june 6, 2023
Midland Public Schools District Vision Statement: Lead with respect, trust and courage. Ensure an equitable, collaborative and inclusive culture. Enable all to achieve success.
welcome to new administrators at Jefferson middle school, H. H. Dow High School, and special services
Mr. Benjamin Doan named Assistant Principal at Jefferson Middle School
As Dr. Steven Poole retired at the end of the 2022-23 school year, Mr. Benjamin Doan will be his successor as Assistant Principal at Jefferson Middle School, effective July 1, 2023.
Currently, Mr. Doan serves as the Assistant Principal at H. H. Dow High School and has been in this position since 2022.
Mr. Doan has 20+ years of experience in education, including both General Education and Special Education, in addition to almost ten years of administrative experience. Prior to his role as Assistant Principal at H. H. Dow High, Mr. Doan was Head Principal at Ogemaw Heights High School. Mr. Doan will be returning to where he began his teaching career at Jefferson Middle School, as it is where he completed his student teaching in an 8th-grade History classroom!
Mr. Doan has five children: three in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. He would like to share this message with the Jefferson Middle School community:
" I am honored to be joining the Jefferson Team. I look forward to assisting our educators and families in preparing students for a productive and successful transition to high school."
Mrs. Jessica Brunsell named Assistant Principal at H. H. Dow High School
As Mr. Doan transitions to the role of Assistant Principal at Jefferson Middle School, Mrs. Jessica Brunsell will fill the vacancy of Assistant Principal at H. H. Dow High School, effective July 1, 2023.
Mrs. Brunsell brings 15 years of service in public education to her new role, including Classroom Teacher, Teacher Consultant, Special Education Supervisor, and most recently, serving students and staff as the Director of Special Services for Midland Public Schools, a position that she has held since August of 2020.
As Assistant Principal at H. H. Dow High, Mrs. Brunsell can continue to grow her passion for student services, creating connections and relationships, and building teams that are student and family-centered.
Mrs. Brunsell and her husband, Eric, recently moved to Midland and have three children who attend Midland Public Schools. She would like to share this message with the MPS and H. H. Dow High community:
"It has been an incredible privilege to serve as the Special Services Director for Midland Public Schools. The students and staff that I work with each day are nothing short of amazing. It is with tremendous excitement and pride that I step into this new role at H. H. Dow High School. I look forward to the opportunities we can continue to create and cultivate for our students and community. Go Chargers!"
Mr. Anthony Gates named Director of Special Services
With Mrs. Brunsell moving to the role of Assistant Principal at H. H. Dow High School, Mr. Anthony Gates will transition to the role of Director of Special Services, filling this vacancy in the Special Services Department, effective July 1, 2023.
Mr. Gates is currently the Special Services Supervisor for H. H. Dow High School, Midland High School, and the Post Secondary Program, a role that he has been in since 2019. Mr. Gates began his employment with MPS as a paraprofessional in the Post Secondary Program, which began his love for education and inspired him to change his career path to pursue teaching. He returned to MPS in 2014, as a Special Education Teacher at Midland High School.
During this time, Mr. Gates also served as an advisor for the National Honor Society, served as the vocational consultant for the Special Education team, supported accommodated testing for students, and was a resource to families and staff. As Special Special Services Supervisor, he worked to support students, families, and staff at Midland High, H. H. Dow High, Jefferson Middle School, and the Post Secondary Program.
Mr. Gates is supported in all that he does by his wife, Amy, and two children, Brooke and Jaxson. He looks forward to continuing his journey and supporting Special Education within Midland Public Schools as the Director of Special Education. Mr. Gates would like to share this message with the MPS community:
"I feel both fortunate and proud to be a member of the Midland Public Schools team. I look forward to the opportunity to continue to grow with the district and the community. It is my goal to continue to move the district forward and build upon the existing Special Education foundation to ensure we are striving to meet the exceptional learning needs of all students."
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