Westerman Named Local School Chief

W. Scott Westerman Jr., 42, the school system's acting superintendent since Sept. 1, has been appointed superintendent of the Ann Arbor Public Schools. W e s t e r m a n's appointment, which is effective immediately, was approved unanimously by the trustees today during a special 8 a.m. meeting of the Board of Educaation. Westerman was appointed acting superintendent last September for a one-year term, following the resignation of former Supt. Jack Elzay. The new superintendent's decisión apparently carne as a surprise to the staff members of the Administrative Offices and the public who attended the special session, for Westerman had publicly announced in November that he was not a candidate for the superintendency. He explained his change of mind in a short speech following his appointment: "To paraphase ... a popular song," he began, 'Tve grown accustomed to this place. "I am honored by this invitation from the board and am grateful for the kind words spoken here this morning. I am willing and eager to accept this assignment and pledge every effort to warrant your expression of confidence. "My earlier disintcrest in the superintendency is a matter which is well known. This change in attitude is the result of several influences, not the least of which has been the satisfaction which has come from working with an excellent staff, with a dedicated, capable and responsive Board of Education, and with a community which has made quality education a valued tradition. "I know of no school district or community," Westerman continued, "with greater potentiality for meeting successfully the major challenges which face education today. It is a priv-j ilege to be in this place at this time. Iwelcome the opportunityj to serve as superintendent of I schools," Í field was narrowed to s e v e n finalists, who carne from the states of California, Washington, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan and Connecticut. Beginning in mid - February, four or five hours of "intensive discussions," in the words of Mrs. Felbeck, wére held with each of the seven finalists. During the interviews, the Board of Education members were joined by representatives of the elementary and secondary school principáis, the president or president-elect of the Ann Arbor Teachers' Association and a subject matter coördinator. Assessments of all of the finalists convinced the trustees, Doerr said, that Westerman himself "most nearly filled" all the personal and professional qualifications which the board had set for a new superintendent. Approaching Westerman for the second time, Doerr said, "we were delighted when he indicated . . . that he would accept the position." Doerr's motion to approve Westerman as the new superintendent was seconded by Trustee Joseph R. Julin, who commented that "probably the most significant thing I can do" as a member of the Board of Education is to "support this motion." Trustees William C. Godfrey and Harold J. Lockett then added their comments, with Godfrey remarking that this is a "very happy occasion." The new superintendent served as the school system's assistant superintendent for instruction from 1963 until nis appointment as acting superintendent last September. From 1960 to 1963, he was coördinator of social studies for the Ann Arbor schools. Westerman was an assistant professor of education at the University of Michigan from 1958 to 1960, and from 1950 to 1960 he taught extensión courses for the U-M in Richmond, Royal Oak, Flint, Saginaw, M o u n t Clemens and Grand Rapids. During this same period (1952-60), he was also an education consultant to approximately 20 Michigan school districts in the areas of curriculum and accreditation. Westerman was chairman of the social studies department at University School from 1958 to 1960. He taught junior and senior high social studies for an 11-year period prior to that. A World War II veteran, Westerman was graduated from Gallia Academy High School in Gallipolis, Ohio, in 1943. He attended Ohio Wesleyan University, earned a BS degree from Northwestern University and MA and PhD degrees from the U-M. He is a life member of the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association, and past president of the U-M District of the MEA. The superintendent also served as a member of the Department of Education's Committee on Citizenship Education from 1962 to 1964. Westerman is a member of the National and Michigan Associations of School Administrators, of the National and Michigan Councils for the Social Studies, of the National and Michigan Associations for Supervisión and Curriculum Development, and a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Delta Kappa honoraries. He is a former president of the Perry Nursery School Board of Directors, former superintendent of the Church School of the First Methodist Church and a member of Rotary International. Westerman and his wife, Marcine, have two children- Judith Kay, a fifth-grade student at Eberwhite School, and W. Scottj III, a seventh-grader at Slauson Junior High School. The new superintendent is the son of the Rev. and Mrs. W. Scott Westerman, of Chelsea.j, The Rev. Mr. Westerman is a retired Methodist minister. Trustee Paul H. Johnson was not present for this morning's special meeting. A standing ovation by the i sons in the board's meeting room followed the approval of Westè'-rpan's nomination, which was officially announced by School Board President Hazen J. Sefeuniacher Jr. Westerman's starting salary will be $270O0, with increasesl to $28.500 aiic! $S0,000 during thel second and" third years of hisl three-year contract, which ex-I tends to June 30, 1971. Other fringe benefits of thel contract include sick-leave pay, the use of an automobile provided by the board, a four-"week vacation, the payment of 1 sional association dues and monthly payments which can be applied to different types of insurance. Prior to the trustees' approval of the new superintendent, Vice President Robert E. Doerr and Trustee Francés Felbeck gave brief resumes of the board's search for a permanent superintendent, which b e g a n last September. According to Doerr, chairman of the Board's Superintendent Selection Committee, 40 candidates from across the country were chosen by the board for "active consideration." Stringent criteria were applied to each candidate, and the