Board Begins to Focus on Defining Criteria for New Director of Schools

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

Many parents are familiar with Rebecca Sharber’s voice on the automated messages announcing that Franklin County schools are closed due to weather. Next year a new voice will make that dreaded phone call to anxious parents. For now, the school system leaders are defining the type of person they want to lead the county’s 11 public schools. 

Sharber, current director of schools, will retire at the end of June 2015 after six years; the Franklin County Board of Education plans to hire a new director by March. At the Oct. 13 board meeting, the members of board outlined the desired characteristics of the next director.

“It was reassuring that there was significant overlap from board members on the top criteria for a new director,” said board member Adam Tucker.

School administrators are now drafting the precise wording of the criteria, but the most prominent attribute a candidate must have is a “child-first philosophy” in all school matters. The board also wants to hire a technology-savvy visionary and motivator with strong analytical, problem solving and fiscal skills.

“The candidate…(must) be able to inspire the trust of employees, parents and the community, (and have) a demonstrated ability to improve and sustain employee morale,” according to the unofficial draft wording.

The board has hired the Tennessee School Board Association to conduct a search and find five or six candidates that fit their specifications by February 2015. The board will then begin the interview process.

In other business, the school board approved a letter from Kevin Caroland, board chairman, to Franklin County Mayor Richard Stewart questioning the Board of Commissioners’ School Committee, which is comprised of five county commissioners. The letter states there is no published agenda for the public meetings, and meetings have been non-productive with issues being discussed publicly that should be solved internally.

“Unless and until we understand the purpose of the committee and have a commitment to supplying the agenda, no school board member nor the director of schools will be attending School Committee meetings,” Caroland wrote. The next county School Committee meeting is at 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 27, at the Franklin County Courthouse.