(BURR OAK) – The Burr Oak Board of Education has finished the first round interviews with candidates who are vying to be the next Burr Oak Superintendent.

The Board interviewed three individuals Tuesday night: Mr. Howard Edwards, Director of School Learning for the South Bend Community School Corporation; Dr. John Strycker, VP of Program Development for Fueling Brains in Texas; and Dr. Richard Hilderly, the retired Superintendent of the Tecumseh Public Schools.

The Board asked each candidate several questions. One of them was how do you effectively communicate with the administrative team, parents, staff and the community? Edwards was the first to give his response, saying for years he’s sent out a weekly e-mail to update to everyone on what’s happening. If he’s hired by Burr Oak, he would do the same thing.

Strycker says there are many ways he has communicated in his previous position and would use one of those ways again if hired by Burr Oak. Strycker says he will start with the Board of Education and call them each Friday. He says that will help to strengthen their relationship which is built on trust and respect.

Hilderly shares that communicating to the Board is an important part of keeping them informed on what’s happening in the District. Hilderly says if a Board member is contacted by someone from the Staff or the community, he will relate that to the Board, because there may be other’s in the District that have had the same problem.

After the interviews were finished, the Board discussed the five candidates, and decided to bring back Edwards, Strycker and Dr. Kelvin Butts for second round interviews.

The second round interviews will be on Monday, June 16, and the public is welcome to attend.