2018 Hazel Park Schools Communicator : Dr. Amy Kruppe Bringing Big-City Success to a Close-Knit Community

DR. AMY KRUPPE CAME TO HAZEL PARK WITH A VISION: To share the success she’d had in her 24 years as an educator, and director of business, human resources, special education and technology in a larger Illinois school district with a community that reminded her of Holt, Michigan, where she was born.

“I love the students and community of Hazel Park. It feels so much like my small hometown of Holt. Hazel Park is filled with friendly, hard-working people,” she said. “I knew I could bring some best practices with me, some talent to the table, and facilitate change.”

In accepting her position as Hazel Park’s Superintendent, Dr. Kruppe wanted to help mold Michigan’s education sector, emphasizing first and foremost the importance of providing sufficient funding and taking care of its teachers. “I wanted to make a difference in Michigan education,” she explained. “Current funding is disproportionate to what it takes to run an effective school district. Districts are taking cuts, and I wanted to be a part of positive change both locally and at the state level.”

Dr. Kruppe had originally pursued math and music majors at Albion College, but ultimately changed her career path to special education and transferred into Grand Valley State’s special education program. She then pursued a master’s degree in educational leadership and a doctorate degree in social justice. While focusing on social justice, she learned about the importance of considering differences in ethnicities, social economic statuses, cultures, and gender when approaching societal issues, a perspective which she said has helped her be successful in her career path.

Following a minimalist approach, which she described as “doing a lot with a little,” she has also learned to work wonders with limited resources. Utilizing this approach, Hazel Park schools have “put so many changes in place with a small staff and have been able to make these changes in a short period of time,” she said.

Dr. Kruppe has an open-door policy, encouraging staff, students, and parents to come into her office at any time. “My door is always open. I’m in early and here late, and am happy to answer any questions.

Right now, she is focused on mitigating recent changes to funding at the federal level that have really hit schools hard. “It’s difficult to come out of a deficit when schools aren’t funded properly,” she said. “You have to have support and services available to teachers, and institute programs that draw people to the district, while at the same time, remaining frugal.”

Some notable district changes since she’s taken the reigns in Hazel Park include the creation of a robotics team and STEAM programs. She’s also revamped the way students learn. “We’ve made changes to the curriculum, focusing on how we’re teaching and making sure the educational needs for all students are met. We’ve redeveloped our K-12 program, looking for more consistency and rigor,” she said.

Dr. Kruppe noted that it’s not easy to get everyone on board with the fact that change is necessary, saying, “We’ve had to make some systemic changes. A school needs to have systems and structures in place, and change can be hard.” But it’s important to garner support from staff, parents, students, and other members of the community to make improvements, nevertheless.

“Support your teachers and your schools,” she said. “Parents are very important, too. We need them to volunteer for activities, and for their children to come to school ready to learn. Students need to be taught to be kind to one another and be willing to work hard.”

When she’s not spending time in the office, the Superintendent is highly active in the community at large. She is part of the Lions Club, the Community Coalition, and the Madison Heights-Hazel Park Chamber of Commerce. Through these efforts, Dr. Kruppe is able to support charitable giving and the goals of local businesses. In everything she does, she is hoping to facilitate positive changes that will help Hazel Park thrive.

Despite any challenges she’s had to face, Dr. Kruppe believes in the District’s potential. She said, “The Hazel Park school district is a great place for children. It’s a small community with great teachers. Those looking for a change should consider coming here.”