As the newest addition to our School Board, Terrence Collins brings a wealth of experience and a passion for innovation that promises to reshape our strategic direction this year. Collins is known for over 30 years of experience in program management, strategic business development, budget planning and quality systems and improvement.
“I believe that my experience in developing, implementing and tracking budgets is especially useful for a board member,” Collins said.
Collins is eagerly incorporating ways to help our school district. He hopes to make data-driven decisions and insists on measurable goals for our district leaders, including the administrator, board members, staff and teachers with a focus on delivering quality education to every child who enters a Grosse Pointe public school.
“We are losing families who are seeking early childhood education options,” Collins said. “We must find a way to offer additional early childhood education options for working parents. We need to capture prospective students at the earliest ages possible and keep families in our district through high school graduation.”
Collins is described as an extremely dependable man with a great work ethic. He’s known as a “go-to” man who can fix anything.
“I am known as a ‘go-to’ person in my work organization due to my willingness and ability to develop solutions to problems,” Collins said. “My children know who to call when something is broken or not working at their homes, and they call often.”
As the new School Board member, Collins will have to make the right data-driven decisions, even if everyone isn’t on board.
“The right decision is not always the popular decision,” Collins said. “As a parent, I often make decisions that are not popular with my 17-year-old senior. I make data-driven decisions and I do not have a problem providing my reasoning for my decisions when asked. Data-driven decisions are easily defended.”
Beyond the classroom walls and administrative offices, it is the shared parent committee and the students’ enthusiasm that move our district toward excellence. Supportive parental involvement in the school system is the foundation for ensuring that children are prepared to learn.
“The most important stakeholders in our district are our students and their parents. Our district has the responsibility to provide quality education to each student who comes through their doors,” Collins said. “The goal of our district must be to inspire a passion for lifelong learning in all students. There are other important stakeholders in the district, but I believe students and their parents are the most important.”
Collins and his family have lived within the bounds of the Grosse Pointe School District since the year 2000. They have had a child in the district since. He said he specifically moved here for the school system.
“Our family is invested in the success of this district, and I believe that I can make an impact on this district,” Collins said.
