Voters will select three members of Clarkston Board of Education when they head to the polls, Nov. 4. Running for the six-year seats are incumbent board members Elizabeth Egan, Steve Hyer, and Rosalie Lieblang, and challengers Donald E. Deering and Kelli Horst.

Dr. Donald E. Deering, Ph.D., of Independence Township, was born on August 16, 1974 and raised in southeast Michigan by a single working mother. Dr. Deering moved to Clarkston four years ago with his wife, Dr. Sandra Deering, doctoral prepared nurse practitioner, and two boys, Andrew, 7 and Ethan, 6, both of whom attend Bailey Lake Elementary.
He has a BA in Psychology, minors in Sociology and Health Sciences; MA in Counseling, Post Master Specialization in Mental Health Counseling / Psychometrics, Testing and Assessment; Ph.D. in Psychology, Post Doctorate Specialization in Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine.
Deering has spent nearly 20 years in private practice, specifically within the fields of mental health and psychophysiology. He has served as a faculty member for numerous educational and medical institutions, including his current positions as faculty of Oakland University, Department of Counseling and University of Detroit-Mercy, Department of Psychology.
He is also a medical staff member of St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Departments of Behavioral Medicine and Medical Education. He is also the current president of Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association and remains active in many other organizations of interest. Lastly, he is the vice president of Clinical Affairs for Oakland Psychiatric Associates in Pontiac, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland; and Clarkston, McLaren Healthcare Village.
Deering has more recently become involved in the school district as his two young boys became school aged. He is becoming increasingly aware of the challenges that face the district, but also recognizes the amazing pride and commitment to excellence within the district.
“I’m choosing to run for the Clarkston School Board in an effort to be more active in the decisions that will impact my children and the children of my community for years to come. As an educator and entrepreneur myself, I am well equipped to understand the dynamics involved in making these decisions.”
As is the case for most school districts, careful consideration of the factors that result in solvency and sustainability are paramount, he said.
“This is often an emotionally charged issue because the resources available to meet everyone’s needs and wants are almost always lacking,” he said. “Collaborative communication, prioritized problem solving and timely results are the key to achieving success in this area.”
Another issue facing most school districts is updating, implementing and/or maintaining technology that demonstrate proven desirable outcomes. This also requires a collaborative effort due to the complexities and costs associated with such a complicated task, he said.
“Finally, people are at the core of all success achieved in our society,” he said. “To that end, administrators, educators, parents and students alike are equally responsible to govern themselves accordingly toward achieving that success. As a result, fair and objective evaluation should lead to results oriented remuneration within the parameters of available resources.”
Deering has an interest in being part of a collaborative team effort resulting in meaningfully quantifiable success for Clarkston Community Schools.
“More specifically, I would like to gain the reputation for working with any and all members of the community toward achieving a school district that is second to none,” he said. “This being said, this can only be done within the context of reality for which there are resources to achieve this goal. I’m honored and excited to serve Clarkston Community Schools to the best of my abilities.”

Elizabeth Egan, 56, private piano teacher since 2000, was appointed to the Clarkston Board of Education in April 2010 and was elected to a four year term in November 2010.
Egan has served as vice president, legislative chair, policy committee chair, delegate from Clarkston Community Schools at Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) Annual Conference and advocate for our students in Washington D.C. and Lansing. She earned the level 4 Master Boardmember award from MASB in 2013.
Prior to serving on the Board of Education, she served as Clarkston PTA Council president, Clarkston High School PTA president, Clarkston Junior High PTA president, Sashabaw Middle School vice president and Reflections chair, Independence Elementary Beautification Committee chair, and as a community and parent member of the Teaching and Learning Council and Reinstatement Committee.
“I am a proud member of the Clarkston Farm and Garden Club, serving as the current vice president, a member of the Clarkston Chamber of Commerce and a proud past member of Clarkston Optimists,” she said. “I have also served our students as a guest teacher in almost every school building in our district.”
Student achievement is the number one priority of an effective school board, she said.
“I believe great schools make a great community,” she said. “I want to continue the positive trends in student test performance. When comparing 2013 MEAP scores, Clarkston students outperformed Oakland County and Michigan students for every grade tested in reading, writing, science and social studies. I would attribute our success in student growth to our focus on literacy and Cultures of Thinking classroom protocols.”
She would like to see the board develop a professional demeanor and focus on developing goals with the Superintendent that will improve student performance in math and focus on individual student growth measures.
“I believe our board should push for more local control over the diminished funds we receive for our kids,” Egan said. “Currently, Clarkston Schools receive the lowest per pupil foundation allowance provided by the State of Michigan, $7,251 down from $7,552 in 2011.”
At the same time, the annual percent contribution to the Michigan Public Schools Retirement System (MPSRS) has increased from 17% of payroll in 2010 to 33% in 2014.
“I will continue to advocate for ‘no-ties’ educational funding from Lansing and Washington DC. I want to keep Clarkston Schools a great place for our students to learn and grow,” she said.
Her greatest moment as a school board members is celebrating student success at commencement ceremonies.
“Listening to students share their past experiences and future dreams at the podium, hearing the music, handing out diplomas to our graduates, shaking their hands, clapping for them and watching them ‘wave’ their class flower are so inspiring to me as a board member,” she said. “Graduation is the culmination of all the invested time and energy from parents, local businesses and community members given to our Clarkston kids. This gives meaning to my service on the board. It was an especially proud moment and honor to celebrate up close with my daughters, Suzanne and Molly, and their friends as they walked across the stage!”

Kelli Horst, 45, is a brand and marketing consultant to higher education.
Leadership positions include president of the Springfield Plains Elementary PTA, Sashabaw Middle School PTA, and Clarkston PTA Council, each for two years; Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Team for six years; and parent representative on the district’s transportation committee for one year
“I believe a school board should include broad representation of the different viewpoints within a community,” Horst said. “I am running because a critical perspective is missing from the board table in Clarkston, a current parent who understands the needs and issues of students and families navigating the transition from lower to upper grade levels and represents the positive values and aspirations of our families, employees and community.”
Her goal for the district is to ensure every student in Clarkston achieves their potential through education, she said.
She plans to contribute to this goal as a school board member by representing Clarkston parents? desire for the optimum learning environment with respect to manageable class sizes, excellent teachers, appropriate technology, and modern and secure buildings; promoting responsible growth of resources and student enrollment in an increasingly competitive and bureaucratic environment; improving communication and transparency between the board and community; empowering the administration through clear guidance and priorities that reflect the wishes of our community; treating all district employees professionally and with the respect they deserve; and championing public education and our culture of thinking,” she said.
“My greatest moment as a newly elected board member will be the first time I cast a vote, because it will signify that I am actively implementing the values and aspirations of our community,” Horst said. “I will honor that trust every time I vote or advocate for a position that represents the wishes of parents and families for our schools.”

Steve Hyer, 35, lives in Springfield Township with his wife of 10 years, Kelly, and children Stephen, 4, and Vivian, almost 2. He has more than 13 years on the Clarkston School Board, first elected in 2001, and re-elected in 2005 and 2009.
He graduated from Clarkston High School in 1997 and University of Michigan in 2000. He founded IGD Solutions Corporation in 1999 in Clarkston, and serves as president of the company, providing websites, website applications, web marketing, and hosting to local businesses.
He is a Master Platinum Certified Board Member, Level 6 from Michigan Association of School Boards. He served on the school board as president, vice president, treasurer, secretary, and trustee. He served on the Policy Committee, Student Reinstatement Committee, and Transportation Committee.
“I believe strongly in the importance and integrity of public education,” Hyer said. “It is this commitment that drives my dedication to Clarkston Community Schools. Clarkston Community Schools is an excellent school district with increasing test scores, a balanced budget, and outstanding employees at all levels. I want to continue serving on the Board of Education to use my knowledge and experience to keep the district moving in a positive direction.”
With administration’s direction towards a culture where critical thinking and collaboration is the norm, student achievement will increase, he said.
“We have seen this in our test scores already,” Hyer said. “Clarkston Community Schools? focus on relationships has increased students? desire to learn and has contributed to increased connections between our staff, students, parents, and community members.”
Professional development is another area absolutely vital to the success of our students.
“Teachers make the primary impact on the teaching and learning that goes on in our classrooms,” he said. “I will absolutely push for the resources necessary to maintain and improve a district that focuses on a culture of thinking, building relationships, and providing unique and innovative professional development opportunities. This also means a push for increased student achievement.”
The school board has never needed experience more than it needs it now, Hyer said.
“I want to stay on the board of education to absolutely ensure the Administration has the resources needed to push our students to learn more, to do more, and to be successful in the global society,” he said.
His primary focus is student achievement.
“This is the most important issue facing us as a school district and community. As a board of education member, I will encourage my colleagues to focus as much as possible on student achievement at board meetings,” he said. “We should be looking at data and establishing goals based on the data and recommendations our professional administration. Unfortunately, because we have been bogged down in the day to day workings of the district, we have not been able to focus on what I consider to be the most important issue. I will work to return the focus to student achievement.”
He supports the innovative ideas of our Professional Development processes.
“I will support our staff members? educational initiatives based on the latest research in teaching and learning and understanding of the brain,” he said. “Some of this professional development will take place within our district and some will take place across the country or the world. Our superintendent’s relationships with the leading researchers in education have allowed access for our schools to tap into their expertise and have ultimately proven to be very beneficial to our children.”
Over the last seven years, school employees have been true partners when the district had to go through its most difficult financial times.
“We need to continue to work with these groups and make sure their needs are met. No one in Clarkston is getting wealthy by working for the school district,” he said. “We consistently pay less in every position than neighboring districts. We must show our employees they are valued, as almost any staff member can leave for a neighboring district to make significantly more money. If we treat our employees with respect and show them they are valued, they will stick with us and we can avoid the cost of replacing them. While this benefits our employees, this ultimately benefits our kids and leads to consistency, which will increase our student achievement.”
He will make sure physical plant and technology needs into the future are taken care of.
“Our kids cannot learn effectively if we do not have a safe and acceptable environment,” he said. “Our kids will not be ready to compete in a global society if they cannot even get internet access in our schools through Wi-Fi. We must devote resources to physical plant maintenance needs and technology network updates to allow students to access internet educational resources when they are in our buildings.”
He will also continue to think long term when governing the school district.
“I will be looking farther ahead than the next school year to plan and understand where we are going,” he said. “I will continue to push for compromise among members of the board. I will always state my personal opinion and look to find common ground while encouraging others to share their beliefs. Governance is very rarely an all or nothing proposition. To be effective in our governance, we absolutely must look for common ground and we must compromise.”
He will also advocate for asking questions in a constructive way.
“Even if I disagree with a proposal being presented, I am still collaborative. I treat our superintendent, administrators, teachers, and other staff members with respect at all times,” he said. “I continue to state my opinion at the board table in public and I will fight to make sure that other board members are doing the same to preserve the transparency that our community demands and deserves.”
His greatest moment as a board member happened this past June.
“The students, who entered Kindergarten when I was first elected to the board, graduated from our schools,” Hyer said. “I am extremely proud of the work we, as a district, have done over the last 13 years to improve the teaching and learning and cultivate a culture of thinking.”
When he was newly elected, the biggest challenge the district faced was growth.
“We were able to pass a bond issue in 2003 to consolidate programs and streamline our grade configuration to gain efficiencies and accommodate the large increases in students,” he said. “This allowed us to renovate each of our buildings while developing our alternative high school program, early childhood center, and community education programs.”
At a time when the district had all its senior administrators retiring and staff members searching for answers, as president of the Clarkston Community Schools Board of Education, he led the board through a change in leadership.
“We brought forward Mr. Dave Reschke as interim superintendent and conducted a superintendent search. Ultimately, we were successful in our transition. In 2010, Dr. Rod Rock accepted his position and started a new era for our distrct.”
Under Dr. Rock’s leadership, the district has been able to create and grow the program of providing our teachers to other schools that would allow us to get additional revenue from the state.
“About 10 years ago, I heard a presentation about this program and I pushed for it, but the past administration had never made it a priority,” Hyer said. “Over the last three years and now, we are bringing in a net revenue of over $1 million annually that helps all of our students. This is an extremely innovative program that not many schools are willing to pursue.”
More recently, he is most proud of the fact many neighboring districts call with inquiries about the literacy program.
“Through their professional development and technology based assessments, our teachers are able to differentiate their instruction to each student,” he said. “Combined with our own assessments, we are able to accurately measure the gains our students are experiencing. Our standardized state test scores are showing increases in these areas as well. We are looking to expand this model to math, science, and social studies to see similar gains in those areas as well.”

Rosalie Lieblang is a sales vice president with a BSA from the University of Michigan and has over 25 years of business consulting and Information Technology experience including over 15 years in senior management positions.
She was’elected to the Clarkston School Board in 2009 and has served on the CCS Board as president, secretary and treasurer. She has also been the chairperson for the Finance and Policy committees and a member of the Teaching and Learning, and Transportation committees. She has also served as the PTA president for Bailey Lake Elementary, treasurer for the PTA Council and treasurer for the Clarkston Area Optimists.
“Education is one of the most important things we can provide for our children. Being involved as a parent, volunteer and member of the School Board is a way I can give back and serve the community, which is something I strongly believe in,” Lieblang said. ” I think we have made great strides in the past two years in creating a longer term vision and strategic plan for the Clarkston Community Schools.”
The board used to approve the budget and then would determine how to spend the money.
“In the last 18 months, we have worked on shifting that process by working in a collaborative effort with the administration to identify the programs and initiatives that will truly make a difference for our students and then funding them appropriately,” she said. “If I am re-elected to the board, I will continue to work on institutionalizing the Strategic Plan/Annual Plan process. This process will help us ensure we are utilizing our limited resources to increase student achievement, stay fiscally responsible, improve our technology, maintain our buildings and ensure we are communicating to parents and the community.”
Her main goal as a School Board member include ensuring this district provides the best educational opportunities and experiences for students so they can be successful and achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.
“If I am re-elected to the board, I will continue working to increase student achievement, maintain fiscal responsibility and to improve transparency in order to make Clarkston a premier district in Oakland County and across the state,” Lieblang said.
Her greatest moment as a school board member is seeing the 600+ seniors each year walk across the stage at graduation.
“At graduation, we hear the students describe the memories and experiences they will take with them,” she said. “We see how proud parents and teachers are of these students. We also see how proud the students are of themselves and their achievements. And as a board member, I believe I have played a small part in in helping prepare these students to be successful in the future.”