Godwin Heights — Freshman Albani Chavez doesn’t recall the exact details of her conversation with Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff when he visited her in the fourth grade.
She had written him a letter for a persuasive writing assignment, advocating for a later school start time, and he had come to discuss it with her.
While she does not remember the specifics of the conversation, what struck her is he took time to meet with her and truly listen.
“He made my concerns matter,” she said.
As Fetterhoff wrapped up his final year at Godwin Heights — his official last day is June 30 — he was still attending year-end events, never taking center stage, but rather in the background celebrating the accomplishments of the students and the staff.
“I look at the leadership, I really think of them as my peers (who) go ahead and administrate these programs, and the unity that we have,” he said. “We rely upon each other’s strengths, their vision. We respect one another, but with that respect, there’s an understanding that people can speak their mind, and we all tend to listen rather than be egotistical or have hurt feelings about issues, and really work through, I believe, what’s best for the community and especially for the community’s children.”
‘Talk is cheap, but to be able to go ahead and act on those things and produce a product that actually has answers to the problems, the needs, the wants, that’s the trick.’
— retiring Superintendent Bill Fetterhoff
From Janitor to Superintendent
Fetterhoff started his career in education as a janitor at Grand Rapids Public Schools. He had that position for 17 years, and as he watched the educators, he decided teaching was something he could do as well.
He eventually would teach at Burton Elementary School, where his foundation of collaboration developed, he said. Staff had weekly planning sessions where teachers worked together, leveraging one another’s strengths, Fetterhoff said, and introduced specialized subject instruction to better support and challenge students, building a system that is both effective and rewarding.
He would leave Grand Rapids for a principal position in North Branch and in 2004, and return to West Michigan to be the principal at North Godwin.
“I loved Burton — the staff I worked with and the community there — so transitioning to work with the Latino community felt like a natural next step,” he said. “When I came to Godwin Heights, I discovered a corridor that connects directly to Grand Rapids, reflecting the rich cultural diversity of the Latino community along that path.”
He would add the Learning Center duties, which included the alternative high school, and, at the time, adult education, and briefly served as the middle school principal.
In 2009, Wyoming Superintendent Jon Felske was appointed as a dual superintendent for both Wyoming and Godwin Heights. Fetterhoff became Felske’s assistant, serving as Godwin Heights’ point person when Felske was at Wyoming.
In 2011, Felske left for Muskegon and Fetterhoff became the “heir apparent to go ahead and take the district over,” he said.
Board President Ed Johnson said Fetterhoff showed a range of qualities that made him not just a strong leader, but the right fit for Godwin Heights.
“The thing about Bill, just from my personal standpoint of being with him all this time, is he’s a forward thinker,” Johnson said. “He really is what I would call what a leader should be: He’s not dominant. He’s not overwhelming. He’s not a micromanager. He’s a kind of a collaborator, a kind of a person who is a good listener.”
Taking a Holistic Approach
Through Fetterhoff’s strategic leadership, the district embraced the mindset that learning should be the constant and time the variable, recognizing that students learn at different paces, Johnson said. That led to a more collaborative culture, where both teachers and students benefit from working together rather than in isolation.
Collaboration also has played a major role in improving self-efficacy and building a sense of team and family across K–12, he said.
Johnson said Fetterhoff demonstrated his skill of putting the “right people in the right roles” by addressing middle-school challenges, notably by appointing high school Principal Chad Conklin as secondary education principal. This brought greater alignment across all school levels, leading to smoother student transitions and more cohesive learning, Fetterhoff said.
‘He really is what I would call what a leader should be.’
— Godwin Heights Board of Education President Ed Johnson
Conklin will be the district’s next superintendent.
“As a school superintendent you have to keep your ears and your eyes open and keep communication open to your community to listen,” Fetterhoff said. “Talk is cheap, but to be able to go ahead and act on those things and produce a product that actually has answers to the problems, the needs, the wants, that’s the trick.”
This meant creating facilities that were more useful and fit the needs of the Godwin Heights community including re-turfing the sports fields, switching out the indoor pool for an auxiliary gym, working with the city of Wyoming to construct an athletic gate, providing parking for athletics, and making buildings safer.
It also included the recent addition of a Cherry Health clinic inside the Godwin Heights High School, because “Kids can’t learn if they’re hungry. Kids can’t learn if they don’t have sleep. Kids can’t learn if their minds are elsewhere,” Fetterhoff said.
Time For the Next Generation of Leaders
The goal of education is to provide students with a strong pre-K through 12 education to help prepare them for successful adulthood, Fetterhoff said, and the district’s holistic approach with nutrition programs, Kent School Services Network community support, Cherry Health physical and mental health care, and various community partnerships all play essential roles and are vital for student development.
As he celebrates his 45th year in education, Fetterhoff said he felt it was the right time to step aside and make room for the next generation of leaders. He said he is excited to see how Conklin and the leadership team will guide the district in its next chapter.
As for Fetterhoff’s future plans, they are simple: take a break, spend more time with family and catch up on projects around the house.
“It’s been a wonderful career — so many people, so many experiences.”
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