Grand Rapids — The hunt for the next superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools is over.
The GRPS Board of Education selected Allison Tingwall, currently the executive director of principal quality for Chicago Public Schools, to be its next leader after a lengthy special meeting that lasted well into Wednesday night.
During the four-hour meeting, Tingwall and fellow finalist Kelly Greene, chief area instructional leader for GRPS, presented to the board about their values, priorities and problem-solving styles. Tingwall spoke about her data-driven, whole-student approach to delivering on the “promise of public education,” and Greene expressed a desire to build trust and improve the culture within GRPS.
The evening culminated in an 8-1 vote to offer the job to Tingwall, pending contract negotiations. The one dissenting vote came from Trustee Kimberly Williams. Though impressed by both candidates, Williams favored Greene’s focus on culture, which she said is the “biggest issue in our district.” She noted, however, that she would gladly work alongside Tingwall and honor the will of the board.
After the meeting, with reporters clustering around Tingwall and Board President José Rodriguez, SNN asked Tingwall how she was feeling.
“I’m feeling ready. Estoy lista!” the bilingual superintendent-elect said, repeating a phrase she’d uttered in Spanish during her interview. “I am incredibly humbled; I am incredibly grateful to President Rodriguez, and the board, and the community members who helped shape this very rigorous process.”
Tingwall added: “The weight of the moment — the weight of the responsibility — doesn’t escape me, but I’m ready to show up for all 14,000 scholars in this district and really excited to work alongside the community.”
Rodriguez said he was thrilled with the result of the monthslong search process that began when current GRPS Superintendent Leadriane Roby announced her plan to leave the district at the end of her current contract year.
‘I’m ready to show up for all 14,000 scholars in this district and really excited to work alongside the community.’
future GRPS Superintendent Allison Tingwall
“I’m feeling elated,” he said. “I think our board is just breathing a sigh of relief right now, being done with the process, but also just finding such an amazing leader in Allison. But the reality is, we couldn’t lose with either candidate. We had such exceptional candidates come and submit their application for superintendent, and we ended up with two amazing finalists.”
Rodriguez said Tingwall “showcased a lot of hope for GRPS,” adding that her ideas, energy and enthusiasm lined up with the transformational work the district is undertaking through its “Reimagine GRPS With Us!” facilities master plan.
‘We have to deliver’
During the interviews, Tingwall — who originally hails from Michigan, growing up in Dearborn and Novi — touted the responsibility of the public-education system to look out for and take care of young learners.
“I believe any child, regardless of their immigration status, the language spoken at home, their race, … ability, disability — every student deserves access to a rigorous public education and we have to deliver on that,” she said.
She said in her current role, she strives to visit school buildings every week, and she encourages her staff to do so as well. School administrators have to make an effort, she said, to know and understand the people who are most affected by district-level decisions, and those who are “furthest from opportunity.”
“We need to ensure that our marginalized youth, who aren’t currently having success in the systems we set up, are given appropriate attention, and that we listen to the people that know them, the people that love them, and listen to the scholars themselves to help understand how we can do right by them,” she told the board.
She added: “I’m not here because I think you all need Chicago. In fact, I don’t think you need me. I’m here because I want to contribute. I’m here because I want to work with the students, the families, the staff, the community members in Grand Rapids, and deliver on the promise of public education that I experienced in Dearborn and Novi, and that I believe every one of our 14,000 scholars in Grand Rapids Public Schools deserves.”
Board members said they were wowed by Tingwall’s energy, curiosity, compassion and humility.
“I know tonight I saw glimpses of what truly reimagining could be,” trustee Sara Melton said.
Looking Ahead
Tingwall earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan before receiving a master’s in instructional leadership and a doctorate in urban education leadership, both from the University of Illinois Chicago.
She lives in Chicago with her wife and two kids, but as a self-described “Michigander at heart,” she said she can’t wait to move back to the Mitten State.
Tingwall’s official start date has yet to be determined, Rodriguez told SNN.
Roby’s last day is June 30, 2027, but Rodriguez said the district wants to make sure it sets Tingwall up for success with a proper onboarding process. It’s possible, he said, that she’ll start before Roby’s departure.
Rodriguez said he and Tingwall will work together to determine what the timeline will look like.
The district’s nationwide superintendent search drew 35 applicants from across the U.S. The board selected eight semifinalists for screening last week, and officially approved Tingwall and Greene as finalists during a special meeting Monday.
The search, led by Ray & Associates, relied heavily on community input. Using feedback from students, staff and community members, the board put together a candidate profile to guide the process, and Rodrigeuz said that input was invaluable in shaping the process.
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