Finalists Named in Franklin County Director of Schools Search

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County Board of Education will continue its quest for a new director of schools on Feb. 17, with the search narrowed down to five candidates.

Rebecca Sharber, director since 2009, is retiring June 30. The Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) started the search for a new director of schools last fall, and Tammy Grissom, TSBA executive director, announced the five finalists at the Jan. 9 school board meeting. The five candidates are:

• Embril Edwards, superintendent of Guntersville City Schools in Alabama since 2009.

• Stanley Bean, a lifelong Franklin County resident and principal at North Middle School since 2012.

• Tammy Shelton of Fayetteville, Tenn., executive director of content and resources at the Tennessee Department of Education.

• Michael Murphy, superintendent of St. Clair R-XIII School District in St. Clair, Mo., since 2004.

• Larrie Reynolds, superintendent of Mount Olive Township Public Schools in New Jersey and founder of Newton Learning, a national company that provides supplemental educational services.

Grissom provided to the school board a number of recommendations and guidelines for hiring a new director, including keeping questions uniform and voting for two candidates via paper ballot to narrow the field. She noted that it is important that the candidate selected have the full confidence of the board.

“Strive for a unanimous vote, because if I were going to be your superintendent, I would want to have all your votes,” she said. “Remember, you’re trying to get a candidate to want to come to Franklin County, as well. They are seeking the job, but you also need to put your best foot forward so they want to come here.”

The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 to review the candidate list and develop questions for the interviews. Interviews, which will be conducted in public, are scheduled to begin Feb. 23.

Grissom said 22 candidates applied for the position. 

Lucianna Sanson, an English teacher at Franklin County High School and president of the Franklin County Education Association (FCEA), said she personally would like to see the new director of schools come from Franklin County.

“I believe that someone who has spent a lifetime teaching and learning and being a part of Franklin County will be the best fit for our students, teachers and schools,” she said on Feb. 10. “I also hope that we gain a director who is student-centered and community-school focused rather than education-reform driven.”

Sanson said Franklin County teachers would welcome a director who values input from teachers and will support less student testing.

“We would also welcome a director who supports teacher autonomy and is willing to support parents and students who are refusing to take the state-mandated assessments,” she said. “FCEA is a member of the Tennessee Education Association, and we support the state association’s belief that less time should be spent on testing and more time spent in the classroom teaching. FCEA believes that our students, teachers and administrators are more than a score, and we hope that our new director of schools will support this sentiment.” 

Among numerous other items at the Jan. 9 board meeting, board members also discussed some issues they would like to see considered in the 2015–16 budget.

Board member Adam Tucker told Sharber to ponder the possibility of adding more academic interventionists in schools.

Chairman Kevin Caroland said the amount for coaching supplements should be examined since Franklin County schools appear to pay less than schools in surrounding counties.

Board member Chris Guess said adding parking lot space is a concern, especially at North and South middle schools, where there is not enough parking for school events.