Outlaw again ranked 'highly effective' as Brighton superintendent
Source: Yahoo
BRIGHTON -- A closed session evaluation of Superintendent Matt Outlaw by the Brighton Area School's Board of Education last week determined he performed at a "highly effective" level during the 2023-24 school year.
The annual performance evaluation is mandated by the Michigan Department of Education. Two board members, Vice President Alicia Reid and Trustee Bill Trombley, left the June 3 meeting early and weren't present for the vote, which was 5-0 in favor of the "highly effective" designation.
Brighton uses the evaluation assessment developed by the Michigan Association of School Boards, which gives both subjective and objective measurements 50% of the final grade. Outlaw, like many superintendents around the state, chose to complete his evaluation in a private session with the board.
There is a provision in the state's charter that allows for superintendents who received a "highly effective" rating to forgo a formal evaluation the following year. That's what happened in 2023, when Outlaw's previous positive evaluation allowed the board to skip a formal process.
"I think (Outlaw) is a tremendous leader and believe that our best days as a district are ahead of us," said Board President Roger Myers.
Outlaw signed a five-year extension in December 2023 and has roughly 42 months remaining on his contract.
Trustee John Conely said he supported Outlaw's evaluation for several reasons, including that Outlaw helped secure a U.S. Navy JROTC Program that will start during the 2025-26 school year at Brighton High School. It was an important project to Conely personally.
"(Outlaw has helped with) many big improvements for safety and security for our schools," Conely said.
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Conely added he's working on a list of projects he hopes will be considered by Outlaw and district administrators.
"I'll support any programs that benefit our students," Conely said.
According to Myers, the district's collective academic success and healthy financial situation speaks volumes of Outlaw's performance. The district has also met, and -- in Myers' opinion -- exceeded, some of its safety-related goals.
"We've had a lot of support from our teachers and administrators, but it starts at the top," Myers said. "We've grown the general fund and had a perfect audit once again this year. It's all good."
-- M. Alan Scott is a freelance writer for The Livingston Daily. Contact the newsroom at [email protected].