Maloy says aging parents the reason for exploring new job
Aspen Schools Superintendent Dr. John Maloy confirmed on Tuesday that he has applied for the same position at districts in Michigan.
He has a second interview later this week at Birmingham Public Schools, located in suburban Detroit, for the district’s superintendent position.
Maloy is considering moving from the valley in order to take care of his aging parents who live in northern Indiana, and attend to anticipated family medical concerns.
“I am exploring, and that is the key word, moving back to the Midwest,” he said. “I need to weigh what my options are in my role of supporting aging parents and maintaining my career.”
He said he also applied for the superintendent job at the West Bloomfield School District, 30 miles outside of Detroit, but that option has been taken off the table, he said.
Maloy is one of five candidates being considered by Birmingham school administrators.
If he is offered the position, Maloy said he will have some “soul searching” to do. He said he considers himself in the twilight of his career, with at least 10 more years of work as an educator in front of him.
He said he loves the Aspen community, his job and the district, and it will be a difficult decision if he is offered a job elsewhere — and whether it will meet his expectations.
“Aspen is the gold standard in which I am measuring,” he said.
Maloy said he also is entertaining the idea of staying here and traveling back and forth to care for his parents.
He said he has informed the school board here that he is applying for positions elsewhere and has told a few close confidants.
School board president Elizabeth Parker said Maloy has kept the board in the loop.
“We certainly understand his need to explore options closer to his family at this time,” Parker wrote in an email. “We are very hopeful that he will not need to relocate, as we would be very sad to lose him and the excellent leadership he has provided the district.”
The position in Birmingham was made vacant in late March, when superintendent David Larson announced he would be taking the top spot in the Glenbard High School District in Glenbard, Ill., according to the Birmingham Patch.
Maloy became the Aspen schools superintendent in 2010, replacing Dr. Diana Sirko. He moved here in 2007 to be the assistant superintendent of the Aspen district. Before that, Maloy was chief operating officer for the Midwest education firm Alternative Unlimited Inc. He also spent 10 years in district administration, including four years as superintendent of schools in Bloomington, Ind. He received his graduate and post-graduate education at Indiana University, also located in Bloomington.
sack@aspendailynews.com