noted.

“We are still bound by so many mandates and laws. There are issues like teacher evaluations processes and student growth measures that are dictated by the state, and we need to have open lines of communication with our representatives.”

Of course, another key group of elected officials is the Harbor Springs Board of Education. Getting to know their vision for the district is also an early and top priority for Behrmann. He said he’s looking forward to hearing their big picture goals, as well as developing protocols for how to best communicate with the board and the community.

“Establishing a positive, strong relationship with the Board early on is important, and so we can turn our focus to really digging into achievements and outcomes once school is in session,” Behrmann said.

This will likely include, “formal and informal” audits to look at patterns of student achievement, curriculum and instruction, as well as evaluating programs, how many opportunities staff members have to collaborate, etc.

“I’ll be asking a lot of questions, and I’ll be spending a lot of time observing and listening,” he said.

Coming to a school district like Harbor Springs that is already known for its stellar education and high levels of achievement is such “an awesome privilege,” Behrmann stressed.

“This district is already incredible, so we really get to focus on those small, finetuning opportunities. That’s such a fortunate position to be in, and it also comes with responsibility to really dig deep.”

As an administrator who is coming from one of 28 school districts in Oakland County– Rochester is not as wellfunded as say, Birmingham or Bloomfield Hills public school systems– Behrmann said he is very well-versed in the fact that school districts have a “finite pool of resources, and must operate as efficiently and effectively as possible in all areas.”

“Rochester schools receive substantially less funding than some other districts in the county, yet our results are higher achieving, and our community expects that,” he said. “We have learned to squeeze every ounce out of the resources we have, and I plan to still approach things from that standpoint. We are stewards of the taxpayers money, and I take that stewardship and that responsibility very seriously, especially in Harbor Springs as an out-offormula district.”

‘All means all…’

As a fan of the arts, music and sports (he was a collegiate level lacrosse player and played hockey), Behrmann said while the district’s central focus must always be on high quality instruction, programming in visual and performing arts, as well as strong athletics programs is central to having a “comprehensive, wellbalanced” school community. He said he’s looking forward to experiencing all the district offers in this way, from attending games to attending band concerts and plays. He lamented not being able to attend the Addams Family Musical the high school performed last weekend.

“All means all,” he said of making sure students are reaching beyond their potential in every aspect of their education. “I know this is a community that believes that across the board, and I hope to bring some additional inspiration to build upon what is already so outstanding about this district and help get us to the next level.”

A mindset of perpetual professional growth is definitely not reserved only for staff in Behrmann’s eyes. He said as an educator and administrator, he is“learning every single day” and plans to continue that in Harbor Springs.

“My goal is to get better at my job every single day. That was the case as a teacher, a principal, and a district administrator, and it will certainly be the case as the superintendent. Ultimately, I will be judged by the community. And that is another awesome responsibility I take so very seriously. I want to ensure that I am able to deliver to the community what they expect. I was given this chance, and I don’t take that lightly.”

Coming into a community like Harbor Springs is a dream come true, even though Behrmann has only wonderful things to say about raising a family and working in Rochester.

“Aside from spending time with my wonderful family, I love the outdoors. Naomi and I both love to cross country ski, canoe and hike. We like to cook and work on our house, and we like to be part of community groups. My wife also likes to quilt, and I’m an avid runner. I’m looking forward to waking up early in Harbor Springs and running every morning. I find it’s a wonderful way to engage in mindfulness and contemplate the day ahead. I don’t think I could imagine a more beautiful place to do so.”

While Behrmann won’t officially start working in Harbor Springs until this summer (contingent upon coming to terms with a contract), he’s already building relationships and getting to know community leaders, including other superintendents in the Intermediate School District. The more folks he talks to, the more excited he said he is to have the chance to become part of the Harbor Springs story.

“Harbor Springs loves its kids,” he said. “And there’s no greater asset for a school district than that simple truth.”