LANSING – The Michigan Board of Education voted 6–2 on Tuesday to advance Dr. Glenn Maleyko, superintendent of Dearborn Public Schools, along with two other candidates, to the final shortlist for state superintendent. The chosen individual will replace Michael F. Rice, who announced earlier this year that he will retire.

Joining Maleyko on the list are Lisa Coons, former superintendent of public instruction in Virginia, and Judy Walton, superintendent and curriculum director for Harrison Community Schools in Clare County. The three were selected after two days of interviews with seven semi-finalists chosen from a pool of 33 applicants.

Final interviews are scheduled for August 26, after which board members are expected to vote on the next state superintendent. According to the Michigan Department of Education, the board “tentatively” plans to select a candidate and extend an offer the same day, pending contract negotiations.

We met with an impressive group of educators who are doing great work across the state and beyond. Congratulations to the finalists, who are all distinguished for putting students first. — Pamela Pugh, Michigan Board of Education president

State Board President Dr. Pamela Pugh added that during the final interviews later this month, the board will seek to determine who is best equipped to “lead the ongoing improvement of the state’s education system.”

The selection of the three finalists was opposed by the board’s two Republican members. Tom McMillin argued that the list should have included Christopher Timmis, superintendent of Dexter Community Schools in Washtenaw County, citing his district’s strong progress under his leadership.

I would have preferred to see Christopher Timmis of Dexter included, given the remarkable progress his district has achieved under his leadership.— Tom McMillin, Republican board member

Fellow Republican board member Nikki Snyder agreed with McMillin’s position.

Maleyko’s prospects

If chosen, Maleyko would be the second Dearborn superintendent in a decade to leave the district for the state’s top education position.

Maleyko, 52, has served as Dearborn Public Schools superintendent since 2015, succeeding Brian Whiston, who was appointed Michigan superintendent. Whiston died in office in 2018 at the age of 56 and was succeeded by Rice, the outgoing Kalamazoo superintendent, who will retire on October 3.

Maleyko is considered a strong contender due to his record leading Dearborn Public Schools, the third-largest district in Michigan with more than 20,000 students, behind Detroit Public Schools (50,000) and Utica Community Schools in Macomb County (25,000).

He was named Michigan Superintendent of the Year in 2019 by the Michigan Association of School Administrators. Maleyko holds four academic degrees, including a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies.

By comparison, Coons led Virginia’s education system from 2023 until her resignation in March. She previously served as  chief academic officer in Tennessee’s Department of Education and earned her doctorate in education from Lipscomb University in Nashville. Despite her strong credentials, Coons lacks any Michigan experience and is the first out-of-state finalist for the position in nearly two decades.

Walton has served as superintendent of Harrison Community Schools since 2022. She previously worked as principal of Eastern Middle School in the Grand Rapids district and holds a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing.