Robert Allen

Saturday marks the beginning of an important transition period for the Ann Arbor Public Schools when Todd Roberts, superintendent for the last four years, hands the reins to Robert Allen, the district's interim leader.

The praise being heaped upon Roberts at his departure might lead one to conclude that Allen, the district's superintendent of operations, has a tough act to follow. But the district will be in good hands while it searches for a permanent superintendent, school board members and Roberts say.

“He is fabulous, both with his leadership from the financial perspective and in the way of making contact with the community,” said board member Christine Stead. “He is thoughtful and innovative, and he keeps us in the good position that we are in.”

Stead worked with Allen before she joined the board on millage campaigns for the district and on the district’s strategic plan. She said he will be the perfect interim superintendent.

Roberts is leaving to move back to his home state of North Carolina to become chancellor of the North Carolina School of Science and Math. The school is housed in a former hospital where he was born.

Allen possesses many of the qualities that made Roberts an effective leader, those who know both men said. Among those qualities is the ability to work well with teachers and administrators, Ann Arbor teachers union President Brit Satchwell said.

“Robert’s mission is to keep things afloat and on an even keel, and I think he’s going to be very capable of doing just that,” he said. “Both because of his talents and his good relationship with administrators and the unions, he’ll be a very good interim superintendent.”

Allen, a New York native, has been in charge of the financial side of the district since he came to Ann Arbor from Flint four years ago. A graduate of Eastern Michigan University and an Ypsilanti Township resident whose children attend Ann Arbor schools, he has made the area his home. He has said he is not interested in the permanent superintendent position.

Todd Roberts

Roberts said Allen’s knowledge of the district will guide it through the upcoming months, during which a new budget must be passed, a special education millage campaign will take place and several new instructional initiatives will take hold.

“I really believe that he’s a really good fit for the position," Roberts said. "He knows the district extremely well, and he’s the kind of person who works well with staff and the community."

Roberts recommended Allen for the interim job at the school board's Sept. 15 meeting. The recommendation was approved unanimously by the board.

Meanwhile, Roberts said he's proud of what he accomplished in Ann Arbor, including developing and implementing a strategic plan in difficult financial times. But he won’t be leaving the district without some regrets. 

In a recent interview, he noted the district has continued to close an achievement gap between white and black students, but he wishes it had been eliminated.

“We have improved student achievement, but I would have loved leaving with no achievement gap, and we haven’t done that,” Roberts said. “But we’ve made good progress and hopefully, four years from now, that won’t still exist.”

Roberts also lamented the failure of a county-wide school enhancement millage.

“That would have left us in much better shape in the county and our school district to maintain, and even improve, some areas we need to ... in order to provide an education to our students,” he said.

At Roberts' final school board meeting on Sept. 29, board members were moved to tears when discussing their fond memories of Roberts' time in charge of the district.

Trustee Simone Lightfoot said Roberts was a "firefighter" due to his ability to extinguish problems in a quick manner.

"I'll always remember your availability and your understanding," she said. "Anyone could call at any time and you would do whatever you could to get that request filled."

In an interview, district spokesperson Liz Margolis said Roberts' ability to bring people together, both at the district offices and in the community, was one of his best attributes.

“He really gave so much to the district in leadership and just knowledge of how Ann Arbor works, how to engage the community and just a wide variety of things,” she said. “He set us on a course, and we’ve been successful under his leadership.”

Allen said his job as interim superintendent will be much easier because Roberts tackled important issues, including negotiating a new teachers' contract, before his departure.

“I guess the main thing would be just to maintain some of the stuff he’s done over the past few years,” Allen said. “He’s left the district in very good condition.”

Kyle Feldscher covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com.