Five candidates will be interviewed by the East Lansing Public Schools Board at the Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, meeting to fill the open seat following the resignation of Trustee Monica Fink. (Adan Quan for ELi)

ELPS Board will Interview Five for Open Trustee Seat

Tonight’s meeting of the East Lansing Public Schools (ELPS) Board will feature interviews of six candidates to fill the spot left empty after Monica Fink’s resignation. The board is also slated to approve a separation agreement with MacDonald Middle School physical education teacher Dennis Petrowitz.

ELi reviewed the letters candidates submitted to the board. The following information is presented in the order as listed on the agenda for the Monday (Oct. 9) meeting.

  • Robert Cukier is a professor emeritus from the Department of Chemistry at Michigan State University (MSU), working there since 1972. He has raised two daughters who have graduated from the East Lansing Public Schools. In his letter of application, he wrote, “In my view, maximizing each child’s potential and instilling a moral center in them will go a long way to reducing conflicts in the ELPS system.”
  • Rebecca Dean is director of assessment in MSU’s Office of Undergraduate Education. A graduate of ELPS, she has three children in the district. About her experience, she wrote, “As an anthropologist and a professor at a Non-Tribal Native American Serving Institution with 30% Indigenous student enrollment, I can testify to the importance of diversity and inclusion in creating truly excellent educational experiences that benefit all. Furthermore, I have experience in navigating the fraught conversations around education, administration, race, ethnicity, and bias.”
  • J. Estrella Torrez is an associate professor with the MSU Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Cultures. Living in the district for 16 years, she has two daughters who graduated from the district, and has volunteered in classrooms and for orchestra and sporting events. From these experiences, she said, “I have learned that best practices are founded in understanding community resources, setting realistic agreed upon expectations, and intentionally building in space for earnest dialogue inclusive of all stakeholders. I will bring these skills, resources, and knowledge to support the School Board’s commitment to creating an excellent, supportive, equitable, and inclusive East Lansing Public School community.”
  • Scott Farver is another MSU employee, serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Teacher Education. He has three children in the district, writing about his connections, “Having students in both general and special education, as well as in both high school and elementary school, as well as having a partner who is a teacher in the district, offers me an incredible amount of insight into what is working with our district, as well as what we might improve upon. I feel fortunate to have all of these entry points to better understand some of the nuances of our incredible district.”
  • Tiffany Matthews works for the State of Michigan in government finance. It is unclear from her application whether she currently has children in the district. However, in her letter of intent, she wrote that one of her goals if appointed would be to “champion innovative and evidence-based approaches to education, health and overall wellness that prepare our students for success in a rapidly changing world.”
  • Mike Feldpausch owns his own business and has children in the district. He has been a school board candidate before, running on the ballot in 2022 and applying for the board seats left vacant by two previous resignations. Of his qualifications, he wrote, “I bring to the board a perspective outside of education, rich in real world experience of evaluating and hiring for my small business, making decisions based on the marketplace and succeeding over 15 years after a start from scratch.”

Each candidate will be asked three questions by Board President Terah Chambers. They were given the questions prior to the meeting. The board is expected to announce the chosen candidate during the meeting.

This is the second time since August that the board has worked through the process of filling a board vacancy. Amanda Cormier resigned in August. Her open seat was filled by Gary Holbrook.

In addition to the interviews, the board will also approve a “separation agreement between Dennis Petrowitz, the School District of the City of East Lansing and the East Lansing Education Association.” Petrowitz has been suspended twice, once for racial slurs he allegedly used in the classroom last spring and the second time for an “unprofessional verbal interaction” in September.

The board will enter into closed session to review the separation agreement.

The meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the boardroom in the lower level of East Lansing High School (ELHS).