New ACS superintendent to begin job Jan. 1

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November 11, 2009

School board hires Felix Chow to lead system

Anonymous The Herald Bulletin Wed Nov 11, 2009, 08:54 AM EST

ANDERSON, Ind. — An education administrator with more than 15 years in school leadership posts in Michigan communities was named the next superintendent of Anderson Community Schools.

Without discussion, the school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year contract for Felix H. Chow, who will lead the school system beginning Jan. 1, 2010.

Chow, who did not attend Tuesday night’s meeting, is expected to arrive in Anderson on Wednesday to begin meeting with community members.

While board members made no comments about Chow or other candidates Tuesday, ACS attorney Charles Rubright issued a press release after the meeting in which board President P.T. Morgan praised Chow’s leadership abilities.

“He has a wealth of experience in determining how best to provide resources to educators with a focus on improving school achievement,” according to Morgan.

Chow will be paid an annual base salary of $130,000 — the same as recent superintendents, Morgan said.

The selection comes at the end of a monthslong search by the board after the resignation in July of former Superintendent Mikella Lowe. Since then, longtime ACS educator Lennon Brown has served as interim superintendent, and was among the candidates for the permanent leadership post.

Before the board voted to hire Chow, Elise Matthews, a professional development coordinator at ACS, urged members to make Brown their choice.

“I feel our education community is a family,” Matthews told the board. “It needs someone who is in tune with the community.”

Matthews later said, “I feel like I’m reflecting the thoughts of a lot of people.”

After hiring Chow, the board approved a resolution of appreciation for Brown’s 37 years with the school system. The audience of about 200 people gave a long, standing ovation to Brown, who said nothing as the meeting came to a close, and had no comment afterward.

Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com

New ACS superintendent

Here are resume highlights for Felix Chow, selected Tuesday to be the next superintendent of Anderson Community Schools.

* Former superintendent of schools in Flint and Hamtramck, Mich.

* Former chief financial officer for Pontiac, Mich. schools.

* Principal of a vocational/technical center and alternative high school in Battle Creek, Mich.

* Holds seven post-secondary degrees, including master’s degrees in English from the University of Puerto Rico; computational linguistics from Georgetown University; and business administration from Boston University; and a doctor of education degree from Boston University.

* Speaks six languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Wu, Spanish and Italian.

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