District received 50 applications for the 2 positions.

The Northport Board of Education unanimously approved the hiring of two new teachers at a special meeting Monday night.

The board approved the hirings of Stephen R. Douglas of Howell as the district’s new third grade teacher, and Donna J. Wilson of Cedar as the new sixth grade teacher. Wilson had been the short-term substitute hired by the district to take the place of former teacher Carla Hammersley, who resigned earlier this month after reaching an agreement with the district concerning alleged inappropriate actions she took in administering part of the MEAP test to students.

Northport superintendent Tyrus Wessell said the district received 50 applications for the two open full-time positions. “We had already been looking for a new third grade teacher, so some of these applications were already on file,” he said.

Wilson had applied for the third grade position and was under consideration. Wessell said after interviewing 11 people for two positions, he and the Northport board’s personnel committee identified Douglas and Wilson for the two job openings.

“Donna was already a big hit with the students and their parents in the sixth grade, so we wanted to keep her there,” Wessell said.

Wilson has a teaching degree from Grand Valley State University and is certified in all subjects for grades kindergarten through fifth grade, and in language arts for grades 6-8. She has student teaching experience at Glen Lake Community Schools, Silver Lake Elementary School in Traverse City, and assistant teacher experience at Leland Public School.

Wessell said before he started looking for a replacement for Hammersley, he talked to students in her class, as well as other sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. “I asked them what qualities they would like in their new teacher, and the children couldn’t do it without describing how Donna was teaching,” he said.

Douglas has a master of science degree from Walden University with a major in education focusing on elementary reading and literacy. He has a teacher’s certificate in elementary education from the University of Detroit-Mercy and is certified to teach all subject in grades K-8. Since 2001, Douglas had taught at two elementary schools that are part of the Detroit Public Schools district. He taught fifth, sixth, third and fourth grade at Schulze Elementary School and second grade at Dossin Elementary School. Prior to teaching in Detroit, Douglas was a third and fourth grade teacher at the Immaculate Conception Middle School in Traverse City.

In addition to teaching, Douglas has coached Little League and middle school baseball.

Wessell said what impressed him the most about Douglas was his ability to connect with the third grade students and their families already at Northport. “Stephen will make a fine addition to our staff,” he said.

After approving the hiring of the two teachers, the board closed the special meeting then convened a work session to review updates to two parts of its policy manual. No further action was taken by the board during the work session.