Dearest reader, sometimes a breadcrumb arrives that requires me to put everything else on the ledger aside for a moment.
This morning, I received information regarding the credential status of Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District's Interim Superintendent, Dr. Desmon Daniel.
So I started checking.
And I have a question.
Actually, I have several.
Michigan law and Michigan Department of Education guidance require an individual employed as a superintendent to possess a valid Michigan school administrator certificate or permit.
That requirement isn't based simply upon what the district calls the position. MDE specifically says it depends upon the duties the individual is performing.
We already verified that Dr. Daniel's administrator certificate expired in 2023.
We also have a public record establishing that by July 31, 2026, Daniel was being publicly identified in connection with Bridgeport-Spaulding's superintendent search as the district's Interim Superintendent.
That sent me looking for the other possibility:
A School Administrator Permit.
This morning a reader called the MDE to verify the permit status. This was verified by telephone.
The reader was told that the permit is PENDING.
Because that verification occurred by telephone, I do not have a written receipt from MDE to publish with this post. I want to be completely transparent about that distinction.
But here's where this becomes important.
According to MDE's own published guidance:
A district must apply for the permit when an individual doesn't possess the required valid administrator certificate.
If that individual is the superintendent, the hiring authority/Board, working with the district's authorized MOECS user, applies for it.
And most importantly:
The permit must be issued before the individual is placed in the assignment.
MDE says a permit is not valid until it reaches approved status.
MDE further states that a non-certified individual cannot be placed in the assignment without jeopardizing state-aid funding until the permit has been issued and is valid.
And permits are not retroactive.
So now I have a very simple question for Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District:
When did the district apply for Dr. Daniel's School Administrator Permit?
Because the dates matter.
If Daniel was publicly serving as Interim Superintendent by July 31, but his administrator certificate had expired and his School Administrator Permit remains pending in September, when exactly was that application submitted?
And when did the district first place him in the superintendent assignment?
Those aren't merely paperwork questions.
MDE specifically warns school districts that employing administrators without valid and appropriate credentials can result in state-aid deductions.
In fact, MDE's guidance tells districts that verifying credentials before placement can prevent thousands of dollars in state-aid deductions.
Which brings me back to something else we've been examining in Bridgeport-Spaulding.
The district recently eliminated the Thomas White Elementary principal position.
And tonight, September 14, 2026, the Bridgeport-Spaulding Board of Education has another item on its agenda:
"CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER (DANIEL)"
So now the spectacles are coming down.
If Dr. Daniel's administrator certificate is expired...
and if his School Administrator Permit has not yet been issued...
under what authority has he been performing the duties of Interim Superintendent?
What role did he have in the decision and recommendation to eliminate the Thomas White principal position?
What personnel or administrative actions has he taken or recommended while serving as Interim Superintendent?
And what exactly is being proposed tonight under "CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER (DANIEL)"?
Because MDE's credential rules become particularly interesting there, too.
MDE says administrator credentials can also be required for positions whose primary responsibility is administering instructional programs, including positions carrying executive responsibility over instructional programs and supervision/evaluation of instructional personnel.
So if tonight's proposed Chief Academic Officer position is intended to carry those responsibilities:
What credential would be required for that position?
And again:
When did Bridgeport-Spaulding apply for the permit?
Maybe there is an explanation.
Maybe there is documentation I haven't seen.
Maybe the district submitted the application long ago and is waiting on MDE.
But according to MDE, pending and approved are not the same thing.
And according to MDE, a permit isn't retroactive.
Those aren't Lady Budgetdown's rules.
Those are the Michigan Department of Education's.
So I'm asking the questions.
And if Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District would like to provide the application date, MOECS status, or any other documentation that explains this timeline, my inbox is open.
Receipts aren't very useful if we only keep the convenient ones.
With receipts and respect.
#LadyBudgetdown #WithReceiptsAndRespect #BridgeportSpaulding #SchoolTransparency #MichiganSchools
SOURCES:
Michigan Department of Education — School Administrator Permit
Requirements for administrator permits, application procedure, issuance before placement, approved status, and prohibition on retroactive permits.
https://www.michigan.gov/.../administrator.../admin-permit
Michigan Department of Education — School Administrator Credentials and Placement
Requirements for superintendents and administrators responsible for instructional programs to possess appropriate administrator credentials.
https://www.michigan.gov/.../administrator-certification
Michigan Department of Education — State Aid Deduction Responsibilities
MDE guidance concerning state-aid deductions when districts employ individuals without valid credentials.
https://www.michigan.gov/.../state-aid-deduction...
Michigan Department of Education — Certification and Permit Responsibilities
District responsibility for verifying that permits have actually been issued before placement.
https://www.michigan.gov/.../certification-and-permit...
Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District — September 14, 2026 Board Meeting
District announcement and agenda information for tonight's meeting.
https://www.gobearcats.net/live-feed
Bridgeport-Spaulding Superintendent Search — July 31, 2026
Public superintendent-search record identifying Dr. Desmon R. Daniel as Interim Superintendent.
https://civiciq.com/.../bridgeport-spaulding-community...
MDE telephone verification — September 14, 2026
Permit status was verified by telephone as PENDING. Because this verification occurred by telephone, there is no written receipt accompanying this post.