{"id":7429,"date":"2024-07-03T15:13:13","date_gmt":"2024-07-03T19:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=7429"},"modified":"2024-07-03T15:13:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-03T19:13:15","slug":"northviews-new-interim-superintendent-a-feature-on-dr-christina-hinds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=7429","title":{"rendered":"Northview’s new interim superintendent: a feature on Dr. Christina Hinds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1st Place, Personality Profile
<\/strong>2023-24, Division 3, News Writing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Addison Forbes
<\/strong>The Roar
Northview HS<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If anyone sees a little red Miata Mazda driving around Grand Rapids, be sure to give its driver a wave and smile. There\u2019s a good chance the vehicle\u2019s driver is Northview\u2019s interim superintendent, Dr. Christina Hinds, better known as the woman who decides whether or not there\u2019s a snow day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinds was the superintendent at Wayland schools for two years before our previous superintendent, Dr. Scott Korpak, reached out offering a chance to step into the role of deputy superintendent for Northview. Hinds accepted.  After a year working closely with Korpak, and post his announcement of retirement, Hinds seized opportunity to become the interim superintendent for the 2023 to 2024 school year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDr. Korpak spoke so highly of Northview, the sense of belonging in the community and how everybody\u2019s welcome, and I couldn\u2019t refuse,\u201d Hinds said. \u201cI mean, how often is it that you\u2019re offered a job from somebody that you respect and was so great to work under his leadership?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Hinds strengths as a facilitator is her ability to listen. English 12 and Advanced Placement Research teacher Shelli Tabor is also the head of the teacher\u2019s union for the district. She correlates the wants and needs of staff to the administration on the regular, including Hinds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever gone to her and said, \u2018there\u2019s a problem,\u2019 as the union president, and not had her do her best to figure out how to solve that problem in a timely manner,\u201d Tabor said. \u201cShe\u2019s very much a person who likes process and accountability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Principal Mark Thomas works for Hinds at the high school. He collaborates with her closely and appreciates her focus on maintaining interpersonal relationships between staff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe really were fortunate because she brings a ton of experience in a number of different areas, but most of all, she\u2019s a very caring person. I think she fits Northview very well in the sense that she sees people first,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cShe really values process and she will tell you that, but never process over people. She fits the mold that we have here at Northview.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her experience and prestigious education speaks for itself. With a bachelor\u2019s degree from Western Michigan University in special education and family life education, Hinds went on to achieve a master\u2019s degree in education leadership from Grand Valley State University. In 2020, she earned her doctorate from Michigan State University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After being adopted into the caring community of Northview, Hinds in turn tries her best to return the feeling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[Northview] couldn\u2019t be more welcoming. I love that I can go to Meijer and people will say hi and smile and interact,\u201d Hinds said. \u201cI\u2019m just thrilled because I feel so welcomed. I want other people to feel that welcoming community as well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a superintendent, her main job is to uphold and assist the policies Northview\u2019s Board of Education<\/a> creates. Alongside, Hinds desires to support, encourage and protect her district-wide staff, not micro-manage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe the central office is so important in being there for administrators, [as] a resource for them rather than a hindrance,\u201d Hinds said. \u201cTransitions, [especially to a new superintendent,] are so hard. Anytime there\u2019s a change, it\u2019s a little uncomfortable. You don\u2019t know what to expect, and that\u2019s unnecessary energy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas appreciates Hinds\u2019 effectiveness within her job, especially her ability to organize hundreds of staff members and thousands of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s like the conductor of a symphony. Everybody has these different sections, and we have to come together and make music,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cI think one of the most important things for a superintendent to do is understand what the board wants as far as goals, but then be able to build a strategic plan and implement those and make those happen on a day-to-day basis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hinds has shown she is more than capable of that task. Her ongoing projects include seizing a unique opportunity the student body of Northview offers, focus on diversity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c[We have] the ability to talk about belonging, equity, and access . . .  we\u2019re going to do work in this area to improve the tagline that we have, \u2018our best, your best.\u2019 I love how simple that is,\u201d Hinds said. \u201cIt\u2019s so important that all of us bring our best and if we do that together, everything\u2019s going to be fine.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A huge current issue for Hinds is the challenge for choice reading book removal<\/a> proposed to the district over the summer by a community member. Hinds has ensured this request is heard, researched, and decided in a professional manner. This is a daunting high pressure test for an  \u201cinterim superintendent\u201d hoping to become \u201csuperintendent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She isn\u2019t too worried about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we are doing what\u2019s best for students, it\u2019s going to be fine. We don\u2019t always have to agree, but we\u2019re respectful and kind and that\u2019s Northview,\u201d Hinds said. \u201cIt\u2019s a special place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NW-15. Personality Profile<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The personality profile captures the life, interests, accomplishments of well-known or interesting people, based on interviews from multiple sources. The subject(s) should have experiences, thoughts and accomplishments worth reporting. Anecdotes add to the personality profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judging Criteria<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • Lead captures attention, arouses curiosity; reason for sketch is made clear early in story<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Emphasizes fresh angle; individualizes person<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Colorful, lively presentation; effective form\/style<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Descriptive writing demonstrates the concept of \u201cshow, don\u2019t tell\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques from a variety of sources<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Avoids encyclopedic listing of subject\u2019s accomplishments<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Effective use of quotes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Interesting; appeals to the emotions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Proper diction\/grammar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    1st Place, Personality Profile2023-24, Division 3, News Writing By Addison ForbesThe RoarNorthview HS If anyone sees a little red Miata Mazda driving around Grand Rapids, be sure to give its driver a wave and smile. There\u2019s a good chance the vehicle\u2019s driver is Northview\u2019s interim superintendent, Dr. Christina Hinds, better known as the woman who […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,63],"tags":[207,22],"class_list":["post-7429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-nw","category-personalityprofile-nw","tag-2023-24","tag-division3","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"PJ Pfeiffer","author_link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?author=15"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6K0n6-1VP","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7429\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}