New manager of Detroit district vows to move quickly

From The Detroit Free Press: On his first day on the job, Roy Roberts, emergency manager of the Detroit school system, pledged to move quickly to evaluate needs, fill several top-level administrative positions and build a culture of high expectations and cooperation.

Earlier...from The Detroit Free Press: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has appointed retired General Motors executive Roy S. Roberts to become the next emergency manager for the Detroit Public Schools. Snyder said he wanted a candidate from the Detroit area and called the 72-year-old Bloomfield Hills resident a team builder with perfect qualifications. Roberts made history as the highest-ranking African-American executive at GM before he retired in 2000. He said he agreed to take the job because of the autonomy given under a new state law and his belief in the governor's commitment to improving education. Earlier...From The Detroit News: Perhaps the most obvious candidate is being overlooked in the hunt to replace Robert Bobb as Detroit schools emergency manager — Robert Bobb. Everyone assumes Bobb is ready to pack up and leave when his term with the Detroit Public Schools ends in June. But now that the emergency manager law has been clarified and toughened, Bobb has indicated that he would be willing to stay on.