Meet Eric Smith - Macomb County Prosecutor, UCS parent

My story in Utica Community Schools began when my wife and I were searching for a community to raise our three children. Utica Community Schools offered the perfect mixture of safety, educational excellence and great neighborhood amenities, such as parks. Utica Community Schools is blessed to be part of these great areas of Macomb County, and these neighborhoods are in turn blessed to be part of Utica Community Schools.

My wife attended Utica Community Schools (she has taught my family Graebner Elementary's special clap that gets brought out frequently at the dinner table), and she knew about the quality of UCS and its communities. We know firsthand how safe these communities are and the quality of not only the school district, but also the high level of municipal services such as police and fire.

Like all kids, my children love school because they get to see their friends. But beyond that, they love their teachers. Every teacher we have had has been as great as the the person before them. As someone who has hired a number of attorneys, I know that part of my legacy in the prosecutors' office will be the quality of people I put in place. Similarly, Dr. Johns has done a tremendous job putting people in place that are trustworthy, are outstanding educators, and are truly dedicated to their students.

One aspect of the district that impresses me is the commitment to technology. I speak in a lot of schools across Macomb County, so I know that our schools have a high degree of technology integration. My daughter is in kindergarten and she creates her daily plans on the iPad; she knows more about this piece of equipment than her dad. She is never going to go backward in her use of technology. She is only going to go forward and Utica Community Schools is truly at the leading edge when it comes to technology.

In the end, I want my kids to find something they enjoy as they grow older. I love my job, and I want them to have that same feeling when it comes time to start looking at careers. Utica Community Schools has such a wide variety of offerings that I am sure they will find an area they can explore and reach their true potential.

To me, it all goes back to the family atmosphere that exists in Utica Community Schools. My kids feel safe, they are happy, and they love going to school.