DEAREST READER, A BRIDGEPORT-SPAULDING BREADCRUMB
A reader dropped an interesting breadcrumb into my inbox tonight.
The question involved Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Desmon Ray Daniel and his Michigan administrator credential.
Naturally, I put on the spectacles and went looking for the receipt.
And I found one.
According to Michigan's public Educator Credential Lookup, Daniel was issued an Experience-Based School Administrator Certificate on October 31, 2018.
It expired June 30, 2023.
Well.
That prompted the rather obvious question:
What credential is Dr. Daniel currently serving under?
Before anyone runs off with that question, there is an important piece of Michigan's credentialing rules to understand.
A school administrator whose certificate is not currently valid may, under certain circumstances, serve through a School Administrator Permit.
And here is where it gets interesting.
The administrator does not simply obtain that permit for himself.
The employing school district applies for it.
In this case, that would mean Bridgeport-Spaulding would obtain a permit authorizing the district to employ Daniel in the assignment.
But although the district obtains the permit, the permit is tied to the specific person and assignment. MDE says issued permits are publicly verifiable through its credential system.
So I went back to Michigan's public credential search.
The search for Desmon Ray Daniel displayed his Experience-Based School Administrator Certificate.
Expiration: June 30, 2023.
I did not find a current School Administrator Permit displayed in the results I reviewed tonight.
Now comes the important part, dearest reader:
That is not the same thing as saying Bridgeport-Spaulding does not have one.
I don't have that receipt.
And Lady Budgetdown does not turn a missing receipt into a conclusion simply because the conclusion would make a better headline.
So tonight's question for the ledger is very simple:
Does Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District currently hold a valid School Administrator Permit authorizing Dr. Desmon Ray Daniel to serve as Interim Superintendent?
Michigan's rules make that question worth answering. MDE says an administrator permit must be obtained by the employing district, must be issued for the individual and assignment, and cannot simply be issued retroactively after someone has already begun working in the position.
I intend to contact the Michigan Department of Education when time permits.
But with quite a few rabbit holes already scattered across my desk, perhaps one of my Bridgeport-Spaulding readers would like to pick up this breadcrumb before I do.
Michigan Department of Education - Educator Excellence
📧 MDE-EducatorHelp@Michigan.gov
☎️ 517-241-5000
The question:
"Does Bridgeport-Spaulding Community School District currently hold a valid School Administrator Permit authorizing Dr. Desmon Ray Daniel to serve as Interim Superintendent?"
If you receive an answer, particularly one in writing please send the receipt my way.
For now, the ledger says only what the receipts establish:
📜 Daniel's publicly displayed Experience-Based School Administrator Certificate expired June 30, 2023.
🔎 I did not find a current administrator permit displayed in the public search results I reviewed.
❓ Whether Bridgeport-Spaulding currently holds a valid permit authorizing his service remains an unanswered question.
No accusations.
No conclusions in search of evidence.
Just a breadcrumb, a receipt, and a perfectly reasonable question.
With receipts and respect,
Lady Budgetdown
#LadyBudgetdown #WithReceiptsAndRespect #BridgeportSpaulding #BridgeportSpauldingSchools #MichiganSchools #SchoolTransparency #PublicEducation #MichiganDepartmentOfEducation #FollowTheReceipts #TheLedger