New Mohawk Principal Plans to Pair Competition With Collaboration 'To Be The Best'

Chris Gardner received congratulations, best wishes and even a little homework Monday night after the Chippewa Valley Board of Education appointed him principal of for the 2011-12 school year.

An assistant principal at Algonquin Middle School for the past three and a half years, Gardner, 34, said he “can’t wait to get started” at Mohawk, but his first order of business will be to learn everything there is to know about the school, its faculty and its students.

“I am excited to be in this position,” Gardner said. “I have my own kids who are elementary age and I know what I want out of their education. Whenever I make decisions, I think of how I would want my own kids to be educated, so (I’ll) definitely take a student-centered approach (as principal), putting myself in parents’ shoes when making most of, if not all, of my decisions.”

Superintendent Ron Roberts said Gardner was one of several candidates “in an absolutely outstanding talent pool” to apply for the position, but felt he stood out in his response to the question, “Are you more competitive or collaborative?”

Gardner replied: “I’m both. I want to be the best, but I know that I can’t do it alone.”

Gardner credited his understanding of what it takes to be an administrator to his former principals, Walt Kozlowski of Algonquin and John Rose of , where Gardner started in the district as a fifth-grade teacher.

“Walt taught me a lot of things about being an administrator and a person,” he said. “He explained to me that every decision you make as an administrator should impact students in a positive way. (John Rose) saw something in me at a young age and felt that I should go into administration and gave me a great opportunity and I learned a lot from him as well.”

In his 11 years with the district, Gardner has served in many different capacities, from fifth-grade teacher and Science Olympiad coach, to safety patrol supervisor, teacher-in-charge and Driver’s Education instructor.

While at Algonquin he developed a new teacher program and the Algonquin Ambassadors group while planning and coordinating the school improvement process, school-wide safety and positive behavior support program and assisting development of the new middle school PTO.

“I think Chris takes great pride in all that he does; he’s motivated,” Roberts said. “And it's important that he thinks his school (should) be the best.”

Gardner will replace who retired this summer after serving more than 20 years in the district.

An alumnus of Michigan State University and Oakland University, Gardner lives in Macomb Township with his wife and three children.