He holds a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in instructional technology from Western Michigan University. Rodgers also holds a Michigan, Permanent, Teaching Certificate. He spent 15 years in the public school system, seven years teaching and eight years as a school principal. In addition, he spent five years as an educational technology systems representative for an IBM PC dealer. He has been employed in an administrative capacity by Ferris State University for the past eight years and was appointed director of charter schools in February 1999.
Charter schools bring all three.
And contrary to what some people say, charter schools are highly regulated, with an additional layer of oversight provided by authorizers. We review reams of detailed information from each school. And we're physically in the schools far more than I was, for example, when I was a superintendent or assistant superintendent. He previously was superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools, the state's second-largest district. He also served as assistant superintendent of operations there.