Jim Kitchen, the new executive director of high school campus and district safety at Zeeland Public Schools, was introduced to the district’s Board of Education Monday night. Pictured from left to right are school board members Chad Creevy, Heidi Geerlings, Rick Dernberger and Betsy Kikstra; Jim Kitchen, ZPS Superintendent Rod Hetherton, and board members April DeWitt and Tami Mannes.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
For 15 years, Jim Kitchen and Rod Hetherton worked together at Swartz Creek Community Schools in Genesee County, including three years where Kitchen served as deputy superintendent under Hetherton.
Now the two are working together again, this time at Zeeland Public Schools.
Kitchen has been named to the newly-created position of executive director of high school campus and district safety. Hetherton, who has just completed six months as ZPS superintendent, introduced the new director to the Zeeland Board of Education at Monday night’s board meeting.
Kitchen spoke highly of Hetherton after he was introduced by the superintendent.
“I’ve watched this man for 15 years,” he said. “He is the most systems-minded thinker in education that I know of. I watched what he did at Moorish Elementary (in Swartz Creek), a school that was high-performing. When he came over here (to Zeeland), I wanted to come with him because we always talked about being a district going from good to great. This district is great already. With his systems thinking, I’m excited about the opportunity. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity.”
Kitchen will oversee the building principals at ZPS’ two high schools – Travis Spaman at West and Jessica Knoth at East – as well as other administrative staff at the high schools, Hetherton said.
“Our goal is to mesh the experiences and the expectations so that no matter which building you’re in, they’re the same. We’re not looking for sameness with the building, we’re looking for processes and procedures to be the same, so the kids get the same experience (no matter which school they attend),” Kitchen said.
Kitchen’s educational career began at Detroit Public Schools, where he was an elementary school teacher for seven years. From there, he moved to Fowlerville Community Schools, about 30 miles east of Lansing, where he was principal at H.T. Smith Elementary School for seven years.
In 2011, Kitchen moved to Swartz Creek to take the principal’s job at Elms Road Elementary School. At that time, Hetherton was principal at Morrish Elementary in Swartz Creek. Kitchen served as Elms Road principal for six years before being promoted to principal of the high school in 2017. He was high school principal until 2022, when Hetherton picked him to be deputy superintendent at Swartz Creek, one month after Hetherton had been named superintendent there.
After Hetherton resigned as Swartz Creek’s superintendent last June to take the ZPS superintendent’s job, Kitchen served as interim superintendent until he was offered the position in Zeeland.
While he was principal at Swartz Creek High School, Kitchen gained notoriety online for singing on a snow day video that went viral. The video was picked up by CBS News and television stations all over the country.
Kitchen holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary science, a master of arts in educational leadership and a specialist of arts degree in educational leadership, all from Eastern Michigan University.
Zeeland Record
For 15 years, Jim Kitchen and Rod Hetherton worked together at Swartz Creek Community Schools in Genesee County, including three years where Kitchen served as deputy superintendent under Hetherton.
Now the two are working together again, this time at Zeeland Public Schools.
Kitchen has been named to the newly-created position of executive director of high school campus and district safety. Hetherton, who has just completed six months as ZPS superintendent, introduced the new director to the Zeeland Board of Education at Monday night’s board meeting.
Kitchen spoke highly of Hetherton after he was introduced by the superintendent.
“I’ve watched this man for 15 years,” he said. “He is the most systems-minded thinker in education that I know of. I watched what he did at Moorish Elementary (in Swartz Creek), a school that was high-performing. When he came over here (to Zeeland), I wanted to come with him because we always talked about being a district going from good to great. This district is great already. With his systems thinking, I’m excited about the opportunity. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity.”
Kitchen will oversee the building principals at ZPS’ two high schools – Travis Spaman at West and Jessica Knoth at East – as well as other administrative staff at the high schools, Hetherton said.
“Our goal is to mesh the experiences and the expectations so that no matter which building you’re in, they’re the same. We’re not looking for sameness with the building, we’re looking for processes and procedures to be the same, so the kids get the same experience (no matter which school they attend),” Kitchen said.
Kitchen’s educational career began at Detroit Public Schools, where he was an elementary school teacher for seven years. From there, he moved to Fowlerville Community Schools, about 30 miles east of Lansing, where he was principal at H.T. Smith Elementary School for seven years.
In 2011, Kitchen moved to Swartz Creek to take the principal’s job at Elms Road Elementary School. At that time, Hetherton was principal at Morrish Elementary in Swartz Creek. Kitchen served as Elms Road principal for six years before being promoted to principal of the high school in 2017. He was high school principal until 2022, when Hetherton picked him to be deputy superintendent at Swartz Creek, one month after Hetherton had been named superintendent there.
After Hetherton resigned as Swartz Creek’s superintendent last June to take the ZPS superintendent’s job, Kitchen served as interim superintendent until he was offered the position in Zeeland.
While he was principal at Swartz Creek High School, Kitchen gained notoriety online for singing on a snow day video that went viral. The video was picked up by CBS News and television stations all over the country.
Kitchen holds a bachelor of science degree in elementary science, a master of arts in educational leadership and a specialist of arts degree in educational leadership, all from Eastern Michigan University.
