Farmington Adminstrator Accepts BCS Principal Job

The Birmingham Covington School (BCS) may soon have a new principal.

According to a note sent home to parents Friday, Mark Morawski, principal of Farmington's Gill Elementary, accepted the position of principal at BCS, Birmingham Public Schools' combined elementary and middle school.

A final decision is dependent on approval from the Birmingham Board of Education at their Dec. 4 meeting.

On Saturday morning, Deputy Superintendent for Educational Services Paul DeAngelis confirmed that Morawski was being recommended to the school board for the position, but said the district would release more information after Tuesday's meeting.

Morawski was named a finalist for the position in mid-November alongside Lake Orion's Oakview Middle School principal John Bernia. Both candidates met with parents at a community forum and meet-and-greet on Nov. 14 after a second interview with district officials.

BCS has been looking to hire a new principal after the former principal, Adam Hartley, left the district at the beginning of August, taking an assistant superintendent position with Swartz Creek Community Schools in Genesee County.

Hartley led BCS — which is designed for students looking for a rigorous approach to science and interdisciplinary learning — for three years.

Morawski's career in education spans nearly 20 years in the Farmington Public Schools District. He started teaching 5th grade at Hillside Elementary in 1994, and eventually became principal of Farmington's William Grace Elementary from 2000-06. Since then, Morawski has served as principal at Farmington's Gill Elementary.

Before entering education, Morawski worked as an account executive at Professional Marketer, Inc. from 1991-94. He earned his bachelor's degree from Denison University in Granville, OH, his master's from National-Louis University in Evanston, IL and his education specialist certificate from Wayne State University. Morawski is in the final phase of his doctoral program in administration and organizational studies at Wayne State.

In the note sent to Farmington parents Friday, Morawski said going to BCS is a "unique and challenging professional growth opportunity," but called Gill Elementary an "exemplary school."

"While I am moving on and realize that change is inevitable, please know that the Farmington Public Schools, and Gill in particular, will always hold a special place in my heart," he wrote.

Morawski's last day at Gill Elementary will be on Feb. 15, his note reads. This puts Birmingham behind on its projected timeline for hiring a new BCS principal. According to a note sent home to parents at the beginning of the year, DeAngelis said the district hoped to have a new principal in place by the end of January 2013.

"The district will be entering its next strategic planning cycle in the spring of 2013, and a mid-year start will allow the principal to be actively involved in the process," DeAngelis said.

Until then, BCS assistant principal Patricia Chinn will continue to lead the school.