[00:00:01]
READY? UM, GOOD MORNING.[Board Interviews on May 13, 2026.]
GOOD MORNING, MR. UH, MR. DUNCAN.UM, WELCOME, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
UM, WE'RE GONNA JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
WE'RE GONNA START IT OVER TO MS. OWENS.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME, YOU KNOW, I'LL LET MS. OWENS TAKE OVER HERE, MA'AM.
REMEMBER, THESE QUESTIONS ARE FROM THE BOARD, NOT FROM ME.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST READING THEM.
JUST, UM, RESPOND TO THE BOARD.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS, AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE TWO OR THREE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITIES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS? WHAT WOULD YOUR FOCUS BE ON IN YEAR ONE TO BEGIN MOVING THAT WORK FORWARD? WELL, THERE'S A LOT TO CELEBRATE CLEARLY.
UM, I'M A BIT OF A TESTING NERD, SO I STAY ABREAST OF SCORES ACROSS, ACROSS THE MSA COMPARABLE DISTRICTS, IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M PROVIDING MY KIDS AT MADISON CREEK WITH AN EDUCATION THAT'S COMPARABLE OR PREFERABLY SUPERIOR TO OTHER SCHOOLS.
SO I, I THINK THE BIG CELEBRATIONS LIE IN ACADEMICS.
BUT AFTER TALKING, UH, THE OTHER NIGHT WITH THE CTE DIRECTOR, I AM BLOWN AWAY AT THE NEW CTE OFFERINGS, THE DIRECTION THAT THAT'S HEADED, THAT'S VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR TOO LONG, WE TRIED TO PIGEONHOLE KIDS INTO FOUR YEAR COLLEGE DEGREES, AND SOMETIMES IT WAS FITTING A SQUARE PEG AND A ROUND HOLE INTO THEIR CREDIT THEY TRIED.
BUT I LOVE THE IDEA OF GIVING KIDS DIFFERENT PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS.
SO I THINK, UH, THE TWO BIGGEST CELEBRATIONS FROM MY LIMITED RESEARCH WOULD BE THE TEST SCORE PERFORMANCE AND THE DIRECTION OF THE CTE PROGRAMS. AS FAR AS THE CHALLENGES GO, WE KNOW THE INSURANCE SITUATION IS A CHALLENGE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY A MUCH LONGER CONVERSATION THAN WE HAVE TIME FOR TODAY.
BUT AS BEST I CAN TELL, IN ITS SIMPLEST FORM, THERE'S MONEY GOING IN TO THE PLAN AND THERE'S MONEY COMING OUT OF THE PLAN.
AND CURRENTLY THERE'S MORE COMING OUT THAN THERE IS GOING IN.
AND SO THERE ARE A FEW WAYS YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT.
YOU CAN, UM, CONSIDER EVERY OPTION THAT'S ON THE TABLE, WHICH IN MOST CASES ARE UNATTRACTIVE TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
I THINK SOMETIMES, UM, HARD DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PLAN.
UH, I APPRECIATE SO MUCH WHAT MR. PADILLA SAID THE OTHER NIGHT AT THE BOARD MEETING, AS WELL AS, IS IT MR. SEBASTIAN? I BELIEVE THAT'S HIS NAME.
UH, I THINK THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A NEW STORY OUT THERE THAT WOULD LEAD FOLKS TO BELIEVE THAT WILSON COUNTY'S INSOLVENT, AND NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
AT A GREAT VISIT WITH THE DIRECTOR THIS MORNING.
AND THE RESERVES IS BEYOND HEALTHY.
IT, IT'S A HEALTHY DISTRICT FINANCIALLY.
I THINK THE INSURANCE SITUATION NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND I THINK THIS BOARD IS EQUIPPED TO HANDLE THOSE HARD DECISIONS.
UH, I ALSO THINK PLANNING FOR GROWTH AND DRIVING AROUND WITH HIM THIS MORNING, UH, MS. LIN GLADESVILLE ALONE, THE AMOUNT OF DEVELOPER SIGNS THAT I PASSED WAS FOR A COUNTRY BOY IS A LITTLE DISHEARTENING, BUT GROWTH IS HERE WHETHER WE WANT THAT OR NOT.
AND IT COMES WITH SOME GOOD THINGS, AND IT COMES WITH SOME CHALLENGES.
BUT I THINK A FIVE YEAR PLAN WOULD CERTAINLY BE, UM, IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE IMPORTANT TO PLAN FOR NEW SCHOOLS.
I KNOW THERE'S A RENOVATION FOR LAKEVIEW THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED.
UH, BUT I THINK GROWTH AND THE INSURANCE SITUATION WOULD BE MY TWO MAIN CONCERNS.
EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD BE A MATTER OF MAINTAINING IMPRESSIVE MOMENTUM THAT THE DISTRICT HAS GARNERED OVER THE LAST FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
HOW DO YOU UNIFY A DISTRICT DURING A DIVISIVE TIME? HOW DO YOU PREVENT IT FROM FRACTURING THE INTERNAL CULTURE OF OUR SCHOOLS RESPECT? IT'S, IT'S A ONE WORD ANSWER.
I THINK, UM, MY CURRENT DIRECTOR LIKES TO SAY, IF WE CAN GET PEOPLE AROUND A TABLE, WE CAN USUALLY RESOLVE 99% OF OUR DIFFERENCES.
THE PROBLEM IS OUR TABLE HAS BECOME DIGITAL AND, AND WE'VE GOT FOLKS THAT THINK SOCIAL MEDIA IS A HARKNESS TABLE, AND NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.
IN A LOT OF WAYS, IT'S THE WORLD'S LARGEST BATHROOM STALL.
AND I REGULARLY REMIND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR PARENTS AT MADISON CREEK THAT WE DON'T SOLVE PROBLEMS ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE CAN IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, AND WE'VE GOTTEN PRETTY GOOD AT DOING THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT WHERE PROBLEMS ARE SOLVED.
I CAN TELL YOU FROM EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES OVER THE YEARS, PARTICULARLY IN MY YOUNG TENURE AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
[00:05:01]
THIS A LITTLE BIT IN THE FIRST, IN THE LAST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS, UM, WHEN THERE'S A DISAGREEMENT, MY NATURE IS TO ASSIGN A LABEL TO THE WINNER AND THE LOSER.AND AFTER A FEW EMBARRASSING MISTAKES WHERE I FELT LIKE MY ACTIONS DID NOT SUPPORT MY FAITH, AND AFTER APOLOGIES AND SOME TIME TO SIMMER ON WHAT I HAD DONE WRONG, WHAT I LEARNED WAS MY WIN WAS A LOSS.
AND I'VE ALSO LEARNED THAT IN MARRIAGE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE ARE DISAGREEMENTS IN MARRIAGE, AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE DIG OUR HEELS IN, IN PURSUIT OF WINNING THE ARGUMENT, IT'S A LOSS.
'CAUSE IT HURTS THE RELATIONSHIP.
AND WHETHER WE'RE TALKING MARRIAGE OR THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND ITS EMPLOYEE, THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, LOOK, THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM FOR DISAGREEMENT WHEN RESPECT IS PARAMOUNT.
AND SO THESE ARE DIVISIVE TIMES.
I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION ON A LOT OF LEVELS.
IT BREAKS MY HEART HOW POLARIZED WE ARE.
UM, THERE'S AN OLD, I THINK IT'S AN OLD PETER FRAMPTON SONG CALLED LUNATIC FRINGE.
AND I DON'T THINK HE COULD WRITE THAT SONG THESE DAYS BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY'RE THE FRINGE.
I I THINK WE ARE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WITH A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS.
AND SOME FOLKS WHO DON'T HAVE THE BEST IDEAS HAVE THE BIGGEST MEGAPHONES.
SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS RESPECT, REGARDLESS OF POLITICAL LEANINGS, REGARDLESS OF SOCIAL LEANINGS, I'M, I'M CHARGED TO LOVE MY NEIGHBOR.
AND RESPECT IS THE SECOND PART OF THAT.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY ANSWER.
WHEN BUDGETS ARE TIGHT, HOW WOULD YOU DECIDE WHAT PROGRAMS AND NEED SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED? MY LEADERSHIP STYLE, I THINK IS, IS ROOTED IN THE GREATER GOOD.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS HOW CAN WE ARRIVE AT A SOLUTION THAT BENEFITS THE GREATEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE? THAT'S, THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO MAKE SOME CUTS RECENTLY ON INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
CURRICULUM OBVIOUSLY IS PAID FOR BY OUR, OUR, UH, COUNTY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE SUPPLEMENTAL THINGS THAT WE USE, THE INTERNET SUBSCRIPTIONS, THEY HAVE GOTTEN ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH.
I GOT A BILL YESTERDAY FOR A STUDY ISLAND PLATFORM THAT'S, UM, $6,000.
AND MY SCHOOL IS NOT ENORMOUS.
SO IF YOU BREAK THAT DOWN, THAT'S THIRD THROUGH FIFTH GRADE, $6,000, AND I HAVE 250 KIDS IN THOSE GRADES.
SO YOU COULD, YOU COULD VERY QUICKLY ARRIVE AT HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS PER KID.
AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT ON THE CUTTING.
BLOCK GENERATION GENIUS WAS A SCIENCE ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION THAT WAS STEM HEAVY AND WAS INCREDIBLY BENEFICIAL FOR ONE SUBJECT ACROSS OUR TESTED GRADES.
SO WHEN I SAY GREATER GOOD, I LOOK AT THOSE TWO, FOR INSTANCE, STUDY ISLAND VERSUS, UM, VERSUS GENERATION GENIUS OR ACCELERATED READER.
WE'RE A BIG AR SCHOOL THAT BENEFITS THE MASSES AND IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE, BUT WHEN I HAVE TO MAKE CUTS, I'M TRYING TO MAKE THE CUTS THAT DISADVANTAGE THE FEWEST NUMBER OF PEOPLE, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
OUR PTO HAS CAUGHT OUR SLACK IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND SO MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES I THINK ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO EMBRACE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
BUT THOSE ARE VERY, VERY HARD DECISIONS THAT I GENERALLY TRY TO MAKE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF THE GREATER GOOD.
AND WE COULD SCALE THAT TO THE SIZE OF WILSON COUNTY.
WE'RE GONNA START WITH MR. PHARAOH.
I'M GONNA START WITH A CLARIFYING QUESTION TO YOUR LAST QUESTION.
I GOT EXCITED OVER ASKING A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
WHEN YOU SAID THE GREAT, THE, THE PROGRAM THAT AFFECTS THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OR NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE MORE IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT FROM A DISTRICT PERSPECTIVE OR A HIGH SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE, UM, SPORTS VERSUS THE ARTS, AND YOU LOOK AT THE FACT THAT MORE KIDS GET, UM, SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THE ARTS, BUT MORE KIDS MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN SPORTS.
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A DECISION THERE? WELL, I'M GONNA STICK WITH GREATER GOOD, BUT TO CLARIFY THIS IS, THIS IS MY LANDING SPOT ON THAT WE LIVE IN A CULTURE THAT CELEBRATES AND IDOLIZES ATHLETICS.
AND I AM A, I'M GUILTY OF THE SAME, I'M A HUGE SPORTS FAN, BUT IF YOU BELIEVE THAT KIDS ARE UNIQUELY GIFTED AS I DO, WE
[00:10:01]
SHOULDN'T PRIORITIZE ONE OVER THE OTHER.THE REALITY IS THE CHRONICLE OF MOUNT JULIET IS NOT REPORTING THE BAND COMPETITION THAT HAPPENED THE PREVIOUS WEEKEND.
IT IS, HOWEVER, PROBABLY GONNA HAVE A TWO PAGE SPREAD ON MOUNT JULIET VERSUS LEBANON FOOTBALL.
UNDERSTANDING THAT BACKDROP, I THINK YOU HAVE TO NAVIGATE THAT VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY INTEREST IN ONE VERSUS THE OTHER.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE CLEAREST ANSWER THAT I CAN.
I MAKE NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN AN ATHLETE, AN ARTIST, AN ASPIRING TEACHER, AND IT GRIEVES ME A BIT TO SEE THE UNHEALTHY LEVELS OF ATHLETE IDOLATRY THAT WE CAN ALL BE GUILTY OF.
SOMETIMES I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE A, A VISIT TO A SECOND GRADE MUSIC PERFORMANCE, JUST LIKE I THINK IT IS TO GO TO MOSS WRIGHT PARK AND SEE SOME OF MY KIDS PLAY BASEBALL.
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL SENDING KIDS MESSAGES THAT SOME GIFTS ARE PRIORITIZED OVER OTHERS.
AND SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS WE SHOULD CELEBRATE ALL OF IT.
HOW WOULD YOU WORK TOWARDS CONSISTENCY AND DISCIPLINE, ACADEMICS AND SAFETY EXPECTATIONS ACROSS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS WHILE CONTINUING TO ALLOW, ALLOW EACH SCHOOL A CULTURE THAT FITS THAT UNIQUE COMMUNITY? I SO APPRECIATE THAT.
I LOVE THE PART ABOUT THE CULTURE THAT FITS THAT COMMUNITY.
SCHOOLS ARE LITTLE UTOPIAS, AND I GOT TO VISIT TWO TODAY.
THAT WAS, NO OFFENSE, I HOPE THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY DAY WAS VISITING THOSE SCHOOLS THIS MORNING.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE A SCHOOL PERSON, IT JUST DOES SOMETHING TO YOU TO WALK INTO A BUILDING AND SEE YOUNG PEOPLE CARED FOR AND, AND TAUGHT.
AND SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS WONDERFUL.
CONTINUING WITH A CULTURE THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE, YOU OWE THAT TO THE COMMUNITY IN WHICH THAT SCHOOL SITS.
BUT I ALSO BELIEVE THAT FROM A DISTRICT LEVEL, YOU'VE GOTTA PUT POLICIES IN PLACE THAT CAN BE TWEAKED A LITTLE TO FIT WITH SCHOOL CULTURES SO THAT THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF HOMOGENOUS APPROACH TO SECURITY, DISCIPLINE, ALL THE THINGS THAT SCHOOLS BENEFIT FROM.
I MEAN, YOU'VE GOTTA SET THE STAGE OR LEARNING DOES NOT OCCUR, RIGHT? SO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS HOW DO WE SET THE STAGE.
UM, I LOVE THE ENTRY SYSTEM THAT I BUZZED INTO TODAY AT LADO ELEMENTARY.
UM, AND I SHARED WITH, WITH MR. LUTRELL, I'VE BEEN GUILTY AT TIMES WHEN THERE'S A HEAVILY ATTENDED EVENT AT MADISON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
I'M IN THE FRONT LOBBY, MY APS IN THE FRONT LOBBY.
SO WE ARE SCREENING, BUT WE ARE NOT SCANNING IN.
AND TO SEE THOSE FOLKS THERE FOR KINDERGARTEN GRADUATION OR RECOGNITION, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, WAITING PATIENTLY IN A SINGLE FILE, YOU GUYS HAVE VERY SAFE SCHOOLS.
I THINK THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE.
AND MY BEST ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT SECURITY, THAT'S WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
THAT IS THE SAFEST ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE KIDS.
DISCIPLINE IS A PASSION OF MINE.
I SHARED IN THE EARLIER ROUND OF INTERVIEWS THAT I THINK GRADUATED CONSEQUENCES IMPOSED WITH LOVE CHANGE BEHAVIORS.
I'VE SEEN IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
I LOVE THE FACT THAT I'M IN A DISTRICT THAT GIVES ME THE AUTONOMY TO DECIDE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN MY BUILDING.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO UNIVERSAL ZERO TOLERANCES, RIGHT? SO TO ME THAT'S PROBABLY A, A PRETTY CONCISE RESPONSE WITH REGARD TO THE DISCIPLINE.
THE POLICY IS SET AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND THEN BUILDING LEVEL LEADERS.
I THINK WE OWE THEM THE COURTESY OF SEEING HOW THAT FITS WITHIN THEIR BUILDING.
I THINK WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUICK ONE.
DO YOU RESIDE IN WILSON COUNTY OR ARE YOU WILLING TO LOCATE TO WILSON COUNTY? I CURRENTLY LIVE, UH, I'M 25 MINUTES NORTH IN HARTSVILLE.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S A QUESTION BETTER ANSWERED BY MY WIFE.
UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, THAT I WOULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER.
UM, IT'S A PLACE THAT WAS HOME TO ME FOR 22 YEARS AND A PLACE THAT'S STILL VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE AND EXPERIENCE, WHAT MAKES YOU THE RIGHT FIT TO LEAD WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS? AT THIS POINT IN TIME? MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN, UM, 29 YEARS OF CONVICTION.
JUST BEING CANDID WITH YOU BECAUSE I'VE PURSUED THINGS FOR SELFISH MOTIVES.
AS I MENTIONED IN THE MEET AND GREET.
[00:15:02]
I HAVE BEEN LED INTO POSITIONS FOR PURELY SELFISH REASONS.AND I'VE LEARNED THAT IT'S BEEN BLESSED EVEN THOUGH MY MOTIVES WERE IMPURE.
AND SO WHAT MAKES ME THE RIGHT CANDIDATE, UH, AT THIS TIME TO LEAD WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS IS I'M A SLOW LEARNER, BUT I'VE LEARNED THAT SELFLESS SERVICE IS WHERE THE REAL GRATITUDE IN LIFE IS FOUND.
IT'S WHAT MY FAITH WARRANTS, IT'S DEMANDED OF ME.
AND ON MY WORST DAYS, I FIGHT THAT.
AND ON MY BEST DAYS, I GET IT RIGHT.
AND THE BLESSINGS ARE INNUMERABLE.
SO AN ATTITUDE OF SERVICE, AN ATTITUDE OF GIVING BACK.
UM, THERE IS ZERO, ZERO, UM, MOTIVATION FOR POWER.
MY WHY IS VERY SIMPLE, PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING KIDS, AND I MEAN PHYSICALLY PROTECTING KIDS, AND I MEAN MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY PROTECTING KIDS.
I HAD AN UNBELIEVABLE CHILDHOOD, AND I THINK EVERY KID DESERVES THAT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN DEALT VERY DIFFICULT HANDS IN LIFE, THE SCHOOL CAN COME IN AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, OVERCOME SOME CHALLENGES THAT THEY MIGHT FACE AT HOME.
THAT'S THE SHORTEST ANSWER I THINK I CAN GIVE YOU.
I AM MILITANT, MILITANT ABOUT PROTECTING KIDS.
AND THAT TAKES WHATEVER SHAPE OR FORM YOU CAN IMAGINE.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IT TAKES TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS? AND HOW DO YOU APPROACH KEEPING THE BOARD INFORMED WHILE DECIDING WHAT TO PROACTIVELY SHARE VERSUS WHAT TO BRING FORWARD AS NEEDED? OH, GREAT QUESTION.
WELL, I, I THINK IF I'M BLESSED TO BECOME DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, I, I THINK MY EXPECTATION WOULD BE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
THEY'RE TOO BIG TO NOT RUN ACROSS DISAGREEMENTS.
I WOULD GO BACK TO THE RESPECT PIECE THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER, BUT I, I THINK THE PART OF YOUR QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER I WOULD PROACTIVELY SHARE WITH THE BOARD CERTAIN THINGS, IT FEELS A LOT LIKE WHAT I CURRENTLY SHARE WITH MY DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS.
AND, AND THE QUESTION I ASK MYSELF IS, IS THIS, IS THIS BIG ENOUGH TO BURDEN HIM WITH ONE MORE THING BECAUSE HE'S HIRED ME TO FULFILL A ROLE AND HE TRUSTS ME TO DO THAT.
IS IT ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE HE'S GONNA SAY, DUNCAN A HEADS UP, COULD YOU HAVE SHOT ME A TEXT? UM, I'VE MANAGED THAT PRETTY WELL OVER THE YEARS.
I TEND TO LEAN ON THE SIDE OF BEING A FIXER AND NOT BURDENING MY DIRECTOR IF I DON'T HAVE TO.
BUT THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW TIMES OVER THE YEARS WHERE I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN A HEADS UP.
UM, HOW WOULD I COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD VERY OPENLY WE'RE GROWNUPS AND YOU WOULD HAVE A CONSTITUENCY.
I WOULD HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE.
IF WE DO IT RIGHT, IT'S A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP, BUT IT COULD BE PRODUCTIVE STRUGGLE, AND WE CAN STILL BE RESPECTFUL.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE DIRECTOR WORKS FOR THE BOARD, NOT VICE VERSA.
AND SO THE DIRECTOR WOULD OWE THE BOARD MEMBERS THE COURTESY OF OPEN COMMUNICATION.
AND WHEN JUDGMENT CALLS NEED TO BE MADE, I WOULD LEAN MORE TOWARD MAKING YOU INFORMED THAN THE ALTERNATIVE.
UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND PASS 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THESE WITH THE, YOU GOT A GOOD ONE FOR ME NEXT.
MR. DUNCAN, OUR HIRING PROCESS IS TO FIRST SELECT THE PREFERRED CANDIDATE AND THEN FINALIZE A CONTRACT JUST TO PREVENT MISSED MISMATCHED EXPECTATIONS.
PLEASE TELL ME YOUR SALARY EXPECTATIONS.
I THINK I'VE NOT DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH AROUND COMPARABLY SIZED DISTRICTS.
UM, I THINK MR. LUTRELL IS, UH, PAID IN A FAIR WAY.
SO I WOULD SAY, I MEAN, I, I'M NOT ONE TO BEAT AROUND THE BUSH.
I, I THINK 200 K GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE DISTRICT, AND WHAT LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH THAT I'VE DONE SAYS THAT THE POSITION WARRANTS THAT LEVEL OF COMPENSATION.
I, I'M UNDER NO MISUNDERSTANDING.
IT'S A, IT'S A 16 TO 18 HOUR A DAY JOB.
AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION, AND I HOPE I WASN'T TOO DIRECT IN MY ANSWER.
UH, ON THE CONTRARY, I WAS LOOKING FOR A NUMBER.
[00:20:01]
THERE'S LOTS OF WAYS TO LOOK AT, UM, THE JOB.ONE WAY YOU COULD LOOK AT IT IS KIND OF AS A THREE LEGGED STOOL, ONE LEG BEING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, ONE BEING STUDENT WELLBEING, AND A THIRD BEING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.
LOOKING AT THAT MODEL, HOW WOULD YOU KEEP THAT IN BALANCE? YEAH.
HOW DO WE AVOID HAVING TO WAD UP A NAPKIN AND PUT IT UNDER ONE OF THOSE LEGS? MM-HMM
WHAT WE HAVE A SCHOOL DISTRICT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION, AND WE ARE SUBJECT TO THE DEMANDS OF ECONOMICS.
THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF WANTS AND NEEDS, AND THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
AND SO I WOULD GO BACK TO THE GREATER GOOD ANSWER THAT I GAVE EARLIER.
I'M AN I, I'M AN ACADEMIC AT HEART IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND SO I THINK, I THINK MY DEFAULT WOULD BE TO THE ACADEMIC SIDE OF THINGS, BUT I'M ALSO A FISCAL CONSERVATIVE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT STEWARDSHIP OF TAX DOLLARS IS SOMETHING THAT I CONSIDER TO BE OF PARAMOUNT IMPORTANCE.
I THINK THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT TO OUR TAXPAYERS SHOULD BE SO OBVIOUS THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE GETTING BANGED FOR THEIR BUCK.
AND I'VE WRITTEN A FEW OP-EDS OVER THE YEARS TO THAT EFFECT, TYING PROPERTY TAXES, THAT AND, AND PROPERTY VALUE INCREASES TO THE PRODUCT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO IT'S A, IT'S A TOPIC THAT I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT TO, UM, THE THIRD LEG OF THE SCHOOL.
OF THE SCHOOL, I'M SORRY, TELL ME ONE MORE TIME.
SO WE WERE LOOKING AT ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE MM-HMM
WELL, IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE ONE LEG THAT'S LONGER THAN THE OTHER, IT'S STUDENT WELLBEING.
UH, THE ACADEMICS DON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT WELL STUDENTS.
AND THAT TAKES A LOT OF DIFFERENT SHAPES AND FORMS. BUT AGAIN, AS SOMEONE WHO PAYS PRETTY CLOSE ATTENTION TO MY TAX BURDEN, I'M CONSTANTLY MAKING SURE I'M GETTING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT I NEED.
AND I THINK THE INFORMED VOTERS OF WILSON COUNTY ARE DOING THE SAME THING.
AND WHAT THEY GET CURRENTLY IS NEXT LEVEL.
UM, ONE THING WE DO AROUND HERE QUITE OFTEN, AS YOU PROBABLY HAVE NOTICED, IS OPEN NEW SCHOOLS.
HOW DO YOU SET AND MAINTAIN SCHOOL CULTURE AND CONSISTENCY WHEN OPENING A NEW SCHOOL? YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A PRETTY STEEP LEARNING CURVE FOR ME.
I CAN TELL YOU WHAT I'VE WITNESSED FROM A DISTANCE IN SUMNER COUNTY.
UM, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF SOCIAL MEDIA, IT IS A TOOL THAT EVERY NEW SCHOOL SHOULD HAVE AT ITS DISPOSAL.
IT IS PHENOMENAL THE CULTURE THAT CAN BE BUILT OVER SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE A STUDENT EVEN STEPS ONTO THE CAMPUS.
ONE OF OUR NEWEST CAMPUSES IS AN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THE SOCIAL MEDIA WORK THAT THEY DO IS, UH, MARKETING LEVEL, ADVERTISING LEVEL QUALITY.
AND SO I THINK PROBABLY THE MOST CONCISE ANSWER I COULD GIVE IS, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE OPEN DOORS FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THE CULTURE'S GONNA BE GOING IN, BUT THAT NEEDS TO BE A LITTLE BIT ORGANIC.
LIKE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ROOM TO SEE WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA SUPPORT.
AND SO I, I THINK IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THAT AND BE WILLING TO TAKE HONEST FEEDBACK, EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES IT'S PAINFUL, YOU CAN CRAFT A CULTURE THAT'S BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYONE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND YIELD MY TIME AND PRESS ON.
MR. DUCKING, HOW DO YOU WANT, SIR? GOOD, THANKS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, AS WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AT DATA, OKAY, WE KNOW EVERYTHING IS, IS DATA DRIVEN.
HOWEVER, UM, WHEN DATA SHOWS THAT WE SHOULD CUT A CERTAIN STAFF POSITION, RIGHT? SAY FOR INSTANCE, AN INCLUSION TEACHER DATA SAYS WE SHOULD CUT BASED OFF OF ALL OF THESE FACTORS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, CUTTING THAT STAFF POSITION WILL TAKE THE PER STUDENT FROM 18 TO ONE, TO 27 TO ONE, AND WILL REALLY IMPACT THAT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
HOW ARE YOU GONNA HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS? BECAUSE THIS GOES INTO TEACHER RETENTION, THIS IMPACTS THE STUDENTS, THIS IMPACTS A LOT.
UM, WHAT IS SO WHAT, HOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BALANCE BEING DATA DRIVEN AND BEING, UH, EFFECTIVE AT, AT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT'S RIGHT AND NOT, NOT BECOMING SO, SO MARRIED TO THE DATA? YES, SIR.
IT'S A TOOL AND THAT THE DEFINITION OF DATA ENDS THERE.
[00:25:02]
UH, MR. PADILLA, I, I KEEP A LOT OF ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE AND I KEEP MY THUMB ON THE PULSE OF MADISON CREEK ELEMENTARY'S CULTURE.AND, AND I'LL SHARE WITH YOU, UH, A SCENARIO THAT IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH WHAT YOU JUST ASKED.
I'VE HAD SOME TEACHERS OVER THE YEARS WHO ARE PHENOMENAL FOR MY CULTURE.
THEY'RE THE KIDS THAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE BEFORE THEIR DAY BEGINS.
THEY'RE THE KIDS WHO, UH, THEY'RE THE TEACHERS WHO, IF THEY SPONSOR A CLUB, THAT CLUB LIST IS A MILE LONG.
THE HEART OF THE SCHOOL WHO MAYBE HAVE NOT ALWAYS GOTTEN THE DATA THAT MAKES ME SMILE.
I'VE NEVER LET A TEACHER GO BASED ON DATA.
IT THAT IS AT BEST HALF OF WHAT A TEACHER BRINGS TO THE TABLE.
DO I THINK IT, WE SHOULD HAVE METRICS IN PLACE? IS ACCOUNTABILITY IMPORTANT? THERE'S NO GREATER CHAMPION FOR ACCOUNTABILITY THAN, THAN ME THAT I KNOW OF.
BUT IF WE'RE NOT CAREFUL, IF WE LIVE AND DIE BY PROFICIENCY LEVELS AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS, WE CAN CUT THE HEART OUT OF A SCHOOL PRETTY QUICKLY.
AND SO I'VE NEVER DONE THAT, NOR WILL I DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE WAY MY SCHOOL'S STRUCTURED.
I HAVE TWO PEOPLE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MATH GROWTH IN MY BUILDING.
WHEN YOU SEE LEVEL FIVE, IT ALWAYS REFERS TO GROWTH PLUS ACHIEVEMENT AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
BUT TVOS ALSO HAS A ONE THROUGH FIVE, AND IT IS STRICTLY GROWTH.
I'VE GOT A TEACHER ON STAFF THAT'S LIKE MY BROTHER WHO STRUGGLED WITH GROWTH OVER THE YEARS, BUT HE BRINGS SO MUCH TO MY CULTURE THAT I'M NOT WILLING TO LET THAT GUY GO.
I MEAN, WE'LL TAKE OUR LUMPS BECAUSE I KNOW AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN MY KIDS WALK OUT OF MY BUILDING AND GO TO TW HUNTER MIDDLE, THEY ARE PREPARED FOR SIXTH GRADE.
AND THEY ARE PREPARED BECAUSE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING HAVE COME LARGELY FROM A TEACHER THAT COULD NOT GET THE TVAS MAGIC THAT OTHERS MANAGED TO GET.
UM, YOU JUST HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL.
DATA IS A TOOL, AND THAT'S IT.
DOES THE CURRENT USE OF TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT OUR PROGRAMS TEND TO GENERALLY ENHANCE OR DULL THE STUDENT'S COMPREHENSION AND AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION OF LEARNING? HOW WOULD YOUR BELIEFS BE REPRESENTED? YOU KNOW, OUR SCALED K THROUGH 12.
I'M AN OLD OFFICE APPLICATIONS TEACHER.
AND TO SAY THAT TECHNOLOGY HAS HURT OUR SCHOOL'S CULTURE AND OUR STUDENTS' MINDS, THAT'S A, THAT'S A THROWAWAY ANSWER.
BUT LIKE ANY OTHER BLESSING, IT COMES WITH A SIDE OF, OF BURDENS.
MY STAFF AND I LAST YEAR, COMPLETED A BOOK STUDY CALLED THE ANXIOUS GENERATION.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUMMERS FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.
MY HEADACHES GO DOWN, I MISS MY KIDS, BUT I GET SOME DOWNTIME.
AND ONE OF THE BLESSINGS OF MY SUMMER OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HAS BEEN LEADING A BOOK STUDY WITH MY FACULTY.
WE LOVE KIDS, AND WE WANNA DO WHAT'S BEST FOR 'EM.
THE, THE, THE THINGS THAT WE READ IN THAT BOOK ARE STAGGERING.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH IT OR NOT, BUT THAT BOOK WAS THE IMPETUS FOR A LOT OF AUSTRALIAN LEGISLATION THAT SAYS KIDS CAN NO LONGER BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND NOW IT'S TRICKLED INTO BRITAIN.
AND SO I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE DID.
IT IS AN INCREDIBLE INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL THAT MY TEACHERS DEPEND ON.
AND IN A LOT OF WAYS, UM, IT CAN SORT OF ANCHOR LEARNING WHEN TECHNOLOGY BETTER THAN WHEN TECHNOLOGY'S NOT AVAILABLE.
BUT ONCE A MONTH, MR. PADILLA, WE UNPLUG THE ENTIRE CAMPUS.
IT'S NO TECH TUESDAY, AND WE WORK ON RELATIONSHIPS.
MY FAVORITE PART OF THAT IS I PUT AN OUT OF OFFICE REPLY ON MY EMAIL THAT SAYS, I'M CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING NO TECH TUESDAY, AND I'LL GET BACK TO YOU AT TWO 30.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT SELF-SERVING, BUT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM OUR KIDS WHO GET TO MAYBE GO OUTSIDE TO THE BARNYARD THAT THEY'LL GET TO EXPERIENCE, UM, WE HAVE CREEK ACCESS ACROSS THE ROAD.
I GOT TICKLED AT A THIRD GRADER ONE TIME THAT, UM, I SAID, WHAT, WHAT DID YOU LIKE ABOUT NO TECH TUESDAY? THIS WAS AFTER OUR FIRST ONE.
AND SHE SAID IT WAS FANTASTIC.
OUR TEACHER TALKED TO US ALL DAY LONG, AND I THOUGHT BACK TO MY DAD'S ONE ROOM, SCHOOL HOUSE, WHEN THAT'S ALL THE TEACHER DID WAS TALK TO THE STUDENTS ALL DAY LONG.
IT, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN DATA.
IT'S A TOOL, AND IT CAN BE USED FOR GOOD OR HARM.
WE LEVERAGE THE GOOD AND WE MITIGATE THE HARM, AND I THINK WE'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.
[00:30:03]
ALL RIGHT.UH, MINE KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE PRIORITIZING THINGS.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR LONG-TERM PLAN TO ENSURE THAT OUR K EIGHT SCHOOLS, I MEAN YEAH, SOUTHSIDE TUCKERS AND CARE LOCAL OFFER PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES THAT ARE ON PAR WITH OUR TRADITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS OR INVESTMENTS WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE TO CLOSE ANY EXISTING GAPS? OKAY.
THAT IS A CHALLENGING QUESTION BECAUSE I HAVE ZERO EXPERIENCE WITH K EIGHT.
I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF HAVING A KID.
I LOVE HAVING 'EM K FIVE, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT K EIGHT, MAYBE WHEN YOU GET 'EM AS SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS, YOU HAVE TO REMIND YOURSELF THAT THEY WERE CUTE KINDERGARTNERS ONCE.
BUT I THINK YOU HAVE TO BE HEAVILY INVESTED IN THAT SCHOOL CAMPUS.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE A WORKING RELATIONSHIP AND AN HONEST COMMUNICATION LINE WITH BUILDING LEADERSHIP.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE'RE MISSING THE MARK, THEN WE NEED TO CALL IT WHAT IT IS AND ATTACK IT AS A TEAM.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR ME.
BUT AS I DROVE PAST CAROL OAKLAND THIS MORNING ON MY WAY HERE, UM, I GRINNED A LITTLE BIT JUST BECAUSE, UM, I LOVE THE IDEA OF K THROUGH EIGHT.
I, IT, IT JUST FEELS LIKE YOU'RE WITH FAMILY A LITTLE LONGER.
AND SO I, I, I'M NOT SURE I COULD GIVE SPECIFIC DETAILS OF HOW I WOULD DO THAT, BUT I THINK THE MAIN THING IS COMMUNICATING OPENLY WITH THE BUILDING PRINCIPAL AND LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND GIVING VERY, VERY CLEAR EXPECTATIONS.
UM, THIS ONE, UM, SEVERAL OF MY TEACHER FRIEND SENT ME THIS ONE WHILE STATE MANDATED TEST, AND WE HAD THIS AT THE BOARD MEETING LAST WEEK, ALSO, WHILE STATE MANDATED ASSESSMENTS ARE REQUIRED, MANY STAKEHOLDERS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THEY PERCEIVE EXCESSIVE TESTING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, INCLUDING OUR OWN I-READY AND TE 21.
HOW DO YOU VIEW THE NECESSITY OF THESE ASSESSMENTS AND HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE NEED FOR MANUAL DATA WITH CONCERNS OVER, OVER TESTING AND ABUSE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME? I HEARD AN OLD FARMER SAY ONE TIME THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO WEIGH A HOG, BUT WEIGHING IT EVERY DAY AIN'T MAKING IT ANY FATTER.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF TRUTH TO THAT STATEMENT.
WE BENCHMARK THREE TIMES A YEAR IN ADDITION TO TCAP TESTING IN APRIL.
I HAVE JOKINGLY SAID, IN YEARS PAST, WE, WE USED TO SHOW UP WITH TESTING WINDOWS.
IT FEELS LIKE WE GOT SO TEST CRAZY THAT THEY WOULD START TO IDENTIFY INSTRUCTIONAL WINDOWS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE THERE.
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE BENCHMARKS, WHETHER THREE IS THE MAGIC NUMBER OR NOT, I, I COULD LIVE WITH TWO, BUT I THINK IT GIVES US A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT WHERE WE CAN ATTACK STANDARDS DEFICITS BEFORE THE STATE TESTING COMES INTO PLAY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I, I, IT GIVES THE, THIS DISAGGREGATED DATA IS NOTHING SHORT OF UNBELIEVABLE.
WHAT THESE REPORTS SHOW, THEY WILL TELL YOU WHICH PARTICULAR STATE STANDARD JOHNNY IS DEFICIENT IN.
AND IN SOME CASES, IF YOU READ BETWEEN THE LINES, IT, YOU CAN FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS ARE MISSING.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, WHEN BENCHMARKS BECOME BENCHMARKS FOR THE SAKE OF CHECKING A BOX, WE'VE MISSED THE MARK WHEN IT INFORMS FUTURE TEACHING, AND IT IS BY DEFINITION A FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, I THINK IT'S TIME WELL SPENT.
AND IF YOU MANAGE THE LOGISTICS OF IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO TAKE AN ENTIRE WEEK.
YOU CAN WORK IT INTO A RELATIVELY SMALL WINDOW FOR THE BENEFIT OF OPTIMIZING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.
IS THERE A CASE WHERE SOMETIMES WE DO IT TOO MUCH? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT IF IT YIELDS GREAT RESULTS, I THINK WE OUGHT TO GIVE IT SOME CONSIDERATION.
IT'S ULTIMATELY, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, I THINK IS MORE COMMON SENSE THAN REALLY JUST THE DATA THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU.
WHEN WITH RISING CLASSROOM DISRUPTIONS AND LIMITED DISCIPLINARY OPTIONS, HOW WILL YOU ENSURE MEANINGFUL STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY WHILE PROTECTING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND SUPPORTING TEACHERS WITHOUT ADDING TO THEIR WORKLOAD? HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN ONE STUDENT'S BEHAVIOR INTERFERES WITH THE LEARNING OF THE REST OF THE CLASS? I WON'T STAND FOR IT.
WHEN ONE STUDENT'S LEARNING IMPACTS THE ENTIRE CLASS, IT RUBS ME THE WRONG WAY.
NOW, YOU HAVE TO HANDLE THAT WITH DIGNITY, BECAUSE IN A LOT OF CASES, YOU'VE GOT STUDENTS WITH UNIQUE NEEDS WHO ARE NOT MALICIOUS.
THEY'RE JUST STRUGGLING TO SELF-REGULATE.
IT'S A CHALLENGE FOR ME WHEN I HEAR PEOPLE SAY THINGS LIKE, CLEAR A ROOM.
[00:35:01]
A ROOM, WHAT I HEAR IS DEPRIVE 19 OTHER STUDENTS OF THE EDUCATION TO WHICH THEY'RE ENTITLED.HOWEVER, AS YOU MENTIONED, BECAUSE THERE ARE LIMITED CONSEQUENCES, AND WE DON'T PUT HANDS ON KIDS.
BUT I'VE GOT A BUILDING FULL OF VERY PERSUASIVE GROWNUPS WHO CAN USUALLY GET THAT HANDLED WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROBLEM.
I'M SORRY, I WISH I COULD HAVE DUG INTO THAT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, MR. DUNCAN.
WE'RE A VERY SUCCESSFUL DISTRICT.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD, ESPECIALLY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND THERE'S SOME FEAR, I THINK, APTLY SO FOR, FOR WHERE WE GO FROM HERE AND A CHANGE TO THAT LEADERSHIP COULD LEAD US EITHER TO PLATEAU, GO DOWN, OR WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE AND EXCEL, UH, AND GO UPWARDS.
SO I'M ASKING WHAT WOULD, IT'S DIFFICULT SHOES TO FILL, RIGHT? HE, NOW, MR. LUCHO HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
SO YOUR VISION, HOW DO YOU EMBRACE THAT CHALLENGE AND HOW DO YOU MAKE THE PUBLIC, THE TEACHERS, I MEAN, YOU'RE STEPPING BACK INTO A DISTRICT THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN PART OF, RIGHT? SURE.
YOU GREW UP HERE, WHICH I THINK IS AMAZING, BUT IT'S ALSO THE, THE, HOW DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR VISION? LIKE, HOW DO YOU TRANSITION IN AND HOW DO YOU, WHAT'S YOUR STEP BY STEP KIND OF, I, I THINKING AND, AND TAKING, YOU KNOW, THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND GOING AFTER IT.
WELL, I'VE ALWAYS HEARD YOU DON'T WANNA BE THE MAN THAT FOLLOWS THE MAN.
AND I THINK WHOMEVER YOU GUYS SETTLE ON, WILL REGRETTABLY WEAR THAT LABEL.
IT'S A CHALLENGE THAT I EMBRACE.
HOWEVER, I'LL GO BACK TO THE TESTING SIDE OF THINGS.
UH, I SEE SCHOOLS ON THE LIST, UH, THAT MY RESEARCH PRODUCED THAT ARE SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHICALLY TO ME, THAT, THAT STILL HAVE A HIGHER CEILING THAN WHERE THEY ARE.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY PRINCIPAL THAT IS RUNNING THAT SCHOOL WOULD SAY OTHERWISE.
THAT'S WHY WE SIGNED UP FOR THE JOB.
WE WANNA DO GREAT THINGS, MAN.
AND SO MY APPROACH WOULD BE TO SATISFY ALL STAKEHOLDERS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
PRIORITY NUMBER ONE IS, IS, IS OUR KIDS.
PRIORITY NUMBER TWO WOULD BE THE WORKFORCE THAT LOVES ON AND EDUCATES THOSE KIDS.
AND THEN THE STAKEHOLDER LIST CONTINUES ON BEYOND THOSE TWO.
BUT I THINK AS FAR AS A VISION FOR WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS GOES, I WANT SAFE AND HEALTHY KIDS.
I WANT TO LEVERAGE THE INDUSTRIAL, UH, RELATIONSHIPS, THE, THE RETAIL RELATIONSHIP.
I SEE A TON OF OPPORTUNITY OUT THERE AND DRIVING AROUND WITH MR. LUTRELL THIS MORNING.
THERE ARE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS TO LEVERAGE, AND THAT'S KIND OF SOMETHING THAT I'VE ENJOYED DOING OVER THE YEARS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH AN FBLA CLUB OR A DECA CLUB.
SO THE VISION IS A CONTINUED ACADEMIC MOMENTUM.
I WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE UPWARD TRAJECTORY OF CTE, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WANNA SEND EVERY KID BACK HOME TO THEIR PARENTS THAT THEY ENTRUSTED US WITH THAT MORNING.
IT IS A DAUNTING CHALLENGE TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM THAT YOU'VE SEEN OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, BUT IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE.
WHAT STRATEGIES WOULD YOU USE TO BUILD TRUST WITH PARENTS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS WHO FEEL THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION HAS MOVED AWAY FROM TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES? MM-HMM
WELL, AGAIN, OPEN COMMUNICATION.
I KEEP COMING BACK TO THAT, BUT I THINK, I THINK CONVERSATIONS AT SCHOOL EVENTS WITH PARENTS, I THINK SHARING MY HEART, UH, LOOK, I'M, I'M A PATRIOT TO MY CORE, AND I MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR THAT.
I, I THINK WHAT YOU GUYS DO IN THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SETTING, I'M GONNA BE 100% CANDID.
I THINK IT'S SECOND ONLY TO DEMOCRACY IN THE MOST IMPRESSIVE EXPERIMENT THAT HAS EVER BEEN UNDERTAKEN PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR THE MASSES.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU WERE BORN AND WENT TO A SINGLE WIDE LIKE ME, OR IF YOU WERE BORN AND WENT TO A, A HOUSE IN FIVE OAKS, THAT DOES NOT MATTER.
[00:40:01]
WHAT MATTERS IS OPPORTUNITY.AND SO I WOULD WELCOME ANY CONVERSATION WITH A PARENT ABOUT KEEPING THE CONSTITUTION IN ITS ORIGINAL FORM, ABOUT CELEBRATING THE HEROES OF OUR HISTORY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I WOULD SHY AWAY FROM.
AND I THINK, UM, IN A LOT OF WAYS IT'S SAD TO SEE WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE DONE IMPRESSIVE WORK AS A NATION AND AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, THIS ONE, AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY, IT'S, IT'S TRULY UNBELIEVABLE WHAT WE'VE MANAGED TO DO.
WE'VE HAD, UM, CONTINUOUS ISSUES.
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ISSUES IS BUSING.
AND IT NEEDS SOME NEW FRESH THOUGHT, I THINK, IN ORDER TO KINDA SOLVE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE.
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT ISSUE OR NOT, BUT HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT SOLVING THAT PROBLEM FOR US? YEAH.
WELL, COMPETING FOR EMPLOYEES WITH AN HOURLY RATE THAT THEY CAN FIND IN RETAIL IS A DAUNTING TASK.
AND SO I THINK YOU HAVE TO SELL THEM ON THE BENEFITS OF SCHEDULING.
I KNOW IN SUMNER COUNTY, AND, AND I DON'T WANT TO, CERTAINLY, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR WILSON COUNTY BECAUSE I'M NOT NEARLY FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE BUDGET TO MAKE THIS KIND OF A COMMENT.
I, I, I CAN JUST TELL YOU WHAT'S WORKED IN SUMNER COUNTY.
UH, WE EXPANDED BENEFITS TO PART-TIME BUS DRIVERS, AND WE INCREASED THEIR HOURLY RATE.
DO WE STILL HAVE SUB DRIVERS? ABSOLUTELY.
BUT IT HAS MITIGATED A LOT OF THOSE UNDESIRABLE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU REFERRED TO MM-HMM
YOU CAN EITHER GIVE SOME ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON SOMETHING THAT IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT CUT OFF OR THE BOARD MEMBERS CAN ASK YOU ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT MORE, MS. LYNN TO WHAT YOU AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, HOW DO YOU MEET THE NEEDS OF A UNIQUE STUDENT WHO'S HAVING A BAD DAY WHILE SALVAGING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME FOR THE 19 OTHERS WHO JUST WANT TO LEARN MATH? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT IS A COMPLICATED ONE, BUT I BELIEVE IF YOU'VE GOT PERSUASIVE ADULTS IN THE BUILDING WHO CAN MAKE THE ALTERNATIVE LOOK LESS ATTRACTIVE TO YOUR BEHAVIOR PROBLEM, THEN THE CURRENT PATH, THEN IN MOST CASES, THAT STUDENT WOULD WILLINGLY LEAVE THE ROOM WITH AN ADMINISTRATOR.
HOW LONG DOES THAT TAKE? IN SOME CASES, 15 SECONDS.
I OFTENTIMES WALK INTO A ROOM WHERE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS GOING ON.
I WILL TYPICALLY WHISPER A CHOICE IN THE EAR OF THE STUDENT THAT'S STRUGGLING.
AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THEY TAKE ME UP ON THAT OFFER.
WHAT IS THE OFFER TO GO TO MY OFFICE AND TALK? WE'RE JUST GONNA GO TALK AND WE'RE GONNA WORK THROUGH WHATEVER CHALLENGES MIGHT BE HAPPENING.
AND THE REASON I LOVE THAT APPROACH IS I AM EQUALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE 19 THAT NEED TO LEARN AS I AM THE ONE THAT'S HAVING A STRUGGLE.
AND ARE THERE TIMES WHERE THEY BUCK? AND I'M UNABLE TO DO THAT.
THERE ARE, BUT I THINK USING COMMON SENSE AS, AS A TOOL, IN MOST CASES, I'M ABLE TO MAKE VERY DIFFICULT JUDGMENT CALLS ABOUT WHEN A ROOM NEEDS TO BE CLEARED AND WHEN IT DOESN'T.
AND SHORT OF THE THREAT OF STUDENT HARM, WE'RE NOT CLEAR IN THE ROOM.
WE ARE GOING TO REMOVE THE STUDENT WHO'S STRUGGLING WITHOUT ANY HANDS ON THEM.
WE'RE JUST GONNA GIVE THEM VERY CLEAR OPTIONS AND HOPE THAT THEY MAKE THE RIGHT CALL.
IF THEY DON'T, AND STUDENTS ARE IN HARM'S WAY, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PRIORITIZE SAFETY OVER LEARNING IT.
IT'S NOT A DIFFICULT CALL FOR ME, BUT DEPENDING ON THE SCENARIO, IT CAN BE A CHALLENGING SITUATION.
I, WE, WE FINISHED, I'M SORRY.
DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ASK US OR CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? YEAH.
I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER.
UM, CAN I ASK FIRST? I I THINK PART OF THE THING IS WITH THE NEW PETE RECESS RULE, IT'S TAKEN A TEACHER'S ABILITY TO TAKE P RECESS TIME AWAY FROM THEM AND THE PRINCIPLES.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE WHAT THEY'RE WANTING TO KNOW.
YES, MA MA'AM, WHAT'S YOUR PLAN ON WHAT CAN WE DO? YEAH.
AS A TEACHER, WHAT CAN I DO? I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU.
WE, WE WILL ZONE THEIR RECESS.
WE ARE LEGALLY BOUND TO RECESS REQUIREMENTS AND NOBODY WANTS A KID TO GET RECESS MORE THAN ME.
WELL, MAYBE THEIR TEACHER, BUT FEW PEOPLE WANT KIDS TO GET RECESS MORE THAN ME.
[00:45:01]
BUT I DETERMINE WHERE RECESS IS.IS IT AMONG PEERS? THAT IS ABSOLUTELY AMONG PEERS? IS IT FREE REIGN OVER ALL TWO ACRES OF OUR PLAYGROUND? IT IS NOT.
AND SO DO WE TAKE AWAY RECESS? NO.
THE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LAW IS, WE'RE GONNA MEET THAT EXPECTATION EVERY SINGLE DAY.
BUT IF I HAVE TO SAY, YOU GET THE SLIDE AND THE SWING SET, THAT FEELS LIKE A CONSEQUENCE THAT HE OR SHE WON'T.
LIKE, IF THAT CHANGES BEHAVIOR, THEN PROBLEM SOLVED.
BUT WE DON'T TAKE AWAY RECESS ANYMORE.
IT'S, I MEAN, WE'RE LEGALLY BOUND TO RECESS LAWS.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY GOOD THINGS WE CAN TAKE AWAY NOW, AND TAKING AWAY GOOD THINGS CHANGES BEHAVIOR.
SO IN SOME CASES, I GET CREATIVE AND I'LL TAKE AWAY A RELATED ARTS CLASS.
THEY MAY SPEND 45 MINUTES WITH ME COPYING THE PRIDE RULES THAT THEY CLEARLY DON'T KNOW.
PRIDE RULES ARE OUR RULES IN OUR BUILDING.
AND SO THAT ENABLES ME TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT THEY DID WRONG AND HOW DO WE PROCESS.
AND THERE ARE CREATIVE WAYS TO HOLD STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE.
WE HAVE FEWER OF THOSE WAYS AT OUR DISPOSAL THAN EVER, BUT I'VE NOT HAD A PROBLEM MODIFYING BEHAVIORS AT MADISON CREEK.
SO, UM, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TWO, TWO CANDIDATES.
ONE FROM, YOU KNOW, INSIDE THE DISTRICT, ONE FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE, AND I'M GONNA ASK THE MR. MAYFIELD AS WELL, WHAT, WHAT, IN YOUR EYES, WHAT WOULD BE THE BENEFIT OF US HIRING IN OUR CURRENT POSITION AS A DISTRICT OF HIRING SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT OVER SOMEBODY INSIDE THE DISTRICT? YEAH, THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
UM, MR. MAYFIELD IS A KNOWN COMMODITY.
I AM THE RISKIER OF THE TWO OPTIONS.
I THINK THE BENEFIT MR. PADILLA IS A FRESH SET OF EYES THAT IS MORE THAN WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE THINGS THAT ARE DONE SUPREMELY AND ALSO COURAGEOUS ENOUGH TO SAY WHERE TWEAKS MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, IF I COULD HAVE GOTTEN A JOB AT MOUNT JULIET HIGH SCHOOL IN 1997, THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE I WOULD'VE BE, WOULD BE RIGHT NOW.
BEACH HIGH SCHOOL CAME CALLING.
I DID NOT GET A CALL FROM MOUNT JULIET HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO I PUT DOWN ROOTS THERE.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT SUMNER COUNTY DOES EXCEEDINGLY WELL THAT ARE TRANSFERABLE.
AND I ALSO THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN IN MY RESEARCH THAT I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO TAKE BACK TO MY DIRECTOR AND SAY, HEY, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THIS ONE PERFECT EXAMPLE? I, I WAS IN THE LOBBY WAITING THIS MORNING.
I LOVE THE TV, NOT, NOT NECESSARILY WITH THE ROLLING ENDORSEMENTS OF ALL THE GREAT PROFESSIONALS.
YOU HAVE MULTI-YEAR LEVEL FIVE REWARD SCHOOLS, ALL THOSE THINGS ARE AWESOME.
I LOVE THE LOGOS OF THE SCHOOLS WITH THE CIRCLES AROUND EVERY SCHOOL LOGO HAD A CIRCLE AROUND IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE NOTICED THAT.
THAT FEELS LIKE AN EXTENDED FAMILY TO ME.
WE'RE ALL THE SAME, BUT WE'RE DIFFERENT.
'CAUSE INSIDE THAT CIRCLE IS OUR MASCOT.
SUMNER COUNTY FOLKS ARE PRETTY FUNNY ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL CULTURES.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD EVER GO OVER, BUT THAT'S ONE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING I CAN TAKE BACK.
NOW, WHAT CAN I BRING HERE? UM, I THINK 29 YEARS OF GOOD, SOLID EXPERIENCE.
I'VE MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES OVER THE YEARS THAT I GUESS THE ONE THING I DO WELL IS DON'T REPEAT TOO MANY MISTAKES, BUT FRESH EYES, MR. PADILLA, I THINK IS ALWAYS BENEFICIAL FOR ANY ORGANIZATION, PARTICULARLY A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
MAYBE, UM, BEING A DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, OBVIOUSLY YOU GOTTA WEAR A LOT OF DIFFERENT HATS AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE NECESSARILY AN EXPERT IN ALL OF THEM.
MAYBE IN SOME OF THEM, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
I THINK IN PARTICULAR FOR US AS A, AS A DISTRICT, THE AMOUNT OF GROWTH WE'VE GONE THROUGH, AND THEN WE'RE IN THE CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS AS A DISTRICT, WE ARE CONSISTENTLY LOOKING FOR LAND.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR WHERE THE GROWTH IS OCCURRING.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY, UM, WOULD BE YOUR WEAKNESSES COMING INTO THIS ROLE? AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO MAYBE PLUG THOSE, HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THOSE SPECIFIC THINGS SO YOU CAN BE MORE SUCCESSFUL, BUT YOU MAY NOT BE AN EXPERT IN SAY, CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES, WHATEVER? YEAH, WELL, YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THINGS, THE GROWTH MANAGEMENT.
I'VE SEEN THAT AT A SMALL SCALE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, BUT THAT WOULD BE A STEEP LEARNING CURVE.
UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY NO COMPARISON TO WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, BUT WHEN WE BUILT OUR HOME, I ASKED MY GENERAL CONTRACTOR AT ONE POINT, IF HE WAS MANAGING THE PROJECT, WHY DO
[00:50:01]
I HAVE 41 NEW CONTACTS IN MY PHONE? I THOUGHT IT WAS A FAIR QUESTION.HE DIDN'T LIKE THE QUESTION, BUT I NEEDED TO ASK IT BECAUSE I HAD CONTRACTED FOR SERVICES PROVIDED, AND I FELT LIKE I WAS NOT GETTING WHAT I NEEDED.
NOW, THAT IS ON A MINUTE SCALE COMPARED TO WHAT YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT, BUT IN, IN MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE IN DEALING WITH BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS AND SUBS, WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS YOU SPEAK IN VERY, VERY CLEAR TERMS AND YOU TRY TO LIVE WITH HANDSHAKE DEALS, BUT IN A LOT OF TIMES THOSE THINGS WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU.
UH, THINGS IN WRITING ARE PREFERRED AND DEADLINES, I LOVE DEADLINES.
UH, IF I HAD TO BUILD ANOTHER HOUSE, I WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT MORE DEADLINE CONSCIOUS THAN I WAS OVER A TWO YEAR BUILD, UM, JUST NOT THAT LONG AGO.
AND SO HOW WOULD I PLUG THOSE HOLES? I THINK IT'S WITH EXISTING, UM, LEADERSHIP, EXISTING EXPERTISE.
I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN THE PHILOSOPHY THAT NONE OF US IS AS SMART AS ALL OF US.
IN FACT, MY HIRING IS BASED ON THAT PREMISE.
IF I HIRE YOU AND YOU'RE NOT SMARTER THAN ME, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED HARDER.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE EXISTING PEOPLE ON STAFF, BUT I WOULD ALSO, UH, BE SILLY TO NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM.
AND THAT IS THE GUY THAT'S DONE THE HEAVY LIFTING ON WHAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, IS ALSO A CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITION.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT PLAYS OUT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT I HAVE TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR HIS EXPERTISE.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T LEARN THE THINGS THAT HE'S LEARNED IN SIX MONTHS OR OVER A SUMMER.
YOU LEARN THEM OVER MULTIPLE SCHOOL BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS WITH CONTRACTORS, AND WORKING WITHIN CODES THAT ARE VERY WELL LAID OUT.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS PROCESS PLAYS OUT.
UM, IF I'M BENE, IF, IF I'M THE BENEFICIARY OF YOUR APPOINTMENT, MY FIRST PHONE CALL WOULD BE TO THE EXPERTS THAT ARE ALREADY ON STAFF AND, AND CLEARLY MR. MAYFIELD'S, ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA GO TILL ONE.
SO IF WE CAN, I DUNNO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS JUST DOWN ON SCHEDULE.
I'M GONNA THROW ANOTHER QUESTION OUT THERE IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, UH, CAN YOU, CAN YOU JUST TELL ME HOW, HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK A DIRECTOR SHOULD VISIT SCHOOLS? AND WHEN YOU VISIT THOSE SCHOOLS, UM, WHO DO YOU THINK THAT THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING AT IN THOSE SCHOOLS? AS FREQUENTLY AS THE SCHEDULE WILL PERMIT AND MR. PADILLA PLUS 5%? I'M WELL AWARE OF THE SCOPE OF THIS JOB, AND I KNOW THAT IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE THE LEADERSHIP THAT I'VE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST 14 YEARS, IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL, YOUR DAY WILL RUN.
NOT, NOT YOU RUNNING YOUR DAY, YOUR DAY WILL RUN YOU AND EMAILS START COMING IN AND VOICEMAILS ARE LEFT.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, IT'S THE END OF THE DAY AND KIDS HAVE ALREADY GONE HOME FOR THE DAY AND YOU'VE MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE IN YOUR HAPPY PLACE.
LIKE, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ANY GREAT DIRECTORS THAT AREN'T IN LOVE WITH SCHOOLS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD PUT A NUMBER PER WEEK, BUT I THINK YOU GOTTA BE VISIBLE.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU GET IN THOSE BUILDINGS, THE CLOSER YOU CAN GET MR. PADILLA TO THE FRONT LINES, THE MORE BENEFICIAL INFORMATION YOU'RE GONNA GET.
CERTAINLY YOU WANNA DO THAT WITH RESPECT FOR THE BUILDING LEADERSHIP, AND YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO GAIN INSIGHT THAT THEY WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT.
BUT THE CLOSER TO THE FRONT LINES YOU CAN GET THE BETTER AND AS FREQUENTLY AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK IT HAS TO BE ON YOUR CALENDAR, BECAUSE IF IT'S NOT ON YOUR CALENDAR, IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
ANYBODY ELSE GOT SOME QUESTIONS? MR. PADILLA? MAY I ADD ONE THING? OH, YES.
EVERYTHING I JUST SAID WITH RESPECT TO THE AUTONOMY THAT THAT SCHOOL BUILDING HAS EARNED, WE'VE HIRED THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
MY PRESENCE THERE WOULD BE, UM, NECESSARY, BUT NOT IN ANY KIND OF A, I'M CHECKING UP ON YOU KIND OF WAY.
I'LL JUST THROW THIS OUT THERE.
UM, CAN YOU DISCUSS YOUR BUSINESS BACKGROUND? I KNOW YOU SAID THERE WAS SOME, SOME OTHER EXPERIENCES THAT YOU HAD.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE, PLEASE? YES, SIR.
WELL, IT KIND OF TIES IN WITH WHAT MR. HOLMAN ASKED.
UH, I'VE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BID PROCESS.
UM, I'VE HAD POSITIONS BEFORE WHERE, UH, BIDS HAD TO BE MADE WHERE I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A SET OF DRAWINGS, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL LIGHT.
I SOLD COMMERCIAL LIGHTING STRAIGHT OUTTA COLLEGE, UM, TROFFERS AND EXIT SIGNS AND INCANDESCENCE.
AND I LEARNED MORE ABOUT LIGHTING THAN I EVER THOUGHT I WANTED TO KNOW.
AND THEN I TOOK A JOB SELLING UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, UH, WATER PIPE, SEWER PIPE.
OCCASIONALLY WE'D SELL SOMETHING ABOVE GROUND, BUT IF WE DID, IT WAS A FIRE HYDRANT.
[00:55:01]
EXCITING DAY.I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE BIDDING PROCESS, UM, AND JUST THE EVERYDAY IN AND OUT RELATIONSHIPS WITH ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS.
LIKE, YOU NEED GUYS TO SPEC YOUR PRODUCT.
I I IF YOU WANNA SELL THE CONTRACTORS, NOT THE CONTRACTOR'S, NOT THE GUY YOU'RE TRYING TO GET IN FRONT OF, IT'S THE ENGINEER AND THE ARCHITECT THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY LAYING OUT THE PLANS.
AND IF YOU GET SPEC CREDIT, IN MOST CASES, IF THAT'S YOUR LINE, THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY GONNA GET THE JOB.
NOW THERE'S MORE TO IT THAN THAT, BUT THAT WAS MY, MY SIDE.
AND WHILE I DID NOT LOVE THE CUTTHROAT NATURE OF THE BUSINESS AND THE INCREMENTAL MARGINS THAT WE ARE EXPECTED TO LIVE ON AS SALESMEN, UH, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BUSINESS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING WHO THE DECISION MAKERS ARE AND OPTIMIZING THE TIME IN FRONT OF THOSE DECISION MAKERS.
UH, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THE K EIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I RESPECT THAT YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH K EIGHTS AS WELL, BUT, UH, MANY TIMES WE'RE CRITICIZED THAT OUR K EIGHTS STUDENTS ARE NOT AFFORDED THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES AS OUR MARITAL SCHOOLS LIKE IN COURSES.
THE FACILITIES, ACADEMICS, OKAY.
DUE TO THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
SO HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THAT? YEAH, UM, I THINK MY FIRST OBJECTIVE APPROACH WOULD BE, I'M GONNA LOOK AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY TRUTH TO THAT STATEMENT, RIGHT? LIKE I, I'M, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHEN I GET CRITICIZED, THE FIRST PLACE I LOOK IS IN THE MIRROR.
AND THAT'S A VERY HUMBLING EXPERIENCE, BUT IT TELLS ME IF THERE'S ANY MERIT TO THE CRITICISM, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT, IT SHOWS ME GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES.
SO MY QUESTION, MS. LYNN, IS THAT, IS THAT A PUBLIC PERCEPTION, UH, STEEPED IN FALSEHOODS OR IS DO YOU SEE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR K EIGHT SCHOOLS? I'M JUST NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THE K EIGHT SCHOOL.
WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS THEY'RE, THEY'RE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES AND I, I WOULDN'T WANT THAT, BUT I ALSO THINK YOU DON'T ADDRESS THAT PROBLEM UNTIL YOU'VE LABELED IT AS TRUTH.
AND SO, UM, IT'S JUST KIND OF A HARD QUESTION TO ASK.
ARE THEY MISSING ATHLETIC OPPORTUNITIES OR, UM, FIND ARTS OPPORTUNITIES OR I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT ARE OUR K EIGHT COMMUNITIES LACKING THAT A WEST WILSON MIDDLE CAN PROVIDE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I MEAN, I, I DON'T WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION WITH A QUESTION, BUT, UM, IT'S HARD.
I, I THINK YOU WRESTLE WITH TRUTH THAT THAT'S, IS IT TRUE? ARE THEY MISSING OPPORTUNITIES? AND IF SO, HOW DO WE FIX IT? AND THEN YOU GET THE TEAM IN AND YOU TALK ABOUT IT AND GOT, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY IN THE DISTRICT, RIGHT.
REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOUR MOM AND DADDY BOUGHT A HOUSE.
I WISH I COULD BE MORE SPECIFIC.
I'M JUST NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH, THAT'S ENOUGH WHERE WE CAN START THE NEXT ROUND AND THEN AS THIS TIME WE'LL JUST ADD TO THE END OF THE NEXT 15 MINUTES.
IT'S NOT THAT MUCH, BUT IS THAT OKAY? ALRIGHT.
UM, MR. DUNCAN, YOU MENTIONED, UM, THAT YOU NOTICED OUR SECURITY MEASURES.
UM, SO WE HAVE TRIED TO LAYER SECURITY MEASURES INSTEAD OF JUST ONE APPROACH AND JUST COUNTING ON THAT.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR PUBLIC SECURITY MEASURES ARE THE METAL DETECTORS AND OUR SROS AND THE DOGS.
AND, UM, IN THIS AGE OF THREATS, UM, HOW WOULD YOU EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE TO PARENTS THAT WE ARE CONTINUALLY IMPLEMENTING AND STRENGTHENING OUR SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN? UM, REASSURING THEM THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE SAFE WHILE ALSO PROTECTING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THOSE, UH, LAYERS? SURE.
UM, I'LL, LET'S SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THAT.
WELL, MS. PHARAOH, I'VE BEEN ASKED BY PARENTS FOR MY CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN,
LIKE, I, I THINK YOU WOULDN'T WANT ME SHARING MY CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR.
SO I'M NOT AT LIBERTY TO SHARE THOSE THINGS.
I CAN SPEAK IN VERY GENERAL TERMS, AND I DO THE, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE PARENTS IS SAFETY.
AND SO I THINK YOU WELCOME THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK YOU TRY TO SPEAK IN GENERAL YET REASSURING TERMS,
[01:00:02]
BUT YOU CAN'T SHARE THE GAME PLAN.I MEAN, THE, THE GAME PLAN IS SACRED AND IF IT'S BEEN WELL THOUGHT OUT, IT HAS SEVERAL CONTINGENCIES.
IF A THEN B LIKE THAT, THAT INFORMATION CANNOT BE PUBLIC.
BUT WHAT I'M TASKED WITH DOING, IF I WERE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, I'VE GOTTA PROVIDE THE REASSURANCE THEY NEED IN VERY GENERAL TERMS. AND THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T GO TOGETHER.
SO I THINK YOU'D BE AS SPECIFIC AS YOU CAN WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE SECURITY OF THAT PLAN, UH, OR WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE SECURITY OF THE STUDENTS.
UM, BUT I'VE GOTTEN THAT QUESTION MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS.
WOULD YOU SHARE YOUR, AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND MY KIDS IN THIS BUILDING.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN'T SEE CONTINGENCY PLANS? WELL, YOU JUST CAN'T 'CAUSE IT, YOU JUST, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TRUST ME.
AND, AND, AND I TALK A LOT ABOUT OUR TRACK RECORD OF KEEPING KIDS SAFE.
AND, UM, IT'S HARD TO BE REASSURING WHEN YOU CAN'T PROVIDE THE DETAIL THAT THEY WANT.
IT'S A HARD BALANCE TO STRIKE.
HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE POLITICAL PRESSURE OR COMMUNITY DIVISION WHILE KEEPING THE FOCUS ON STUDENTS? THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS THE, THE POLITICAL PRESSURE IS REAL.
IN SOME CASES THERE'S VALIDITY TO IT.
I JUST THINK YOU KEEP THE MAIN THING, THE MAIN THING, IT'S A CLICHE, IT'S A THROWAWAY LINE, BUT WE'RE HERE TO SERVE KIDS AND WE ARE HERE TO PROVIDE THEM AN UNMATCHED, UNRIVALED PRODUCT.
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, THE EDUCATION IS THAT PRODUCT.
UM, POLITICS COMES ALONG WITH THE JOB, WHETHER IF YOU'RE AN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP OR EVEN IF NOT, I, I EXPERIENCED POLITICS AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT TW HUNTER MIDDLE, UM, THROUGH I GUESS BAD FORTUNE.
MY SON WENT INTO THAT BUILDING THE SAME YEAR I WAS APPOINTED AS AD AND AP.
AND SO HE LIVED THREE YEARS WITH THE AP WHO HAD TO SUSPEND HIS BUDDIES.
AND SO WAS THERE POLITICAL PRESSURE THERE? ON A SMALL SCALE? THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT.
HE PLAYED BALL AND, YOU KNOW, IF HE ACHIEVED IT WAS 'CAUSE HE WAS DUNKIN'S SON.
AND IF HE DIDN'T, IT WAS, WELL, WHY DIDN'T HE, HE'S DUNKING SON.
I'VE DEALT WITH A LOT OF DISGRUNTLED PARENTS OVER THE YEARS.
AND ON THE SCALE THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED, I THINK THE APPROACH IS EXACTLY THE SAME.
I, I THINK YOU ASK YOURSELF FROM SOME VERY HARD QUESTIONS, IS THERE TRUTH TO THIS? AND AM I IN A POSITION TO MEET A NEED? AM I IN A POSITION TO SERVE A STAKEHOLDER? IT'S TRICKY.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND BOARD IS TRICKY.
LIKE, BECAUSE IT'S AN ELECTED POSITION AND THAT'S NOT LOST ON ME.
BUT I FOUND THAT RESPECT IS THE SALVE THAT CAN KIND OF HEAL A LOT OF THOSE WOUNDS AND YOU JUST EMBRACE IT BECAUSE IT'S A COST OF FOLLOWING YOUR HEART.
THE POLITICS IS A COST OF DOING WHAT I'VE BEEN CALLED TO DO, AND THAT IS PROTECT AND SERVE KIDS.
UM, HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY THOUGHT TO HOW MANY MORE YEARS YOU MIGHT TO WORK BEFORE YOU CONSIDER RETIRING? YEAH, I'VE GIVEN A LOT OF THOUGHT TO THAT ON BAD DAYS MORE THAN OTHERS.
UM, I SAY NOW, AND I WOULD SAY IF, IF BLESSED TO BE APPOINTED HERE, YOU KNOW, I, I STICK AROUND UNTIL THE GOOD LORD OR THE SCHOOL BOARD TELLS ME IT'S TIME TO GO.
RIGHT NOW I STICK AROUND UNTIL THE GOOD LORD OR, OR DR. SCOTT LANGFORD TELLS ME IT'S TIME TO GO.
AND I'VE NOT HEARD FROM EITHER RECENTLY ALONG THOSE LINES.
AND I'VE GOT, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
I HAVE MORE ENERGY IN YEAR 29 THAN I HAD IN YEAR 20.
I JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S REKINDLED THAT FIRE.
UM, BUT I GOT A LOT OF DREAD LEFT ON THE TIRES.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNITY NEED FROM THE NEXT DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS IN ORDER TO BUILD TRUST? AND WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS LOOK LIKE IN ESTABLISHING THAT TRUST? AND IF YOU COULD PLEASE PROVIDE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE.
UH, WHAT DOES IT NEED OVER THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AND WHAT WOULD I DO? UM, I WOULD SET MY CALENDAR BY CIVIC GATHERINGS, ROTARY CLUB MEETINGS, KIWANIS CLUB MEETING.
I, I THINK THE NEW DIRECTOR NEEDS TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND I THINK THE NEW
[01:05:01]
DIRECTOR NEEDS TO BE HIGHLY VISIBLE.AND AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, HAVE A FEW GOOD NOTEBOOKS TO JOT DOWN THE THINGS THAT, THAT HE HAS LEARNED IN THE SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WHETHER IT BE SIX MONTHS OR EVEN A YEAR.
UM, SO VISIBLE IS A HUGE THING.
I WOULD LOVE TO GET IN FRONT OF SOME INDUSTRY LEADERS TO TALK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS THAT I THINK CAN BE LEVERAGED FOR OUR CTE KIDS IN PARTICULAR.
I'D LOVE TO GET IN FRONT OF FAITH-BASED GROUPS TO SEE WHAT SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES THEY COULD PROVIDE, CERTAINLY WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE LAW.
UM, BUT I SEE, I SEE YEAR ONE AS, UM, HIGHLY VISIBLE IN OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK THE MOMENTUM IN THE SCHOOLS IS IMPRESSIVE ENOUGH THAT A CALENDAR WOULD BE FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO DO THAT.
DOES THAT SORT OF ANSWER LOOKING MORE TOWARDS HOW YOU WOULD BUILD THE TRUST WITH OKAY.
YEAH, I THINK IT STARTS WITH AN OPEN DOOR.
I THINK IT STARTS WITH TAKING A LOT OF PHONE CALLS THAT YOU MAY NOT WANT TO TAKE, BUT YOU NEED TO TAKE.
AND I THINK THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING.
I THINK YOU, WHEN YOU GIVE PEOPLE YOUR WORD, TO ME, THAT'S A BOND.
AND CERTAINLY THERE ARE POLITICAL VARIABLES THAT CAN SOMETIMES CHANGE PERSPECTIVES AND, AND YOU MAYBE HAVE TO HEDGE A LITTLE BIT ON THE WORD THAT YOU GAVE, BUT I THINK IF YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT IN TERMS WHERE THE OTHER PERSON CAN UNDERSTAND IT, I THINK YOU GET GRACE THERE.
I, I JUST THINK THAT THE TRUST IS BUILT OVER TIME.
IT'S, IT DOES NOT HAPPEN BY DEFAULT, AND YOU HAVE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC IN ORDER TO DO IT.
THE STRATEGIC, THE STRATEGY THAT I WOULD EMBRACE IS BEING IN THE COMMUNITY AND TAKING PHONE CALLS THAT IN SOME CASES I WOULD PREFER NOT TO TAKE.
AS YOU LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT SUCCESS STORY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAFEGUARD AND WHERE DO YOU SEE OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH? I MISSED ONE PART OF THAT.
AS YOU LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT SUCCESS STORY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAFEGUARD AND WHERE DO YOU SEE OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH? I'M GONNA SAFEGUARD SCHOOL CULTURE.
I'M GONNA SAFEGUARD THE PROTECTIONS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
BUT AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WHEN I SEE THOSE IMPRESSIVE SCORES, THERE'S STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND I THINK EVERY BUILDING LEADER WOULD TELL YOU THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
UH, PLENTY OF CELEBRATIONS TO GO ALONG THE WAY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S A LOT TO CELEBRATE AND THERE'S STILL WORK TO BE DONE.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE THE MOST CONCISE ANSWER I COULD GIVE THERE.
MR. DUNCAN, CAN YOU TELL ME SOME SPECIFIC STRATEGIES THAT YOU HAVE USED TO IMPROVE TEACHER AND EMPLOYEE MORALE? I CAN, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I SEND A MONDAY MEMO WEEKLY, AND IT'S A MIX OF ATTEMPTED HUMOR.
SOME OF THEM FIND IT FUNNIER THAN OTHERS, AND IT'S REMINDERS OF OUR CORE VALUES.
UM, IT'S DATES THAT ARE COMING UP THAT ARE OF IMPORTANCE.
IT'S A GREAT COMMUNICATION TOOL.
AND I OFTEN GET REPLIES TO THOSE.
MONDAY, WE CALL IT TGIM, THANK GOD IT'S MONDAY.
AND I GET REPLIES FROM TEACHERS WHO ARE COMFORTABLE SHARING FEEDBACK THROUGH EMAIL.
AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL JUST STOP BY AND SAY, HEY, I APPRECIATED WHAT YOU SAID IN TODAY'S MONDAY MEMO.
OR THEY MAY SAY, ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THAT? AND WE HAVE A CONVERSATION THERE.
UM, I LOVE TO LAUGH AND THE GREATEST BAROMETER OF SUCCESS IN MY BUILDING, I DON'T NEED THE STATE TO TELL ME IF MY BUILDING IS SUCCESSFUL.
I NEED TWO EARS AND A KEEN SENSE OF LAUGHTER.
I NEED EYES THAT SEE SMILES, AND THAT PROVIDES THE REASSURANCE THAT I NEED.
NOW, ARE WE PERFECT AND DO WE LAUGH NONSTOP? NO.
I WAS SHARING WITH MR. LUTRA THIS MORNING, SOME OF THE HEARTBREAKING LOSSES THAT WE'VE DEALT WITH, WHETHER IT BE STUDENTS OR TEACHERS OR, UH, YOU KNOW, KIDS', PARENTS, SUICIDE.
WE'VE DEALT WITH SOME VERY, VERY DARK DAYS.
AND I LIKE TO LAUGH, AND I THINK THAT BENEFITS US TREMENDOUSLY.
AND SO, UM, I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I HOPE THIS HAS COME THROUGH THROUGHOUT THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
I DON'T TAKE MYSELF VERY SERIOUSLY.
[01:10:01]
KNOW WHAT MY GIFTS ARE, AND I'VE BEEN ALIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE HOW GOD HAS HONORED CERTAIN THINGS THAT I'VE ATTEMPTED, UM, OUT OF A CALL OF OBEDIENCE.BUT WHEN I LEAVE MADISON CREEK ELEMENTARY, ANOTHER INCREDIBLE LEADER IS GONNA SIT IN MY CHAIR AND DO THINGS THAT I'VE NEVER DREAMT OF.
I'M JUST A FIRM BELIEVER THAT WE'RE ALL REPLACEABLE.
AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS A POPULAR LEADERSHIP APPROACH, BUT I BELIEVE IT IN MY HEART.
I MEAN, WE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT GETTING ON MY SOAPBOX, WE, WE VOTE EVERY FOUR YEARS TO ELECT THE FREE, THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.
I, I THINK WE'RE ALL PRETTY REPLACEABLE, BUT I THINK YOU BLOOM WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED.
AND I THINK FOR A PARTICULAR SEASON, WE CAN ALL DO GREAT WORK.
AND I JUST REMIND MY STAFF REGULARLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S TIME FOR ME TO GO OUT TO PASTURE, WHETHER SCOTT LANGFORD OR THE GOOD LORD TELLS ME, I HOPE YOU'RE A FRIEND ENOUGH TO TELL ME, DUNCAN, IT'S PROBABLY TIME TO GO OUT TO PASTURE.
UM, HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE WHETHER OUR DISTRICT IS TRULY SUCCEEDING? I THINK GRADUATION RATES IS THE EASY ANSWER, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE END ALL, BE ALL.
UM, I SHARED IN MY PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, I THINK KNOWLEDGE LEADS TO WISDOM, WHICH IN ITS PUREST FORM, LEADS TO SERVICE.
ARE WE SENDING GRADUATES INTO A WORLD THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS THEIR SERVICE EQUIPPED TO SERVE? DO OUR GRADUATES UNDERSTAND HOW BLESSED THEY ARE? NOT WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
THERE ARE SOME WHO'VE, WHO'VE LIVED HARD LIVES, BUT I, I THINK, I THINK IF WE GRADUATE BRIGHT KIDS WHO ARE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY, WE'VE, WE'VE SUCCEEDED 50% OF WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
I THINK THE PART THAT MISSES, THAT'S MISSING IN A LOT OF CASES IS NOW WHAT DO YOU GIVE BACK? HOW DO YOU GIVE BACK? WHAT'S YOUR HEART? WHAT'S YOUR PASSION? HOW CAN YOU SERVE COLLEGE AND CAREER READY? IS 50% OF WHAT WE NEED TO GIVE THESE KIDS.
THE OTHER 50% IS MAKING OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW ANY SIMPLER TERMS TO SAY IT.
AND FOR SOME OF THEM, THAT MEANS WILSON COUNTY AND FOR OTHERS IT MIGHT BE A BIGGER STAGE.
BUT AGAIN, I, I THINK IT'S CLICHE, BUT I, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN BLOOMING WHERE YOU'RE PLANTED AND WE'VE GOT INCREDIBLE YOUNG PEOPLE READY TO PUT THEIR MARK ON THE WORLD.
BUT IT'S MORE THAN WHAT'S NEXT.
IT'S, WHAT CAN I GIVE? THANK YOU.
UM, WHAT SHAPES YOUR ETHICS SCRIPTURES? I DON'T HAVE ANOTHER ANSWER.
I, UM, I'M FAMILIAR WITH SOCIAL NORMS. MY MOM AND DAD TAUGHT ME HOW TO ACT, HOW TO SAY PLEASE.
I AM, UM, BLOWN AWAY BY THE, THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON.
I'M BLOWN AWAY AT HOW GOD USES IMPERFECT PEOPLE TO DO BIG JOBS THAT THEY'RE ILL-EQUIPPED TO COMPLETE.
UM, MY ETHICS IS SHAPED BY MY FAITH AND WHETHER POPULAR OR UNPOPULAR, THAT'S ALL I GOT.
IT'S, UM, YEAH, SOCIAL NORMS ARE IMPORTANT, BUT MY BELIEFS REQUIRE ME TO DO THINGS THAT I'M INCAPABLE OF IN MY OWN STRENGTH.
I THINK I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT, MR. PILLA.
WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY FOR ENGAGING THE SILENT MAJORITY PARENTS WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY AT EVERY BOARD MEETING OR IN THE PTO, BUT WHOSE CHILDREN MAKE UP THE HEART OF OUR DISTRICT? AND HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THAT ENGAGEMENT? OKAY, MAN, THAT'S SO TOUGH.
THEY ARE OUR GREATEST CHAMPIONS WHO AREN'T VERY VOCAL BECAUSE THINGS ARE GOING THE WAY THAT THEY THINK THEY SHOULD.
OR, UM, TO GO BACK TO AN EARLIER QUESTION ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE IN SCHOOLS, MR. PADILLA, OUR SILENT MAJORITY IS BEST ENGAGED ON THEIR HOME CAMPUS.
AND WHETHER THAT'S A THIRD GRADE MUSIC PERFORMANCE OR A MIDDLE SCHOOL
[01:15:01]
FOOTBALL GAME, I WOULD GO BACK TO THE PART I MENTIONED ABOUT BEING VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY.WE HAVE A VERY VOCAL MINORITY, UH, THAT MONOPOLIZES A LOT OF OUR TIME.
AND I THINK IT'S A REAL SHAME THAT WE AREN'T ABLE TO ENGAGE WITH THE SILENT MAJORITY THAT YOU MENTIONED.
HOW DO YOU DO IT? I THINK YOU MEET 'EM RIGHT WHERE THEY ARE AND, AND WHETHER THAT'S IN THE CHURCH HOUSE OR AT THEIR KIDS' PLAY, OR IT MIGHT BE AT A JUNIOR PRO.
WELL, I USED TO CALL IT MS. LYNN.
I USED TO CALL IT JUNIOR PRO BASKETBALL WHEN I PLAYED AT GLADESVILLE.
BUT REC LEAGUES, UH, YOU JUST GOTTA BE OUT.
AND IT'S, I FOUND THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY REASSURING BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO CROSS PATHS WITH THAT SILENT MAJORITY, THEY DON'T CARE TO TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
AND, AND IF THAT DOESN'T, IF THAT DOESN'T STOKE YOUR FIRE, YOUR WOODS WET.
AS AN OLD BUDDY USED TO SAY, LIKE, THAT'S WHAT SPURS ME ON.
I, AS MUCH AS I LIKE TO PRETEND I, IF I MEET MY OWN EXPECTATIONS, I PROBABLY EXCEEDED EVERYONE ELSE'S.
WELL, THAT'S EASY TO SAY, BUT IT'LL DO A PRINCIPAL'S HEART.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING CARE OF MY KID.
I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DID WITH X, Y, Z.
UM, YOU GOTTA GET OUT AMONGST THEM, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, WHAT ARE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT HOW OUR TEACHERS HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP STRONG CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS? OKAY, ONE MORE TIME.
MAKE SURE I'VE GOT THAT RIGHT.
WHAT ARE YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT HOW OUR TEACHERS HELP STUDENTS DEVELOP STRONG CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS? OKAY.
I, I THINK WE, WE TEACH KIDS HOW TO THINK, NOT WHAT TO THINK.
AND YOU CAN MANAGE THAT THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
THERE IS AN INCREDIBLE BODY OF RESEARCH ON THE IDEAS BEHIND CRITICAL THINKING.
I REGULARLY OBSERVE TEACHERS, OBVIOUSLY I WAS IN A CLASSROOM, I'M EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT IT.
I'VE GOT ONE WEEK LEFT AND TWO OBSERVATIONS LEFT TO CHECK OFF, BUT THAT'S WHERE I AM.
AND I WAS IN A CLASSROOM, A FIRST GRADE CLASSROOM MONDAY.
AND MY, MY COMMENT ON THE REFINEMENT OBJECTIVE WAS, DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK HARD QUESTIONS.
LIKE, AS TEACHERS, I'M NOT THAT FAR REMOVED FROM THE CLASSROOM.
I LOVED THE AFFIRMATION I GOT WHEN I ASKED A QUESTION AND A KID COULD ANSWER IT, MAN, THAT FEELS GOOD.
RIGHT? I DIDN'T LOVE THE QUESTIONS THAT THEY COULDN'T ANSWER 'CAUSE I FELT LIKE I HAD FALLEN SHORT.
BUT THAT'S WHERE THE LITTLE, THE BRAINS OR WORK IT.
LIKE, IF THEY CAN'T ANSWER IT, THAT'S IDEAL.
IT'S A TEACHABLE MOMENT, AS SOME WOULD SAY.
AND SO I THINK, UH, THERE'S NO SHORTAGE OF BOOKS AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THAT IS A SKILL THAT FEW PEOPLE HAVE.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU WE STRUGGLE IN MY BUILDING TO GET THE, TO THE LEVEL OF, OF, UM, CRITICAL THINKING THAT I WANT TO SEE.
I'VE SEEN IMPROVEMENT, BUT WE'VE STILL GOT A WAYS TO GO.
IT'S A VERY, VERY HARD THING TO DO.
I HAVE TWO THAT I'M HOPING TO GET TO.
UM, AND THIS ONE, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ABLE TO HELP 'CAUSE IT'S MORE OF A BOARD ISSUE, I THINK.
IN WILSON COUNTY, TLC CHILDCARE AND OUR INSURANCE COVERAGE WERE ONCE CONSIDERED MEANINGFUL RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION INCENTIVES.
HOWEVER, RISING TLC, THAT'S OUR BABY DAYCARE RATES AND THE ONGOING INSURANCE DEFICIT HAVE SHIFTED MORE OF THE FINANCIAL BURDEN UNTO EMPLOYEES, DIMINISHING THEM AS TRUE BENEFITS.
WHAT CONCRETE ACTIONS WOULD YOU TAKE TO RESTORE THESE AS MEANINGFUL COMPETITIVE BENEFITS WHILE ENSURING THE DISTRICT'S LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY? OKAY, SO TLC WAS THE, UH, WAS THE DAYCARE PROGRAM.
WE HAD EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WHEN I WAS AT BEACH HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THAT CLASS WAS MADE UP OF 12 PRESCHOOLERS, AND IT WAS BASED ON NEED.
AND SO SOME OF OUR NEEDIEST COMMUNITY MEMBERS WOULD HAVE KIDS THERE, BUT SO WOULD TEACHERS HOLD UP THE TLC IS THE EMPLOYEES DAYCARE PROGRAM.
SO IF I HAD A YOUNG, THAT'S FASCINATING.
SO YOU HAVE, THAT'S FASCINATING AND AN INCREDIBLE RECRUITING TOOL.
SO YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT IT'S HARDER TO FUND THAT NOWADAYS THAN, OH GOSH, YOU GOTTA MAKE SOME, YOU GOTTA MAKE SOME OPPORTUNITY COST DECISIONS, BECAUSE IT, IN A LOT OF CASES, THAT WOULD BE THE DETERMINING FACTOR FOR SOMEONE, A NEW MOM OR A NEW DAD TEACHING HERE VERSUS RUTHERFORD COUNTY.
I THINK YOU'D HAVE TO MAKE VERY, VERY HARD DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR OPPORTUNITY COSTS.
AND SO IF YOU'RE NOT ATTRACTING THEM BASED ON SALARY OR CULTURE, I THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN MAKE A
[01:20:01]
LOT OF HAY IN THE CULTURE SIDE OF THINGS, BUT I, THAT NEEDS TO BE PRIORITIZED.I DON'T WANT TO, I DON'T WANNA STEP ON ANY TOES.
AND AGAIN, I, I DON'T HAVE FULL CONTEXT THERE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT AS A BUILDING PRINCIPAL WITH LOTS OF NEW MOMS, MAN, YOU TALK ABOUT A RECRUITING TOOL, THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST, I DON'T HAVE THE FULL CONTEXT.
I THINK THAT WOULD ENABLE ME TO SHED ANY MORE LIGHT ON THAT SUBJECT.
UH, WE HAVE STOCKPILE DAYS BUILT INTO OUR CALENDAR, BUT SCHOOL CLOSURES IMPACT INSTRUCTION, FAMILIES AND STAFF, YET FAIL TO CLOSE CAN PUT STUDENTS AT RISK.
WHEN FACED WITH BORDERLINE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
HOW WILL YOU MAKE AND DEFEND YOUR DECISION TO CLOSE OR REMAIN OPEN? AND WHAT SPECIFIC DATA OR RISK FACTORS WILL GUIDE YOU AND HOW WILL YOU COMMUNICATE THAT DECISION TRANSPARENTLY TO OUR COMMUNITY? YEAH.
SO, UM, I'VE SEEN IT HANDLED DIFFERENT WAYS OVER THE YEARS, AND SOME HAVE BEEN MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS.
I CAN TELL YOU AS AN OLD TEACHER, MAN, THAT DECISION WOULD, WOULD KILL THE JOY OF A SNOW DAY, RIGHT? EVERYONE LOVES SNOW DAYS EXCEPT THE DECISION MAKERS.
AND SO I, I THINK IF YOU'RE GONNA, IF YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A MISTAKE, IT'S GONNA BE ON THE SIDE OF STUDENT SAFETY.
AND I WOULD SAY, IF IT'S A JUDGMENT CALL, I THINK YOU GOTTA LEAN MORE TOWARD, UM, CAN WE TRANSPORT STUDENTS SAFELY? CAN CAN PARENTS GET THEM TO AND FROM BUILDINGS? I LOVE WHAT MR. BARKER HAS DONE, ADDING HUMOR TO THE SNOW DAY ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF MR. BARKER'S HERE OR NOT, BUT, UM, I GET A KICK OUTTA SEEING THOSE.
I, I LOVE THE IDEA OF SOFTENING THE EDGES WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HUMOR, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, MS. LYNN, YOU'VE GOTTA MAKE VERY HARD DECISIONS.
AND STUDENT WELFARE IS AT STAKE.
I WILL SAY LEVERAGING SOCIAL MEDIA TO SHOW ROAD CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT HAVE WEIGHED INTO YOUR DECISION HAS BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL IN SUMNER COUNTY.
AND, UH, I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE DAYS THAT CENTRAL OFFICE IS CLOSED BECAUSE I, I DON'T MAKE THE TREK ACROSS TWO COUNTIES TO GET TO MADISON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
UM, BUT WE USE PICTURES A LOT.
SO YOU'LL SEE ROADS IN PORTLAND.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A UNIQUE TRICK, BUT I DO THINK IT GIVES THE NAYSAYERS AN OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST SAY, OKAY, MAYBE THERE IS SOME VALIDITY TO THE FACT THAT PARTS OF THE COUNTY ARE IMPASSABLE THAT IT, THAT WOULD NOT BE A DECISION I WOULD BE LOOKING FORWARD TO, BUT IT WOULD BE ONE THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR.
SO WE'VE HAD A EPIDEMIC ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WITH VAPING, AND WE'RE NOT IMMUNE TO IT HERE IN, IN WILSON COUNTY.
WHAT STRATEGIES WOULD YOU HELP IMPLEMENT? RIGHT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING, IN CASE YOU WEREN'T AWARE, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF, UM, TOWN HALL SETUPS TRYING TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS AND PARENTS SURE.
WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO HELP ELIMINATE THAT? WELL, I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO DISCOURAGE YOU GUYS HERE, BUT WE, WE HAVE INSTALLED VAPING SENSORS IN HIGH SCHOOL BATHROOMS. AND I WAS TELLING THE CURRENT DIRECTOR A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, WHAT THAT HAS BASICALLY DONE IS EXTEND THE DOCKET OF OUR DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE.
UH, UH, I SERVE ON A ROTATION IN SUMNER COUNTY.
WE HAVE OUR ATTENDANCE FOLKS WHO CHAIR THAT COMMITTEE, THE DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE, AND THEN WE HAVE ROTATING PRINCIPLES.
AND I'M THERE ABOUT EVERY SIX WEEKS.
AND IF I HAVE A FULL DAY, IF, IF I'M EIGHT 30 TO 4, 30, 30 MINUTES FOR LUNCH, IF WE HEAR 16 CASES, 10 TO 12 ARE VAPING.
AND IN A LOT OF CASES IT'S THC.
AND THE MOST COMPELLING ARGUMENT I CAN MAKE IS FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE.
UM, I'VE, I'VE HAD TO TRY AND FIND A, AS A, AS A MEMBER OF THAT COMMITTEE, WE'VE HAD TO TRY AND FIND A CONSEQUENCE THAT WOULD CHANGE THE BEHAVIOR OF A YOUNG LADY WHO LEFT HER HIGH SCHOOL UNCONSCIOUS THE PREVIOUS FRIDAY AND WAS TRANSPORTED AND WAS IN ICU.
AND FROM A PUBLIC AWARENESS STANDPOINT POINT, I HATE, I HATE TO ENCOURAGE BEHAVIOR BASED ON
[01:25:01]
FEAR, BUT IT IS TERRIFYING.I'VE BEEN A, A PART OF THREE CASES IN PARTICULAR WHERE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN TRANSPORTED BECAUSE THEY HIT SOMETHING THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM.
SOME OF THESE BATHROOMS HAVE VAPE SENSORS, IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THE FIRST QUESTION WE ASK THEM IS, ARE YOU AWARE THERE'S A VAPE SENSOR? YEP.
ANYWAY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ADDICTION THERE.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE APPEAL, BUT I KNOW IT'S AN EPIDEMIC.
AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S AN EASY ANSWER TO THAT.
BUT IT REMINDS ME A LOT OF THE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, LIKE MY MOM AND DAD SMOKED LIKE CHIMNEYS UNTIL THEY FINALLY FIGURED OUT THAT WHAT THEY WERE HEARING WAS TRUE.
I JUST THINK THAT IT'S HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HARMFUL IT CAN BE TO THEM.
THEY THINK IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN TO THEM.
AND SO I LOVE THE IDEA OF A TOWN HALL.
I THINK, UM, TO A DEGREE YOU CAN HANDLE THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL GUIDANCE DEPARTMENTS.
I THINK IT WOULD, IT'S MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN THE TRUTH COMES FROM A TRUSTED TEACHER.
I THINK YOU CAN MAKE A LOT OF HEADWAY THERE.
UM, ON A CA ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS, ON A LARGE SCALE, IT HAS TO BE THE TOWN HALL KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING AND SOME LEVEL OF, OF A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, WHATEVER THAT HAPPENS TO LOOK LIKE.
HOW EFFECTIVE WERE THOSE, THE VAPE SENSORS? DID YOU HAVE A METRIC BEFORE AND A METRIC AFTER TO GAUGE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS? I KNOW THAT THEY DO AT CENTRAL OFFICE.
I'M NOT PRIVY TO THAT INFORMATION.
I CAN TELL YOU, UM, HAVE TO LAUGH TO KEEP FROM CRYING WHEN IT COMES TO THAT SUBJECT.
BUT I KNOW THAT THE VAPOR, THE, THE, THE VAPE SENSORS GO OFF
AND I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL HUMANS, RIGHT? CHURCH IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.
SO THE BATHROOM WOULD SEEM LIKE A CONVENIENT PLACE TO HIT A VAPE.
AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT SOME PRINCIPLE SOMEWHERE, THEIR PHONE IS BLOWING UP BECAUSE THE VAPE SENSOR'S GOING OFF ON CAMPUS, THEY ARE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE AT IDENTIFYING THE VIOLATION.
THEY ARE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
THEY ONLY MAKE US AWARE THAT IT HAPPENS A LOT.
I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND DEFER BACK.
MY SECOND QUESTION THEN FOR YOU REALLY IS OKAY, UH, I HAVE A, I'M A FATHER OF A REALLY HIGH ACHIEVING SON WHO IS OFF THE CHARTS ON HIS ACADEMIC.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE THE NEEDS OF KIDS THAT, THAT REALLY NEED MORE ACADEMIC RIGOR AND CHALLENGES VERSUS OBVIOUSLY THOSE THAT STRUGGLE? YEAH.
SO WHERE DO YOU, HOW DO YOU FIND THE BALANCE IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR DISTRICT IS WELL EQUIPPED ON BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM? YEAH.
WELL, OUR MODEL OF EDUCATION IS TEACH THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
AND WHAT I'VE ATTEMPTED TO DO AT MADISON CREEK, THAT'S A WHOLESALE APPROACH, RIGHT? IT'S WHAT WE'VE MADE A CAREER OF IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THIS COUNTRY FOR DECADES.
TEACH TO THE MIDDLE HOPE YOU DON'T BORE THE HIGH ACHIEVERS AND DRAG ALONG THE LOW ACHIEVERS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT'S A FLAWED APPROACH.
WE TEACH TO THE BEST AND PULL ALONG THE REST.
AND WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL AT THAT.
THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, I LOVE OUR GIFTED PROGRAM.
MY KIDS WERE A PART OF THAT AND, UM, BENEFITED FROM ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WOULD NOT BE AFFORDED THEM INSIDE A TYPICAL CLASSROOM SETTING.
IN SOME YEARS, IN OTHER YEARS, THEY HAD UNBELIEVABLE TEACHERS THAT APPROACHED A SCHOOL DAY AS IF THEY HAD 20 IEPS IN THE CLASS.
AND EVERY KID GOT DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION.
AND SO, AT THE ELEMENTARY AND POSSIBLY THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, GIFTED EDUCATION SEEMS TO ENRICH THE CURRICULUM WHERE A TYPICAL CLASSROOM WOULD FALL SHORT.
AND AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I'M A HUGE PROPONENT OF AP COURSES.
I LOVE DUAL ENROLLMENT, BUT THE TEACHER IS THE KEY TO THE PROBLEM THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED.
UM, MY OWN KIDS HAD YEARS WHERE THEY WERE BORED FOR A SEMESTER AND THEY'VE HAD OTHER YEARS WHERE THEY WOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WORKLOAD.
BUT I COULD SEE THE ACADEMIC GROWTH, MAN.
[01:30:01]
YOU CAN DO IT.THERE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS YOU CAN DO.
WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE 30 MINUTES.
WHAT, WHAT I'D LIKE THE BOARD TO DO IS, UM, WE'LL ASK ANY OF OUR FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, BUT WE'RE GONNA END ON KIND OF YOU GIVING US YOUR, YOUR FINAL THOUGHTS.
UM, SO BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT THOUGH, I WANNA MAKE SURE THE BOARD HAS THE ANSWER, UH, ASK ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UM, I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE.
SO COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT CRITICS, WHAT WOULD CRITICS SAY ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? YEAH.
AND, UM, TELL ME ONE MISTAKE YOU'VE MADE AS A LEADER AND WHAT YOU LEARNED.
SO, KIND OF YOU CAN ROLL THAT UP ANY WAY YOU WANT TO RESPOND.
I THINK CRITICS WOULD TELL YOU, UM, THAT I'M NOT VISIBLE ENOUGH.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME TRUTH TO THAT.
I THINK I'VE BEEN THE BENEFICIARY OVER THE YEARS OF HIRING INCREDIBLE TALENT.
AND I FIRMLY BELIEVE IN GETTING OUT OF THEIR WAY.
I INHERITED A HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL.
DURING THE INTERVIEW, I WAS ASKED HOW I WOULD PUT MY STAMP ON MADISON CREEK ELEMENTARY.
IT STRUCK ME AS AN ODD QUESTION.
UM, THE SCHOOL WAS ALREADY GREAT.
I, I DON'T HAVE A STAMP TO OFFER WILSON COUNTY.
IT'S A HIGH PERFORMING DISTRICT, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
AND, AND SO CRITICS WOULD SAY, I DON'T SEE HIM ENOUGH.
THEY, THEY UNDERESTIMATE HOW CLOSE MY EAR IS TO THE GROUND OF THAT SCHOOL.
I HEAR FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE, I HEAR FROM TEACHERS, I HEAR FROM KIDS, I HEAR FROM PARENTS.
I'M NOT BLINDSIDED BY MUCH, BUT CRITICS WOULD TELL YOU I'M NOT IN CLASSROOMS ENOUGH.
AND, AND I THINK TO AN EXTENT THEY MIGHT BE.
UM, I KNOW MY KIDS ENJOY SEEING ME WALKING INTO A CLASSROOM, BUT I WAS LISTENING TO SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS EARLIER, UM, IN THE FIRST ROUND.
I'M NOT A GUY THAT'S GONNA BE IN YOUR BUSINESS WHEN, LIKE, IN A LOT OF WAYS I'M A DISTRACTION WHEN I WALK IN THE ROOM.
LIKE WE CAN SAY LIFE GOES ON AND LEARNING STILL HAPPENS.
BUT MY PHILOSOPHY IS IT'S PROBABLY HAPPENING BETTER WHEN THE PRINCIPAL'S NOT STANDING IN THE ROOM.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO MAKE A POINT EARLIER WHEN I SAY TO YOU, FIRST SIX MONTHS, MS. MCGEE, I WANNA BE VISIBLE.
IT'S BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S A BLIND SPOT FOR ME.
UH, I RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT MY INCLINATION IS TO BE LESS VISIBLE THAN STAKEHOLDERS WOULD PREFER.
AND SO I NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF THAT.
AND I THINK I HAVE IN, IN, IN CERTAIN SEASONS OVER THE YEARS.
UM, SECOND PART OF YOUR QUESTION, FORGIVE ME.
YOU, WHAT IS ONE MISTAKE YOU'VE MADE AS A LEADER AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN? ONE MISTAKE THAT I'VE MADE AS A LEADER WAS, UM, DYING ON HEELS.
UM, YOU KNOW, PARENTS WILL ASK FOR THE MOON, AND I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GIVE PARENTS THE MOON.
AND I THINK A COMPROMISE WAS AVAILABLE, BUT I, I CHOSE, I CHOSE TO WIN THE DISPUTE.
AND I'VE MADE A LOT OF APOLOGIES OVER THE YEARS.
'CAUSE I, I DON'T SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT.
WHEN, WHEN I AM RUDE OR CONDESCENDING OR I CAN TELL YOU IN THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE, THAT'S HARD.
I'M A COMPETITOR AT HEART AND, AND SOMETIMES THAT HURTS ME.
AND SO I'VE HAD TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF THAT.
THE, THE MISTAKE THAT I'VE MADE IN THE SPECIFIC EXAMPLE IS DENYING AN HONEST REQUEST FROM A PARENT BECAUSE I WASN'T ABLE TO RESOURCE THAT REQUEST.
BUT MY RESPONSE WAS, UM, BORDERLINE UNPROFESSIONAL BECAUSE I GOT ANGRY.
AND THAT WAS EARLY IN MY TENURE, AND IT WAS A POINT OF TRUE CONVICTION.
AND I DIDN'T LIKE WHAT I SAW IN HINDSIGHT.
AND, UH, IN THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE, I'VE MADE THAT SAME MISTAKE A COUPLE TIMES.
AND, UH, I HOPE I'M ABLE TO LISTEN RESPECTFULLY AND, AND SOMETIMES EXPLAIN TO STAKEHOLDERS THAT I DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES I NEED TO GRANT THAT REQUEST.
THAT'S BEEN THE MOST HUMBLING MISTAKE I'VE EVER MADE.
DISRESPECT TO A PARENT BECAUSE I GOT ANGRY.
UH, WHAT SPECIFIC STRATEGIES MR. DUNCAN, WOULD YOU PUT
[01:35:01]
IN PLACE TO RETAIN HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TEACHERS? PARTI, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE DEDICATED 15 OR MORE YEARS TO WILSON COUNTY? I THINK IT'S A CASE BY CASE BASIS, BUT I'VE OFTEN LEARNED THAT THOSE FOLKS WANT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WHEN, WHEN THEY HAVE EXCEEDED IN THE CLASSROOM FOR 12 TO 15 YEARS.AND THEY'VE DONE SO IN A LOT OF WAYS IN A SILO.
UM, I'VE FOUND THAT REKINDLING THAT FIRE THROUGH LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER IT'S LARGE SCALE OR SMALL SCALE.
FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE TEACHERS WHO SERVE ON MY LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THEY GET TREMENDOUS GRATIFICATION OUT OF WALKING ALONGSIDE NEW TEACHERS, MUCH LIKE THEY MIGHT HAVE EXPERIENCED AS A NEW TEACHER.
I KNOW THAT'S A LITTLE, THAT THAT FELT LIKE WORD SALAD.
WHEN, WHEN NEW TEACHERS COME INTO THE, TO A A SCHOOL BUILDING, THEY LOVE BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH KIDS, AND THEY LOVE THE GRATIFICATION OF SEEING THAT KID LEARN SOMETHING THAT THE TEACHER TAUGHT.
WELL, WHEN YOU'RE 15 YEARS IN, THAT LUSTER HAS WORN OFF A LITTLE BIT.
SPEAKING FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THE MAGIC IS GONE.
YOU CAN RECAPTURE THAT MAGIC I'VE FOUND BY GIVING THOSE VETERAN TEACHER LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, IN PARTICULAR OPPORTUNITIES TO MENTOR NEW TEACHERS.
AND THEY GET THE SAME LEVEL OF GRATIFICATION THAT THEY EXPERIENCED 15 YEARS AGO.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS NOW THEY'RE TEACHING AN ADULT INSTEAD OF TEACHING A CHILD.
AND SO DEPENDING ON THE INDIVIDUAL, SOME OF THEM ARE MOTIVATED IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
I'VE HAD TEACHERS OVER THE YEARS THAT I HAMSTRUNG FOR A COUPLE YEARS BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE COURAGE TO CHALLENGE THEM.
AND IN EVERY CASE WITHOUT EXCEPTION, WHEN I MUSTERED THE COURAGE TO CHALLENGE PEOPLE, THEY EXCEEDED ANY EXPECTATION I EVER HAD FOR THEM.
ONE CASE IN PARTICULAR WAS A THIRD GRADE TEACHER.
AND, UM, THE GUY WAS A GIFTED, I MEAN GIFTED ELITE LEVEL TALENT.
AND I HANDCUFFED HIM FOR A FEW YEARS JUST BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OF HOW HE WOULD LEAD.
AND I, I JUST TOLD HIM, I LOOKED HIM IN THE EYES ONE DAY AND I SAID, IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO LEAD.
AND HOLY COW, HE BLEW ME AWAY.
HE'S AN ADMINISTRATOR IN METRO NOW.
SO I WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN RETAINING HIM, BUT I WAS SUCCESSFUL IN CHALLENGING HIM.
AND I'M SO PROUD OF THAT RELATIONSHIP AND WISH I HADN'T DRUG MY FEET ON THAT CHALLENGE FOR HIM.
UM, WHAT WAS QUESTION? SO CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT A TIME, UM, AND THE REASON, SO BY THE TIME THAT YOU HAD A TERMINATED TEACHER AND THE REASON WHY OKAY.
I'VE HAD SOME NON REHIRES OVER THE YEARS.
UM, I, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SPEAK MR. PADILLA ABOUT IS, UM, IF I MAY A TIME WHEN A TEACHER WHO WAS TENURED WAS MOVED FROM MY BUILDING.
SO IF I MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF LIBERTY THERE, IT WAS NOT A TERMINATION, IT WAS A REASSIGNMENT, PHENOMENAL TEACHER, UM, SAID HURTFUL THINGS TO KIDS, EVERYTHING THAT THE EXPECTATIONS WERE IN PLACE, THE PEDAGOGY WAS IN PLACE, ASSESSMENT WAS IN PLACE, TEST SCORES WERE IN PLACE.
MY OWN STUDENT, LIKE I GOT TO SCHEDULE MY OWN STUDENT.
HE HAD THIS TEACHER BECAUSE SHE WAS PHENOMENAL.
SHE SAID HURTFUL THINGS TO KIDS.
AND SO WE WENT WITH A GROWTH PLAN, AND IT WAS DONE WITH PURE MOTIVES.
IT WAS, UH, THERE WERE STEPS THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE TO HELP HER SUCCEED AND TO IMPROVE UPON HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS.
UM, THE TEACHER'S UNION WAS INVOLVED AS MAYBE THE TEACHER'S UNION SHOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, BUT EVENTUALLY SHE WAS REASSIGNED TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE HAD BURNED THROUGH EVERY OUNCE OF GOODWILL THAT COMMUNITY HAD TO OFFER GREAT SCORES AND GREAT INSTRUCTION.
ONLY TAKE US SO FAR WHEN YOU BRING KIDS TO TEARS, SORT OF OVERSHADOWS YOUR ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
FROM A TERMINATION STANDPOINT, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL NON REHIRES.
I'M GONNA GO BACK TO THAT FIRST EXAMPLE YOU JUST SPOKE ABOUT.
SO YOU SAID SHE BURNED A LOT OF BRIDGES ALONG THE WAY AND, AND, AND TO ME, I'M, I WASN'T, I'M A RETIRED MARINE.
UM, SO, SO YOU BEING A DIRECTOR OKAY.
THE ONE THAT'S GONNA HAVE THAT FINAL DECISION, UH, HOW MANY CHANCES WOULD YOU HAVE GIVEN THIS
[01:40:01]
TEACHER TO REASSIGN HER BEFORE? SURE.YOU DO THE RIGHT THING, BECAUSE WE, TO ME, IF SOMEBODY'S DOING THAT TO CHILDREN, AND THEY'VE BEEN TALKED ABOUT AND THEY'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN COUNSELED AND THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES, I'M ALL ABOUT SECOND CHANCES.
BUT, BUT WITH YOU HAVING TO BE THE ONE THAT PULLS THAT LEVER YEP.
HOW WOULD YOU HAVE HANDLED THAT IF YOU WERE THE DIRECTOR AND THAT WAS BROUGHT TO YOU? YOU JUST NAILED IT.
SECOND CHANCES, LIKE I, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE GO MUCH FURTHER THAN THAT.
A KID'S EMOTIONAL WELLBEING IS AT STAKE.
I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A MORE UNPARDONABLE SIN FOR A TEACHER THAN TO DAMAGE A STUDENT EMOTIONALLY.
A SECOND CHANCE WOULD PROBABLY BE GRACE THAT WOULD BE HARD TO EXTEND.
YOU OWE THEM THAT COURTESY, AND I THINK YOU GIVE THEM A SECOND CHANCE.
UM, I, I, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS RECORDED, SO I WON'T SPEAK IN SPECIFICS, BUT I'M LIVING THAT MR. PADILLA THE, UH, SCENARIO OF IMPECCABLE INSTRUCTION, INCREDIBLE GROWTH SCORES, ACHIEVEMENT THAT EVERY PRINCIPLE WOULD LIVE FOR, BUT A PATTERN OF INCONSIDERATE COMMENTS.
OUR CONVERSATION IS A LOT DIFFERENT BASED ON WHETHER THE TEACHER IS TENURED OR NOT.
I'M OUTTA PATIENCE MR. PADILLA, AND, UH, THAT DECISION EXCEEDS MY LEVEL OF AUTHORITY, BUT I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT WE ARE CLOSER TO DOING RIGHT BY STUDENTS THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN.
I, I'LL LET THE BOARD READ BETWEEN THOSE LINES.
THIS IS, THIS IS A HUMAN THAT I THINK A LOT OF, I WOULD EVEN CLASSIFY THIS PERSON AS A FRIEND, BUT THERE ARE INCONSIDERATE COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE YEARS AND, UM, I CAN'T LET A GROWNUP HURT A KID.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF BUILDINGS, A LOT OF MAINTENANCE.
SO I'LL SWITCH GEARS A LITTLE BIT ON YOU.
UM, WHAT SPECIFIC SYSTEM, PUBLIC MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, FOR EXAMPLE, A CONDITION INDEX, A DASHBOARD, WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT SO THAT THE PARENTS, THE BOARD, SEE THAT WHAT WORK IS BEING PLANNED, FUNDED, AND COMPLETED ON CAMPUS? I FEEL SOMETIMES WE'RE A BIT REACTIVE TO THAT.
AND WE NEED TO DO BETTER AS A DISTRICT IN THAT CAPACITY.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE GIVEN THAT ANY THOUGHTS? A LITTLE BIT.
AND I HAD A CHANCE THIS MORNING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MR. LURE.
I WAS NOT AWARE THAT YOU GUYS HAD CONTRACTED CUSTODIAL SERVICES.
AND, UM, WE TALKED IN GREAT DETAIL ABOUT THAT.
AND SHOOT, IF IT WORKS, IT WORKS.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE DON'T CONTRACT CUSTODIAL SERVICES IN SUMNER COUNTY.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN PERIODS IN MY TENURE AS, AS A PRINCIPAL, WHERE I WAS BEGGING FOR CONTRACT WORK BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND ANYBODY TO CLEAN ROOMS. AND I TRIED TO DO SOME UNORTHODOX THINGS.
I I TRIED TO APPROACH OUR FEED, THE, THE HIGH SCHOOL THAT WE FEED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY KIDS THAT NEEDED AFTERNOON JOBS.
LIKE I, I DID SOME OUTSIDE OF THE BOX KINDS OF THINGS WITH MIXED RESULTS.
UH, BUT I WENT SOME INTO SOME IMPECCABLY CLEAN BUILDINGS THIS MORNING.
AND, AND I WOULD SUSPECT YOU GUYS GET YOUR FAIR SHARE OF CALLS ABOUT UNKEMPT BUILDINGS OR, OR WHAT A MAMA MIGHT THINK IS A, A CLEAN BUILDING VERSUS WHAT REALITY MIGHT SAY.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S ON A SCHEDULE, I THINK YOU WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THE OPERATIONS FOLKS, AND THAT WOULD BE A STEEP LEARNING CURVE FOR ME.
BUT I WOULD WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE THAT, THAT LINES UP VERY CLOSELY WITH SAFETY.
LIKE, LIKE WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN GRAFFITI IS IN PLACE, THE COMMUNITY IS UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE, THE SCHOOL'S NO DIFFERENT.
IF IT'S UNKEMPT, IT TIES VERY CLOSELY WITH SAFETY.
AND SO FROM A MECHANICAL SIDE OF THINGS, WE USE AN ONLINE SYSTEM WHERE I SUBMIT WORK ORDERS OR I HAVE DESIGNEES WHO SUBMIT WORK ORDERS FOR ME, AND I GET REGULAR UPDATES VIA EMAIL OF WHERE WE ARE IN THOSE PROCESSES.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S A LOT OF NEEDS IN A LIMITED WORKFORCE.
AND I THINK BEYOND THAT, FOR US, IT'S, IT'S, WE HAVE NEW, WE HAVE ROOF ROOFS THAT ARE AGING.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PAINT OUTSIDE YES.
SO I THINK IT'S, FOR US, IT'S A CHALLENGE TO KEEP UP WITH THAT.
AND SO WE'LL BE LOOKING FOR SOME YEAH.
KIND OF FRESH IDEAS IN TERMS OF HOW TO MANAGE THAT IN A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY.
ON TOP OF IT, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THINGS TO HAPPEN INSIDE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE.
I TALKED A LOT WITH MR. LURA THIS MORNING ALSO ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, I CAN TELL YOU IN SUMNER COUNTY, WE HAVE
[01:45:01]
A LOT OF FLAT ROOFS.AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE, WE HAVE A LOT, WE HAVE A LOT OF LEAKS, AND IT'S, UH, IT, IT DOESN'T PAINT A PRETTY PICTURE FOR THE TAXPAYERS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SHOW UP TO MY TALENT SHOW TOMORROW NIGHT, AND I'VE GOT A GARBAGE CAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FRONT FOYER CATCHING DRIPS, THAT'S NOT GREAT.
OPTICS DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THEIR KIDS ARE SAFE.
IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THEIR KIDS ARE LEARNING.
BUT IT SENDS A PRETTY LOUD MESSAGE THAT I CAN'T CONCEAL.
AND, UM, SO YEAH, I, I THINK THROUGH THE BIDDING PROCESS, YOU CAN MAYBE MAKE SOME HEADWAY THERE.
IT'S, UH, IT'S A BIG, BIG PART OF THE JOB.
AND I WOULD RELY ON EXPERTISE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE UNTIL I GOT MY C LEGS UNDER ME.
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR CTE PROGRAMS. HOW WOULD YOU ENHANCE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL INDUSTRIES TO ALIGN WITH WORKFORCE NEEDS? AND WHAT STRATEGIES WOULD YOU IMPLEMENT TO RECRUIT AND ATTRACT EXPERIENCE TRADE PROFESSIONALS TO TEACH IN OUR DISTRICT? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THEY CAN MAKE MORE DOING THEIR JOB THAN TEACHING.
UM, WELL, I, I, TRACTOR SUPPLY IS LOCATED IN BRENTWOOD, AND THAT'S IN OUR NECK OF THE WOODS.
GRANTED, IT'S WILLIAMSON COUNTY, BUT I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE.
ON THE AGRICULTURAL SIDE OF THINGS, I THINK THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, WITH, I KNOW THAT, UH, SUPPLY CHAIN IS A NEW CTE PROGRAM THAT'S EITHER COMING ON BOARD OR WAS RECENTLY COME ON BOARD.
UM, AND THERE ARE CASE STUDIES ALL ALONG THE EIGHT 40 CORRIDOR IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, THAT THAT'S, I MEAN, I WAS THERE THIS MORNING AND I'M BLOWN AWAY EVERY TIME I GO TO MURFREESBORO, FOR WHATEVER REASON, TO SEE THE, THE LEVEL OF INDUSTRY AND ITS WAREHOUSES AND THERE IS SOME MANUFACTURING.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S INCREDIBLE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE IF YOU MEET THE RIGHT DECISION MAKER AND CAN PUT THOSE THINGS IN PLACE.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL INDUSTRY.
I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF COORDINATING CALENDARS AND, AND GETTING ON SOMEBODY'S CALENDAR AND GETTING SOME FACETIME, BECAUSE THOSE AREN'T RELATIONSHIPS THAT ARE BUILT VIA EMAIL OR PHONE CALLS.
I REMEMBER, UM, I REMEMBER MY, MY MOM AND MY SISTER CHECKED ME OUT OF LAKEVIEW ELEMENTARY EARLY ONE DAY IN MY FOURTH GRADE YEAR, AND WE DROVE TO THE NEW NISSAN PLANT IN MURFREESBORO.
AND I REMEMBER BEING IN AWE AT THE SIZE OF THAT THING AND, AND WONDERING HOW SOMETHING THAT LARGE ENDED UP THAT CLOSE TO WHERE I LIVED.
I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS, IT MADE AN IMPRESSION ON ME, LIKE EVEN AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLER WHO HAD NOT EVEN CONSIDERED WHAT I WANTED TO DO FOR A LIVING.
THAT WAS A COOL OPPORTUNITY THAT MY MOM PROVIDED FOR ME.
AND I'D LIKE TO SEE SCHOOLS PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MOMS WHO MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE FORESIGHT TO SEE HOW VALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT IS.
UM, WHAT IS AS DIRECTOR, UM, OF COURSE, UH, YOU'RE GONNA HIRE PRINCIPALS FOR SCHOOLS.
WHAT IS YOUR GONNA BE, WHAT IS YOUR INVOLVEMENT GONNA LOOK LIKE, UH, FOR THAT, FOR THE OTHER HIRES IN THAT BUILDING? IF I MAKE THE RIGHT PRINCIPAL HIRE, THEN I WOULD PLAY A SUPPORTIVE ROLE IN THAT PROCESS.
I MEAN, I'M AN AUTONOMY GUY TO MY CORE, AND I THINK IF YOU HAVE AN EYE FOR TALENT AND YOU CAN GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN PLACE, YOU OUGHT TO GIVE THOSE FOLKS FREE REIGN.
NOW, WOULD I BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS? I WOULD LOVE TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, BUT I WOULD NOT WANNA SHOEHORN MYSELF INTO THAT DECISION MAKING.
UM, THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY HOURS IN THE DAY, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN ON INTERVIEWS WITH PRINCIPALS, BUT I WANT THEM TO BE RECEPTIVE TO THAT.
AND, AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO GIVE A FALSE IMPRESSION THAT I'M THERE TO MAKE THE DECISION.
LIKE IT IS, IT IS A BUILDING THAT I HIRED SO AND SO TO RUN AND, AND I OWE SO AND SO THE COURTESY OF HAVING THEIR PEOPLE IN PLACE.
COULD I OFFER SOME WISDOM AFTER MANY YEARS OF SITTING THROUGH INTERVIEWS? I THINK SO.
BUT I THINK IT'S A RESOURCE AND NOT A HEAVY HANDED KIND OF APPROACH.
WELL, FIRST OFF, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M WELL AWARE THAT
[01:50:01]
YOU GUYS HAVE LIVES OUTSIDE OF THIS BOARD MEETING, AND SO I HAVE NOTHING BUT SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR THE TIME THAT YOU'VE INVESTED IN THIS ROLE.UM, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU THAT IT'S FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU MIGHT IMAGINE.
UM, BUT YOUR DIRECTION AND YOUR LEADERSHIP THAT YOU PROVIDE THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED EVEN TO NEIGHBORING COUNTIES.
I DON'T SAY THAT TO PATRONIZE YOU.
I SAY THAT TO ACKNOWLEDGE A JOB WELL DONE.
UM, THIS IS A, MY HOME COUNTY WHERE I WAS BORN AND RAISED, AND I'M A BIG CHEERLEADER FOR WILSON COUNTY, WHETHER IT'S ACADEMICS, SPORTS, THE ARTS, WHATEVER.
I APPLIED FOR THE POSITION THE MORNING OF THE DEADLINE.
I THINK MS. OWENS WOULD TESTIFY TO THAT.
UH, I SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME PRAYING AND DELIBERATING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS WAS THE NEXT STEP.
I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT MY NEXT CHAPTERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN WRITTEN.
I JUST NEED THE DISCERNMENT TO KNOW WHERE THAT IS.
AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
THIS HAS BEEN A VERY ENJOYABLE PROCESS FOR ME, REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME.
I'VE BEEN SO ENCOURAGED BY THE THOUGHT AND CARE THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'VE ASKED.
I HOPE I'VE DONE THEM JUSTICE IN MY RESPONSES.
I WANNA BE AS DIRECT AS I CAN.
AND, AND IN SOME CASES THAT'S BEEN DIFFICULT.
MY WHY IS PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING KIDS.
AND I'LL GO BACK TO THE LAST LINE THAT I LEFT YOU WITH AT THE MEET AND GREET.
I'M SEEKING GOD'S WILL TO DETERMINE IF I'M SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE TO LEAD 500, OR IF I'M SUPPOSED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 20,000.
I COULD NEVER DO THAT JOB IN AND OF MY OWN STRENGTH, BUT I KNOW WHERE MY STRENGTH COMES FROM.
AND, UM, MY FAITH IS A VERY REAL PART OF WHO I AM.
I'VE MANAGED TO, I'VE MANAGED TO EXIST IN A VERY STRUCTURED LEGAL CULTURE.
I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE IS VERY REAL.
AND I WOULD NEVER WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO HARM THAT BECAUSE I'M CALLED TO OBEY AUTHORITY.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'LL JUST LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
THE, THE FOLKS THAT EXPECT A BELIEVER TO LEAVE HIS OR HER FAITH AT THE DOOR DOESN'T UNDER, THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
I I COULDN'T TAKE THE SPIRIT OUTTA MY BODY IF I WANTED TO.
I'M JUST SAYING I, AND, AND I KNOW ME WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT MY FAITH GIVES ME, I DON'T THINK I'D BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE CANDIDATE, UM, WITHOUT THE FAITH THAT I CALL MY OWN.
AND SO, UM, I APPRECIATE THE CONSIDERATION.
IT, IT, IT HAS BEEN MORE HUMBLING THAN I CAN EXPRESS.
AND TO EVEN MAKE THE TOP TWO IS AN HONOR THAT I'LL CHERISH REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE OUTCOME IS.
AND, UM, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN VERY KIND TO ME.
YOU KNOW, PRINCIPAL IS A LONELY POSITION.
YOU'RE USUALLY AS POPULAR AS YOUR LAST DECISION, RIGHT? YOU ARE, YOUR CONSTITUENTS THINK YOU ARE JUST AS POPULAR AS YOUR LAST DECISION.
WELL, I'VE HAD A LOT OF FOLKS THAT I'VE DISAGREED WITH OVER THE YEARS THAT HAVE VERY, HAD VERY KIND THINGS TO SAY TO ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND SO I GET A LITTLE LONG-WINDED AND I GET A LITTLE PASSIONATE, BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME.
AND, UM, I'LL BE CHEERING ON WILSON COUNTY REGARDLESS OF WHICH CHAIR I'M SITTING IN NEXT YEAR.
I'LL JUST LEAVE YOU WITH THIS.
WE HAD A, UM, I HAD THE FORTUNATE ABILITY TO TALK TO ONE OF YOUR TEACHERS WHO HAD NOTHING BUT WONDERFUL THINGS TO SAY ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE AT MADISON CREEK.
YOUR STAFF FEELS VERY HIGHLY ABOUT YOU.
JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND COMING OUT AND GOING THROUGH ALL THIS WITH US.
UM, WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA FINISH UP HERE IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU, SIR.
UM, JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR, FOR COMING AND, AND OPENING YOURSELF UP.
AND, UM, AS, AS YOU KNOW, MAY 20TH IS WHEN WE'LL MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
AND, UM, ONCE AGAIN, JUST, JUST THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS AND, AND GIVING YOUR ALL AND KNOW THAT WE REALLY,
[01:55:01]
WE REALLY RESPECT THAT.AND WE THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED WITH US.
SO IT'S BEEN MY PLEASURE, TRULY.
AND FOR, UH, FOR THE BOARD, WE'RE GONNA BE BACK, UM, BY TWO 30 TO START OUR NEXT ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
SO IF WE COULD BE HERE, MAYBE 2 25 TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SET.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BREAK FOR LUNCH.
ARE WE READY, MISS SHERRY? ARE WE, UH, YOU READY? OKAY, TWO 30, I'LL SAY, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
WE ARE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO IT.
SO MS. OWENS, WE HAVE THREE GENERAL QUESTIONS, UM, LIKE WE DID THE LAST TIME.
PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS TO THE BOARD BECAUSE THEY ARE THE BOARD'S QUESTIONS AND NOT MY QUESTIONS.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS AND WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE TWO OR THREE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITIES OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS? WHAT WOULD YOU FOCUS ON IN YEAR ONE TO BEGIN MOVING THAT WORK FORWARD? OKAY.
UH, I THINK THE CURRENT STATE OF WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS IS, IS IN A REALLY, REALLY GOOD PLACE.
I MEAN, ACADEMICALLY, IT'S THE BEST WE'VE EVER BEEN.
UM, SO I THINK, AND THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AS STUDENTS SUCCESS.
AND THAT'S MEASURED IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
UM, SO, AND WE'VE GOT A GREAT BUILDING PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN GOING ON.
WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, VERY NICE SCHOOLS.
WE'VE GOT SOME OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, BEST, UH, FULFILLMENT RATES IN OUR, IN OUR, AS FAR AS OUR POSITIONS GO, AS FAR AS TEACHERS AND STAFF IN MOST AREAS.
SO I, I THINK THAT WE'RE IN A REALLY, REALLY GOOD PLACE.
EVERYBODY WOULD AGREE WITH THAT COMMENT.
WW WILSON COUNTY IS DOING GREAT.
I MEAN, WHAT'S THE SLOGAN? IT'S THE PLACE TO BE, I THINK IS PAINTED ON SOME OF THE WALLS DOWNTOWN.
SO, UH, THAT BEING SAID, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE IN A GREAT PLACE DOESN'T MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE TO FOCUS ON THE FUTURE AND CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT.
AND, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO GO.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONTINUED ACADEMIC SUCCESS THAT CAME UP IN THE LAST INTERVIEW, WE KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A PRIORITY.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT GROWTH AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
WE WANT, WE HAD 15 REWARD SCHOOLS, WE WANT 16 PLUS.
UM, BUT IT'S ALSO MORE THAN JUST, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ONLY ON GETTING A REWARD SCHOOL STATUS.
AND, AND I LOVE THOSE ACCOLADES AND THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL.
BUT IT, IT DOES GO BACK TO WE REALLY WANNA FOCUS ON STUDENTS.
WE WANT STUDENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND THAT LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT FOR THIS GROUP OF STUDENTS.
THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS THIS AGE, THAT AGE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT OVER 20,000 STUDENTS AND THEY'RE ALL IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
SO, UM, WE CAN'T LOSE FOCUS OF THE INDIVIDUAL CHILD.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE.
BUT YOU CAN'T CONTINUE THOSE THINGS IF YOU DON'T KEEP THEM AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR FOCUS.
UH, SO STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS GONNA BE NUMBER ONE AND, AND, AND DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR THEM AND, AND FULFILLING THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
UM, STUDENT SAFETY, STAFF SAFETY, THEY'RE ALL IN THE SAME BUILDINGS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE MORE AND MORE SAFETY EVENTS EVERY DAY, IT SEEMS LIKE.
AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE WORLD WE LIVE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK PREPAREDNESS IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WHEN IT COMES TO STUDENT SAFETY.
ALL OF OUR PEOPLE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT TO DO IN EACH CIRCUMSTANCE THAT MAY ARISE.
AND YOU CAN'T COVER EVERYTHING, BUT YOU CAN HAVE A SOLID PLAN ABOUT WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO TAKE PLACE WHEN WE HAVE A CERTAIN KIND OF POTENTIAL EMERGENCY OR, OR AN EMERGENCY.
UM, AND, BUT THAT COMMUNICATION HAS TO BE REVISITED FREQUENTLY.
PEOPLE, IF YOU DON'T PRACTICE IT, YOU FORGET WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE DIFFERENT SAFETY DRILLS.
BUT IT'S MORE THAN JUST, OKAY, WE'VE DONE THE DRILLS, LET'S CHECK THE BOX.
BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE CAN, WE CAN DO THINGS, BUT WE'RE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS AND WE, AND WE CAN'T HAVE GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
AND THAT'S WHERE OUR BUILDING LEVEL PRINCIPALS COME INTO PLAY BECAUSE THEY ARE A PART OF THOSE SCHOOL COMMUNITIES EVERY DAY.
AND THEY KNOW WHO KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT TO DO.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS IN THE PAST WHERE CERTAIN GROUPS HAVE REACHED OUT AND SAID, WELL, NOBODY TOLD ME.
OKAY, WELL WHY, WHO, WHO DO YOU REPORT TO? AND WHO SHOULD BE COMMUNICATING TO THAT PERSON SO THAT WE ALL ARE ON THE SAME PAGE? BECAUSE THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND EVEN IN A LARGE DISTRICT, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DISREGARD THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUED COMMUNICATION OVER AND OVER REVISIT THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE ACADEMICS.
IF SAFETY'S A PRIORITY, YOU GOTTA REVISIT THAT.
THEN THERE'S ALL THE PHYSICALS, THINGS THAT WE'VE WORKED ON, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE IN BOARD MEETINGS.
[02:00:01]
BUT, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS ADD LAYERS TO THAT.BUT THOSE ARE BUDGETARY CONCERNS.
BUT PREPAREDNESS, I THINK ANY EMS PERSON WOULD TELL YOU, BEING PREPARED IS THE NUMBER ONE, IT'S THE NUMBER ONE THING WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE.
UM, AND THEN I THINK THE THIRD PRIORITY, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GET TO YEAR ONE, THE INSURANCE ISSUE.
WE ALL KNOW THAT'S A PRIORITY THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE FIXED.
UH, BUT MY, MY FIRST YEAR PRIORITIES WOULD BE TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS.
I'VE GOTTA BE VISIBLE IN SCHOOLS.
I GOTTA, I GOTTA GATHER INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
I GOTTA BE, PEOPLE GOTTA LEARN THAT THEY CAN TRUST TRAVIS MAYFIELD.
UH, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, THEY GOTTA KNOW THAT I'M APPROACHABLE.
UM, THEY GOTTA KNOW THAT I CARE NOT ONLY ABOUT THEM, BUT STUDENTS.
UM, AND I'VE GOTTA GET THEIR INFORMATION.
I'VE GOTTA MAKE THEM FEEL VALUED.
AND THEN I GOTTA TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND LOOK TO PLAN FOR THE YEAR TWO, THREE, AND FOUR.
I HAVE FIVE MINUTES ON EACH QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU UNIFY DISTRICT DURING A DECISIVE TIME? HOW DO YOU PREVENT IT FROM FRACTURING THE INTERNAL CULTURE OF OUR SCHOOLS? I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO COMMUNICATION.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S OFTENTIMES WE HAVE TO MAKE NOT POPULAR DECISIONS OR THINGS ARISE THAT CAN DIVIDE PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT'S WHEN YOU GOTTA TRY TO BRIDGE GAPS AND YOU GOTTA FIND SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH PEOPLE.
WE DON'T ALWAYS ALL AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT SURELY THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CAN AGREE ON.
I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, STUDENTS ARE OUR PRIORITY, OTHERWISE NONE OF US WOULD BE SITTING HERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I THINK IF YOU GO BACK TO THAT, LIKE, WE'RE HERE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR STUDENTS AND FIND WHAT PART OF THAT IS INSTILLED IN THIS PERSON OR THAT PERSON, WHEREVER THIS FRACTURE MIGHT OCCUR.
UM, BECAUSE IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL, ANY ORGANIZATION, YOU CANNOT BE FRACTURED.
YOU GOTTA BE WORKING TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL.
AND, AND THAT COMMUNITY IS NOT JUST THE SCHOOL, THE TEACHERS IN THIS SCHOOL, IT'S FAR GREATER.
WHENEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT DISTRICT SUCCESS, IT'S, IT'S A DISTRICT FOCUS.
AND THEN HOW DOES THAT FOCUS PERMEATE THROUGHOUT ALL YOUR SCHOOLS? AND THEN HOW DOES IT EVEN GO FURTHER INTO YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY OF YOUR PARENTS AND, AND THOSE CONSTITUENTS.
BUT EVEN GREATER IS THE COMMUNITY AT A LARGE, LIKE, OKAY, I HAD CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL 10 YEARS AGO, BUT NOW I'M REALLY JUST A PARENT.
'CAUSE MY CHILDREN HAVE MOVED AWAY.
SO WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL, BUT ARE STILL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT, WELL, THE, THE BEING GOOD STEWARDS OF TAXPAYERS MONEY.
WE COLLECT, WE COLLECT FUNDS FROM PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THE VALUE OF THE PRODUCT WE'RE CREATING, YOU KNOW, THE WORKFORCE, UH, DEVELOPMENT.
I, I, I KNOW THAT I DIDN'T SAY THAT, RIGHT? BUT THEY'RE LOOKING TO THE SCHOOL LIKE, HOW CAN WE SUPPORT YOU SO YOU CAN BETTER SUPPORT US? BECAUSE ALL THIS INDUSTRY COMING INTO WILSON COUNTY, THEY WANT WORKERS, THEY WANT WORKERS THAT CAN DO THESE CERTAIN THINGS.
AND WHAT CAN, WHAT CAN THEY DO TO, TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL SO THAT WE CAN TURN OUT A PRODUCT THAT THEY CAN IN TURN HIRE.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF KIND OF OUR CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION, IS TO CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS SO THEY CAN LEARN WHAT'S NEEDED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO THOSE PARTNERSHIPS WITH GROUPS LIKE THAT.
UH, OF COURSE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION AND OUR OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WORK WITH THE, I'VE BEEN IN INVOLVED IN THE CITY OF LEBANON MEETINGS JUST ABOUT AS MUCH AS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT MEETINGS WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION, BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
AND I, AND I THINK IN ORDER TO BUILD THAT KIND OF UNITY, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE, YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE TRUST.
BUT TO ORDER, IN ORDER TO HAVE TRUST, YOU GOTTA HAVE GOOD COMMUNICATION.
UM, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GONNA, 'CAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE I MADE A NOTE ABOUT THIS.
I THINK YOUR LEADER HAS TO HAVE INTEGRITY.
AND THAT COMES FROM BEING HONEST, BUILDING THAT TRUST.
UH, AND I THINK PART OF BEING A GOOD LEADER IS YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO INSPIRE PEOPLE.
AND, AND SOMETIMES THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A CATCH PHRASE OR PEOPLE MIGHT, UH, YOU KNOW, WELL, WHAT, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO INSPIRE GROUPS OF STUDENTS OR TEACHERS? I DO THINK THAT'S STILL POSSIBLE.
UM, I THINK IT'S POSSIBLE AS A TEACHER TO INSPIRE STUDENTS.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S POSSIBLE AS A LEADER TO INSPIRE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS.
AND I THINK THAT EVEN PERMEATES OUT THROUGHOUT YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY AS A GREATER WHOLE IF PEOPLE
[02:05:01]
KNOW THEY CAN TRUST YOU, THAT IS THE NUMBER ONE THING IN CREATING UNITY, IN MY OPINION.UM, AND I THINK THE COMMUNICATION IS, IS KEY.
AND YOU GOTTA BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ALL, ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE, ALL DIFFERENT GROUPS.
EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT OR A DIFFERENT FOCUS WHEN IT COMES TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT OUR SIZE.
UM, AND I, I THINK YOU'VE GOTTA BE ABLE TO, TO COMMUNICATE WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH, WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT COMES FROM, I TRY TO FIND VALUE IN EVERYBODY BECAUSE I'LL BE BETTER OFF IF I JUST LOOK AT SOMEBODY AND THINK ABOUT, WELL, THIS IS WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOU, OR THIS IS WHAT I DON'T VALUE.
THAT DOESN'T DO ME ANY GOOD, BUT I CAN FIND, I WANNA TRY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON AND SO THAT WE CAN BUILD TRUST IN, IN THAT RELATIONSHIP, WHICH I THINK HELPS UNIFY OUR COMMUNITY.
WHEN BUDGETS ARE TIGHT, HOW WOULD YOU DECIDE WHAT PROGRAMS AND NEEDS SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED? BUDGET'S ALWAYS TIGHT, AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE, WE DO AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE IS TO EVALUATE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
I KNOW AT, AT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR LEVEL, WE COMPILE AN ENTIRE LIST OF ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR RENEWAL.
AND THEN WE GO THROUGH THOSE AND, AND THE WAY WE EVALUATE THOSE IS WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE WHO'S USING THEM AND WHAT'S THE BENEFIT.
SO WE LOOK AT TEACHER USAGE REPORTS OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. WE LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE STUDENTS DOING, HOW MUCH ARE THE STUDENTS CHOOSING IT IN K TWO GRADE BAND THREE, FIVE GRADE BAND, HIGH SCHOOL, GRADE BAND.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT? ARE WE SEEING A CORRELATION BETWEEN USING THIS AND OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND GROWTH? IS THERE ANY CORRELATION? BECAUSE IF YOU FIND THAT THERE'S NOT, WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO PAY MONEY FOR A PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE NOT REALLY GAINING ANY BENEFIT FROM.
AND WE HAVE REDUCED OR CUT SOME OF THOSE IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK IT GOES DEEPER THAN JUST TECHNOLOGY AND THOSE KINDS OF PROGRAMS BECAUSE IT'S ALSO WHAT BENEFIT ARE WE GETTING OUT OF A MENTOR PROGRAM, ALL RIGHT.
AND DO WE NEED TO IMPROVE THAT AND WHAT'S THE FINANCIAL COST GONNA BE? BECAUSE AT ONE TIME WE HAD THE, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE PIPELINE.
BASICALLY WE PICKED A, WE HAD TEACHERS APPLY IN ORDER TO BUILD CAPACITY IN THEM TO BECOME FUTURE BUILDING LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS.
SO THEY RECEIVED TEACHER PAY, BUT FOR ONE YEAR WE PUT THEM IN A BUILDING WORK DOING ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WORK AFTER THEY WENT THROUGH TRAINING TO TRY TO BUILD CAPACITY IN THOSE PEOPLE TO HAVE FUTURE LEADERS BECAUSE THERE'S A LEADER SHORTAGE IN ADDITION TO A TEACHER SHORTAGE SOMETIMES.
SO, UH, BUT I THINK IT'S PROGRAMS LIKE THAT.
YOU GOTTA EVALUATE AND YOU GOTTA EVALUATE HOW YOU, YOUR ORGANIZATION IS WORKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I TRY TO GATHER, IN MY CURRENT ROLE, I TRY TO GATHER FEEDBACK ON EACH DEPARTMENT THAT I HAVE FROM THE CONSTITUENTS WHO ACTUALLY WORK IN IT.
SO I SURVEY ALL THE BUS DRIVERS EVERY YEAR AND ASK THEM, GIMME FEEDBACK ON YOUR LEADER.
AND THEN I ALSO GIVE THEM AN OPTION.
I ASK THEM SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, THAT'S JUST A, B, C, OR D OR COULD BE YES, NO.
BUT THEN ALSO I ASK FOR FEEDBACK AND THEY HAVE A FREE RESPONSE.
WHAT'S GOING WELL, WHAT'S NOT GOING WELL? AND THEN I USE THAT INFORMATION IN ORDER TO, PART OF IT IS THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISORS, UM, EVALUATION.
THAT'S WHAT I USE AS PART OF THAT.
UM, BUT THAT'S JUST ONE PIECE ABOUT GATHERING INFORMATION AND HOW CAN WE IMPROVE THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE THAT WE'RE OFFERING.
NOW, WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION, I'M ALSO GONNA LOOK AT A LOT OF OTHER FACTORS, NOT JUST HOW SATISFIED ARE OUR BUS DRIVERS, 'CAUSE WE KNOW WHAT THE OTHER METRICS ARE IN RELATION TO TRANSPORTATION.
BUT I THINK IT'S TAKEN THAT MINDSET OF LET'S EVALUATE ALL OF OUR PROGRAMS. AND THAT CAN, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO HAPPEN IN APRIL AND MAY.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET A PULSE POINT.
AND I THINK THAT CAME UP AT PULSE POINTS WAS ONE OF THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES.
LIKE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT OUR FOCUS IS, IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED BY ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
AND THEY CAN BE, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE TECHNOLOGY RELATED, OR THEY COULD BE OTHER TYPES OF TECHNO OR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THEY CAN BE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE THAT INVOLVE OUR PEOPLE AND OUR STAFF AND HOW WE ORGANIZE THOSE AND HOW WE SUPPORT PEOPLE.
BECAUSE STUDENTS NEED SUPPORT.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THAT'S TEACHERS ARE THAT SUPPORT STAFF.
AND THEN THEY HAVE AN EVEN GREATER SUPPORT STAFF, DEPENDING ON VARIOUS NEEDS.
BUT ALSO OUR TEACHERS NEED A SUPPORT STAFF.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST THE BUILDING LEVEL PRINCIPAL AND THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE MENTOR PROGRAMS, BUT WE HAVE CONTENT COORDINATORS AND WE HAVE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT
[02:10:01]
LAYERS OF SUPPORT.BUT WE, BUT WE NEED TO EVALUATE THOSE BECAUSE IF I'M A BRAND NEW TEACHER AND I FEEL COMPLETELY LOST, WHERE'S THE DISCONNECT? 'CAUSE THAT FOCUSES RIGHT BACK TO TEACHER RETENTION, WHICH HAS BEEN A CONCERN IN THE PAST.
UM, IT'S BETTER, BUT CAN WE IMPROVE IT? CAN WE GO FROM 87% TO 90%? CAN WE GET TO 95%? BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL KNOW IF YOU'VE GOT A TEACHER THAT YOU CAN KEEP FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, THEY'RE GONNA GET BETTER EVERY YEAR.
YOU KNOW, TEACHERS REALLY GET GOOD AFTER 10 YEARS, YOU GET SOME OUTLIERS THAT ARE GOOD IN YEAR TWO.
I HAVEN'T WENT TO WATCH THAT YOUNG LADY TEACH YET, BUT I MIGHT IN THE FUTURE DEPENDING ON MY, MY NEXT JOB SITUATION.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST THINK IT'S CONSTANT AS FAR AS EVALUATING PROGRAMS. NOW, THE NEXT SECTION WILL BE, UM, EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL ASK A QUESTION TO HAVE FIVE MINUTES FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.
MULTIPLE QUESTIONS, I ASSUME? POSSIBLY.
HOW WOULD YOU WORK TOWARDS CONSISTENCY AND DISCIPLINE, ACADEMICS AND SAFETY EXPECTATIONS ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS WHILE ALLOWING AND PROTECTING SCHOOL CULTURES THAT FIT THEIR COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, THE, THE DISCIPLINE, I FEEL LIKE THE DISCIPLINE IS, IT'S EASY IN ONE SENSE BECAUSE WE GOT, WE HAVE THE CODE OF CONDUCT AND WE EVALUATE THAT EVERY YEAR.
AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE GROUPS BEING A PART OF THAT EVALUATION.
I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH DISCIPLINE GETS IN WHEN WE DON'T FOLLOW THE CODE OF CONDUCT BECAUSE IT'S, YOU KNOW, WELL, I KNOW TRAVIS AND I FEEL BAD WHENEVER I'M GONNA HAVE TO SEND HIM TO AN ADMINISTRATOR.
AND HE'S, HE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE GIVEN A DAY OF ISS AND HIS PARENTS ARE GONNA BE CALLED.
'CAUSE TRAVIS PARENTS ALSO NEED TO KNOW I'M MESSING AROUND NOT PAYING ATTENTION IN CLASS AND DOING THINGS I SHOULDN'T BE DOING.
AND AS A PARENT, I WANTED TO KNOW THAT.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALL WANT TO KNOW THAT.
SO I THINK THAT'S, AND, AND WHEN IT COMES TO THAT DISCIPLINE PIECE, WE'VE GOT TO FOLLOW THE CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND SOMETIMES THINGS GET, THINGS GET MISSED OR YOU DON'T, MIGHT MAYBE NOT HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION, BUT WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE WE FOCUS ON THAT.
UH, AND I THINK IT GOES BACK TO RE REVISITING THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT THE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE BUILDING KNOW AND UNDERSTAND, AND THEIR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS DO AS WELL.
AND EVEN THE TEACHERS, THEY, THEY'VE GOTTA KNOW WHAT THEIR PART IS IN STUDENT DISCIPLINE AND HOLDING STUDENTS ACCOUNTABLE.
UM, ACADEMICS, WE, WE GOTTA HAVE ALIGNMENT, WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE, WE HAVE GOOD ALIGNMENT.
I KNOW WE HAVE THAT, UH, WE GOT GREAT INSTRUCTIONAL PLANS.
WE GOT, WE GOT SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, SAFETY NETS IN ORDER TO CATCH STUDENTS OR, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A TEACHER ISSUE, WE'VE GOT, WE GOT OPTIONS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP GET THOSE PEOPLE BACK ON TRACK.
UM, WE'VE GOT A REALLY GOOD ROBUST ACADEMIC SYSTEM.
UM, ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE KEY, ESPECIALLY IN YEAR, YEAR ONE IS WHOEVER THE NEW DIRECTOR IS, DON'T MESS IT UP.
DON'T COME IN HERE AND THINK, OKAY, I'M GONNA START CHANGING IT MY WAY.
WE, EVEN MYSELF, YES, I'VE BEEN A PART OF THIS DISTRICT FOR A LONG TIME, BUT, UH, I KNOW WHAT'S WORKING AND I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THAT WORLD IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS, AND I WOULD BE ANXIOUS TO GET BACK IN THOSE TEAM LEVEL MEETINGS AND, AND LEARN EXACTLY WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE.
UM, SAFETY, I TOUCHED ON THAT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, IS ABOUT IT'S PREPAREDNESS.
UM, SCHOOL CULTURE, SCHOOL CULTURE IS SO IMPORTANT AND IT'S, AND EVERY SCHOOL'S GONNA HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UM, WE WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ALL THE SAME.
I I, WHEN I WAS AT WILSON CENTRAL, I DIDN'T WANNA BE LIKE MOUNT JULIE OR 11.
WE WERE WILSON CENTRAL AND WE HAD OUR OWN THINGS, AND WE HAD OUR OWN SPECIFIC FOCUSES.
AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF THAT IS, GOES BACK TO LEADERSHIP.
UM, BUT WE, YOU HAVE THOSE DIFFERENT DIFFERENCES THAT MAKE UP YOUR OWN SPECIFIC COOL CULT SCHOOL CULTURE.
BUT, BUT THEY, THOSE CAN'T GET OUT OF BOUNDS OF THE, THE NON-NEGOTIABLES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS ARE SAFE.
YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT YOU DO THAT CREATE, MAKE YOUR SCHOOL SPECIAL CANNOT INTERFERE WITH THOSE THINGS THEY NEED TO BUILD UPON.
UM, SO GOING A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WITH THAT, IN THIS AGE OF THREATS, YOU KNOW THAT
[02:15:01]
WE HAVE LAYERED SECURITY MEASURES.HOW CAN WE BETTER COMMUNICATE TO PARENTS THAT WE ARE CONTINUALLY IMPLEMENTING AND STRENGTHENING OUR SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN, REASSURING THEM THAT THEIR KIDS ARE SAFE, WHILE ALSO PROTE PROTECTING THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THAT SAFETY PLAN? YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO COMMUNICATION NOT ONLY FROM THE DISTRICT LEVEL, BUT EVEN AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS THAT KIND OF THE TRANSPARENCY PIECE, BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE A SITUATION WITH THE, THE AGE THAT WE'RE IN, WITH INSTANT ACCESS, UH, TO INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY, AS THE LEADER, YOU'VE GOT TO COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON.
BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T DO THAT, THEN IT RUNS WILD.
AND NOW YOU HAVE YOU PEOPLE THINK SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, THAT'S NOT REALLY HAPPENING.
SO, UM, I THINK THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE, BECAUSE ESPECIALLY WHEN, IF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY, UH, MEMBERS KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA COMMUNICATE, AND IT GOES BACK TO HONESTY AND INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
BUT IF THEY KNOW THAT WHEN YOU SEND A MESSAGE THAT IS, THAT'S WHAT'S TAKING PLACE, THEY NEED TO TRUST THAT.
UM, AND I FELT LIKE THAT WAS ONE OF MY STRENGTHS WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL.
I, I TRIED TO COMMUNICATE WHEN WE HAD A SITUATION, PEOPLE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
AND I, I EVEN TOLD PE PARENTS AT THE, UH, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN I HAD 'EM IN THERE FOR THE WELCOME NIGHT.
LIKE, I'M GONNA EMAIL YOU INFORMATION.
IF IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I'M GONNA CALL YOU.
SO IF YOU SEE A PHONE CALL FROM ME, YOU, THAT'S WHEN YOU NEED TO ANSWER THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS CRITICAL INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.
WE HAVE PARENTS SQUARE AND TEXT MESSAGES NOW, SO NEW MODES OF COMMUNICATION.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE AND EXPERIENCE, WHAT MAKES YOU THE RIGHT FIT TO LEAD WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS AT THIS POINT IN TIME? UH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SAY THAT I KNOW I'M THE PERFECT CANDIDATE BECAUSE I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S YOUR DECISION.
WHAT I CAN SAY ABOUT MYSELF IS, UM, I VALUE THOSE TRAITS THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT BEING, UH, BUILDING TRUST, ABOUT BEING HONEST, TRANSPARENCY, HAVING INTEGRITY.
UM, I'VE TRIED TO BUILD THOSE THINGS ALL ALONG.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S TAKEN, IT'S TAKEN TIME.
I WASN'T, YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST STARTED AS A PRINCIPAL, MAN, LOOKING BACK, I'D SAY I WAS TERRIBLE.
UH, I DID A LOT OF THINGS THAT I, THAT I DIDN'T KNOW.
I SHOULDN'T BE DOING THEM THAT WAY.
AND I THINK YOU LEARN OVER TIME, AND I THINK EXPERIENCE IS A GREAT TEACHER.
UH, I, I BELIEVE I UNDERSTAND WHAT PEOPLE WANT OUT OF THEIR LEADER.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY WANT THOSE THINGS.
AND, AND EVEN OUR, OUR SCHOOL LEVEL STAFF, THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, THEY WANNA FEEL VALUED, NUMBER ONE.
UM, AND THEY WANT TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THEIR BEST INTEREST, UH, IN MIND WHEN YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S STUDENTS, IT'S TEACHERS, IT'S STAFF.
THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU GOTTA FOCUS ON IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO DO.
AND EVEN WHENEVER I, WHENEVER THE DECISION WASN'T WHAT THEY WANTED, I COMMUNICATED WHY THE DECISION WAS WHAT IT WAS, BECAUSE HERE'S WHY WE CAN'T DO THAT.
AND, AND SOMETIMES IT'S NOT POPULAR, BUT THEY'LL RESPECT YOU IF YOU, IF YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT IT OUT THERE AND DON'T TRY TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT REALLY THE CASE.
UH, YOU KNOW, I HAD, I HAD A PERSON ONE TIME TELL ME, WELL, I'LL DO WHAT YOU TELL ME, BUT I'M NOT GONNA EXPLAIN MYSELF TO A CHILD.
OKAY, WELL, I NEVER FELT THAT WAY.
LIKE, I FELT LIKE SOME OF MY BEST TEACHING MOMENTS WERE EXPLAINING MYSELF TO A STUDENT.
YOU KNOW, UH, I TALKED, PEOPLE ASK ME, YOU KNOW, I SUSPENDED A LOT OF KIDS IN MY DAY, AND I'D SAY 99.9% OF THEM WERE STILL ON SPEAKING TERMS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT PERSONAL.
HERE'S, THIS IS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THIS, AND HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT.
AND HERE'S WHY I HAVE TO DO WHAT I GOTTA DO.
NOW, I MIGHT UNDERSTAND WHY YOU DID WHAT YOU DID, BUT IT'S, I THINK IT GOES BACK TO COMMUNICATION.
AND I THINK I'M, I THINK I'M PREPARED TO DO THAT.
UM, I THINK I CAN COMMUNICATE WITH ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I CAN DO THE JOB.
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IT TAKES TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BOARD AND DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS? AND HOW DO YOU APPROACH KEEPING THE BOARD INFORMED WHILE DECIDING WHAT TO PROACTIVELY SHARE VERSUS WHAT TO BRING FORWARD AS NEEDED? WELL, LIKE I SAID, I THINK EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM HERE CARES ABOUT STUDENTS, OR WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
SO THERE'S THE FOUNDATION RIGHT THERE.
WE ALREADY ALL HAVE THAT IN, IN COMMON.
UM, AND NOW, AND I, I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY ALWAYS AGREES ON EVERY DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE.
I THINK YOU, YOU GET TO THE BEST DECISION BY HAVING CONVERSATIONS
[02:20:01]
ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT DO YOU THINK, WHAT DO YOU THINK? AND, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU COME TO A CONSENSUS.IT CAN MAKE I FEEL LIKE THE BEST DECISION.
UM, I THINK COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD IS ESSENTIAL.
I, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE WITH, WITH MR. LU IN THE PAST, BUT I, I, WHEN WE HAVE A SITUATION THAT TAKES PLACE, I THINK, I MEAN, I WOULD SEND A MESSAGE RIGHT AWAY.
I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE IT SET UP IN MY PHONE FOR BOARD MEMBERS, AND I CAN SEND A MESSAGE SO YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON SO THAT, THAT YOU HAVE THE ACCURATE INFORMATION.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S AN AMBULANCE AT A SCHOOL AND PEOPLE SPECULATE WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON, AND THEN THEY'RE REACHING OUT TO YOU AND YOU GO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
WELL, NOBODY LIKES TO FEEL THAT WAY.
UM, SO, SO I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM COMMUNICATING, ESPECIALLY IN A TIMELY MANNER, ESPECIALLY THOSE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE URGENT.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE BIGGER ISSUES OR THE MORE THE TIME, THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE MORE TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE I'M AN APPROACHABLE PERSON, UM, AND I'M ALWAYS WILLING TO LISTEN.
SO I WOULD ASSUME IF, IF ONE OF YOU HAD QUESTIONS, YOU WOULD BE COMFORTABLE TO REACH OUT TO ME AND EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS, AND YOU WOULD BE COMFORTABLE HEARING WHAT I THINK.
AND THEN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH A PLAN IF NEED BE.
UM, I CAN PRESENT PLANS ALL DAY, BUT I DO WANT FEEDBACK.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE JOB IS I, THERE'S GONNA BE THINGS I HAVE TO PRESENT AND THEN I NEED FEEDBACK, AND WE WORK TOGETHER TO COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TOUR YESTERDAY AT CENTRAL PIKE ELEMENTARY.
THAT WAS A BEAUTIFUL SCHOOL, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON JOB WELL DONE THERE.
OUR HIRING PROCESS IS TO SELECT THE PREFERRED CANDIDATE AND THEN NEGOTIATE OR FINALIZE A CONTRACT.
SO TO PREVENT MISMATCHED EXPECTATIONS, CAN YOU GIVE ME A NUMBER OF WHAT YOU EXPECT REGARDING SALARY? PICK ONE THAT IS LESS THAN WHAT MR. LEAL CURRENTLY MAKES.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GONNA, WEREN'T GONNA HIRE SOMEBODY WE COULDN'T AFFORD.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A PROBLEM.
UH, HOW, IF YOU LOOK AT EDUCATION AS A THREE-LEGGED STOOL WITH ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AS ONE LEG, STUDENT WELLBEING AS A SECOND LEG AND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AS A THIRD, TELL ME HOW YOU BALANCE THAT.
UH, SO THE, THE FOCUS IS STILL ON STUDENTS AND WHICH ONE OF THEIR MAIN ISSUES IS THAT ACADEMIC SUCCESS, AND THEN HOW, WHAT IS THE BEST PRODUCT WE CAN AFFORD TO PUT IN FRONT OF THOSE STUDENTS? UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO HIRE THE VERY BEST TEACHERS WE CAN.
UM, WE WANT TO, WE WANT TO HAVE THE VERY BEST SCHOOLS THAT WE CAN HAVE.
NOW, DO WE NEED SWIMMING POOLS IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS? WE'D LOVE TO HAVE 'EM, BUT WE DON'T NEED 'EM.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL? 'CAUSE WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE GOAL IS, IS STUDENT SUCCESS.
AND, AND WE'RE GONNA DEVELOP, THAT'S GONNA LOOK DIFFERENT FOR US THAN RUTHERFORD OR WILLIAMSON OR SUMNER OR ANY OTHER, OTHER PLACES.
WE'RE GONNA, HERE'S WHAT WE'LL SEE CENTRAL IS FOCUSED ON, AND IT'S, IT'S THAT ACADEMIC STUDENT GROWTH ACHIEVEMENT.
OUR FOCUS ON OUR CTE PROGRAM READY GRADUATES, OUR K THREE LITERACY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED IN THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN.
THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE METRICS THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE.
AND THEN WE, WE'VE GOT TO WORK WITHIN OUR BUDGET TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT.
AND, AND THAT BUDGETARY PROCESS IS GOING TO BE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THAT I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING EVEN MORE ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A KEY.
I THINK IT'S A KEY, BUT PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITY, I THINK THAT GOES HAND IN HAND WITH THE JOB.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T GO BEYOND YOUR MEANS.
SO SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS ABOUT HERE'S WHAT WE WANT, BUT HERE'S WHAT WE NEED.
SO WE'RE GONNA FOCUS ON THE NEEDS AND WE'LL, THE WANTS.
WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO DO ALL THOSE.
HERE'S A QUESTION YOU PROBABLY HAVE, UH, SOME EXPERIENCE WITH.
UM, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN, HOW DO YOU SET AND MAINTAIN SCHOOL CULTURE AND CONSISTENCY WHILE OPENING NEW SCHOOLS? UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, IT STARTS, IT STARTS WITH THE BUILDING LEVEL PRINCIPLE.
YOU'RE GONNA SELECT THAT PERSON RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE.
THE PERSON THAT'S GONNA GET SELECTED FOR THAT JOB IS GONNA ALREADY HAVE THAT WILSON COUNTY MINDSET.
[02:25:01]
MIGHT NOT COME FROM WILSON COUNTY, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT GET SELECTED TO BE THE PRINCIPALS THAT HAVE THOSE FOCUSES THAT WE HAVE, THAT THEY'VE GOT THOSE, AND THAT COMES OUT WHENEVER YOU START THAT INTERVIEW PROCESS.AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THAT PRINCIPLE, THEY'RE, THEY END UP GOING, JUST LIKE OUR CURRENT SITUATION WITH CENTRAL PIKE.
THEY'RE IN THE BUILDING AT RUTLAND, AT SOUTH SIDE, AT GLADESVILLE ELEMENTARY.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE GLADESVILLE 2.0 OR RUTLAND 2.0.
ALL RIGHT? IT'S GONNA BE CENTRAL PIKE.
SO THEY'RE GONNA END UP TAKING PIECES OF THE SCHOOL CULTURE HERE AND PIECES OVER HERE.
BUT IT GOES BACK TO MAKING EVERYBODY FEEL A PART OF THAT NEW SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
NOT JUST THE STUDENTS, BUT THE STUDENTS, THE PARENTS.
WE, YOU KNOW, MS. WILKINS ALREADY GOT HER PTO GOING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK THAT BUILDING THAT CULTURE, UM, IS A GROUP EFFORT WITHIN THE, THE GUIDELINES, NOT, NOT SO MUCH THE GUIDELINES, BUT THE, UH, THE OVERALL, UM, WHAT IS THE WORD I'M CULTURE OF WILSON COUNTY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CARE ABOUT STUDENTS, NUMBER ONE, AND I THINK THAT'S GOTTA BE THE CULTURE.
WHAT SPECIFIC STRATEGIES HAVE YOU USED TO TEACHER, EMPLOYEE MORALE? UM, HONESTY AND COMMUNICATION.
UH, MAKING SURE THEY FEEL VALUED.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS A, AS A DISTRICT, AS A BOARD, WE, WE MAKE PEOPLE FEEL VALUED BY THEIR PAY AND BENEFITS IN THE BUILDING.
BUT, AND, AND IT CAN GO DEEPER THAN THAT.
UM, BUT EVERYBODY LIKES TO BE TOLD, HEY, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
YOU KNOW WHAT I JUST SAW HERE? GREAT JOB.
AND, AND THAT BUILDS SO MUCH CAPACITY IN AN INDIVIDUAL AS FAR AS I FEEL VALUED, I WANNA BE HERE.
I, I APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING MY HARD WORK AND MY EFFORT, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING A DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS CAN DO.
WHEN YOU'RE, WHEN YOU'RE IN A SECOND GRADE CLASSROOM AND YOU SEE SOMETHING GREAT, LET THE TEACHER KNOW.
UM, BUT I, I, I VALUE BUILDING CAPACITY IN PEOPLE.
HOW ARE YOU? UM, SO, UH, WITH MY, YOU KNOW, MY LIMITED EXPERIENCE, I'M NOT A LIFELONG EDUCATOR.
UM, SO WHEN IT COMES TO, AND I USE THIRD GRADE AND A THIRD GRADE RETENTION FOR THE BASIS OF MY QUESTION.
UM, SO WE GAUGE THESE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS ON THEIR ABILITY TO READ.
RIGHT? UM, AND, AND WHEN, WHEN YOU HAVE AN STUDENT WHO'S ON THE HONOR ROLL, OKAY.
SO MY QUESTION IS ONE, WHICH IS A BETTER INDICATOR OF WHERE THAT STUDENT IS, OKAY? THE, THE, THE HONOR ROLL OR THE TCAP AND, UH, AND TWO, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO TO TRY TO GET THOSE THINGS? OR DO WE EVEN, SHOULD THOSE THINGS BE CLOSER TO THE REALITY? I THINK THEY SHOULD BE CLOSER.
SO YOU REALLY, YOU COULD BE TALKING ABOUT TWO FACTORS.
'CAUSE ONE'S GRADES AND ONE'S A ONE TIME PERFORMANCE ON A TEST, AND GRADES CAN BE SUBJECTIVE.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF THIS, IF TRAVIS IS A REALLY HARD WORKER, I MEAN, HE, HE'S, AND HE'S ALWAYS ON TIME, HE'S ALWAYS PREPARED.
SOMETIMES I GET THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, AND I, BUT I MIGHT STRUGGLE A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN WHEN I GO TAKE A TCAP TEST, I DON'T, I DON'T, I'M NOT FEELING THE ENCOURAGEMENT, I'M FEELING ANXIETY AND I DON'T DO WELL.
UM, SO CAN YOU SAY THAT? WELL, I NEED TO BE RETAINED.
I'M A HARD WORKER, SO IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE IN THAT SITUATION CURRENTLY.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S A CLEAR CUT ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY VARIABLES.
YOU KNOW, DID I HAVE A BAD DAY WHEN I WAS TESTING? YOU KNOW, I COULD HAVE BEEN SICK, MY DOG COULD HAVE DIED THAT MORNING.
THAT COULD BE TRAUMATIC TO A THIRD GRADER.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT TEST, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GO INTO THAT GRADE.
NOW, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ACADEMIC STAFF THAT IS CONSTANTLY DOING THOSE PULSE POINTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO WE KIND OF KNOW WHERE EACH STUDENT SHOULD BE WHEN IT COMES TEST TIME.
AND, UH, AND WE ALSO CAN IDENTIFY, WELL, MAYBE THE STANDARDS AREN'T GETTING TAUGHT TO THE LEVEL THEY NEED TO BE TAUGHT.
I MEAN, THE KIDS LOVE THEIR TEACHER, BUT SHE'S NOT TEACHING 'EM EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO KNOW TO DO, DO VERY WELL ON THIS TEST.
SO, SO I THINK IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE YOU'VE GOT TO BE NUMBER ONE MINDFUL OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND DON'T, YOU DON'T WANT ANY SURPRISES AT THE END OF THE YEAR WITH A TEST.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT GOES BACK TO PULSEPOINT CHECKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND MAKING SURE EVERYBODY'S FOCUSED ON WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND THE REMEDIATION THAT MAY BE NEEDED ALONG THE WAY.
[02:30:01]
COMMENDABLE AND I KNOW THAT YOU, YOU DRIVE A BUS FOR US, RIGHT? OCCASIONALLY I DO DRIVE A BUS.UM, AND THEN OUR TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR ALSO DRIVES A BUS DRIVE.
UM, I'M LOOKING FROM, FROM, UH, THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE IN LEADERSHIP.
OKAY? AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S COMMENDABLE THAT YOU GUYS DRIVE A BUS AND, AND MORE SO THE TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR THAN YOU, UM, WE'RE PAYING HIM A LOT OF MONEY, OKAY? AND WE NEED HIS LEADERSHIP TO, TO LEAD THE ENTIRE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST THAT ONE BUS.
AND, AND I'M SURE, LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT TAKING TOO MUCH AWAY FROM YOUR DUTIES, BUT IT, IT, IT DOES.
UM, WHAT, AND, AND WE'VE IMPROVED, I KNOW WE'VE IMPROVED TRANSPORTATION, BUT WHEN YOU SEE THAT, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO PUT THOSE PEOPLE BACK WHERE, YOU KNOW, LEADING, I THINK YOU'RE 100% ACCURATE.
WE NEED MR. HOOVER SUPERVISING THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT BEHIND THE WHEEL OF A BUS.
'CAUSE YOU CANNOT LOOK AT YOUR PHONE WHILE YOU'RE ON THERE.
UM, WE GOTTA GET HIM OFF THE BUS SO THAT HE CAN DO THE, THE JOB THAT WE PUT HIM IN PLACE TO DO.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES, LIKE, HE FEELS BAD.
LIKE, WELL, IF I DON'T GO DRIVE THAT BUS, THESE KIDS ARE GONNA GET TO SCHOOL LATE.
UM, I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT, THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE HUGE BUDGETARY IMPACTS THAT CAN HELP IMPROVE THAT, SUCH AS REVAMPING OUR ATTENDANCE BONUS TO TRY TO GET OUR, GET OUR DRIVERS THERE.
UH, WE GOTTA LOOK AT THOSE ROUTES.
CAN WE GOTTA CONSOLIDATE EVERYTHING WE CAN.
I ACTUALLY HAD A CONVERSATION EARLIER WITH A, A GROUP OF PRINCIPALS ABOUT, I NEED THE, I NEED THOSE BUSES TO GET HERE BEFORE 8 25 IN THE MORNING.
I'VE GOTTA, I NEED THEM HERE BY 8 10, 8 15.
WELL, HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN? SO THEN I WAS TALKING TO MS. CATHERINE AND WHAT IF WE DID THIS? SO THERE'S SOME IDEAS, AND I I, AND IT GOES BACK TO THAT WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE AND THE MORE PEOPLE WE CAN INVOLVE IN THE SOLUTION, I THINK THE BETTER SOLUTION WE'LL GET.
UM, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE 100% RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT TO GET HIM OFF THE BUS AND BEHIND THE, UH, WELL, NOT BEHIND THE DESK ALL THE TIME, BUT LEADING THE DEPARTMENT, I ASK QUESTION PRETTY QUICK, AND I UNDERSTAND IF YOU CAN'T GET TO IT ALL, WE CAN CATCH IT UP IN OUR EXTRA TIME.
UM, SO DOES THE CURRENT USE OF TECHNOLOGY THROUGHOUT OUR PROGRAMS TEND TO GENERALLY ENHANCE OUR DOLE, THE STUDENTS' COMPREHENSION AND AUTHENTIC EXPRESSION OF LEARNING? HOW WOULD YOUR BELIEFS BE REPRESENTED AND SCALED FOR K THROUGH 12? SO SPECIFICALLY YOUR TECHNOLOGY.
TECHNOLOGY AND THE CHROMEBOOKS ON, YOU KNOW, THERE, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YEAH, EARLIER, THEY'RE A TOOL, BUT YOU CAN'T, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE FOR STUDENT TEACHER INTERACTION.
UM, AND WHAT NOW? I THINK, LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE A TOOL.
UM, BUT WE CAN'T RELY ON IT 100%.
I MEAN, WILL WOULD I GET BORED? UH, I ASSUME ALL STUDENTS WOULDN'T BE A WHOLE LOT DIFFERENT FROM ME.
IF I'M SITTING THERE MONOTONOUSLY DOING MATH PROBLEMS ON A COMPUTER, I'M GONNA GET TIRED OF DOING THAT.
I, I NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
I AM GONNA GO BACK TO THE PRIORITIZING THE BUDGET AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR LONG-TERM PLAN TO ENSURE THAT OUR K EIGHT SCHOOLS, SOUTHSIDE TUCKERS, CAROL OAKLAND OFFER PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES THAT ARE ON PAR WITH OUR TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS, BECAUSE THEY'RE OFTEN CRITICIZED THAT THEY'RE NOT THE SAME.
WHAT IMPROVEMENTS OR INVESTMENTS WOULD YOU PRIORITIZE TO CLOSE ANY EXISTING GAPS? UH, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THE, UH, AND I'LL BE HONEST, THE ACADEMIC SIDE, I'VE BEEN OUT OF THAT FOR FOUR YEARS, SO I CAN'T SAY A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT I KNOW THEY DO THE ALGEBRA ONE, THAT WAS A, A TOPIC A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL ABOUT, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THOSE STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THE ADVANCED MATH CLASSES, JUST LIKE THE STUDENTS AT MOUNT JULIET AND WEST WILSON, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
SO I THINK IT'S OFFERING THOSE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS IS, IS A KEY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT ABILITY AS WELL.
I KNOW WE HAVE, AS A DISTRICT PARTNERED WITH SOME OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS TO DO THAT IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS BASED ON A STUDENT'S SPECIFIC NEED.
YOU KNOW, KNOW, I, I HAD AN EIGHTH GRADER COME TO MY BUILDING AT ONE TIME, PROBABLY TO TAKE GEOMETRY.
IT SEEMS LIKE I MIGHT HAVE HAD ONE TAKEN ENGLISH ONE AS AN EIGHTH GRADER.
UM, BUT WE, WE CURRENTLY DO THAT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS IF A, IF A STUDENT HAS A NEED.
UM, SO THERE'S MAKING SURE THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE PROGRAMS. UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THEIR FACILITIES TO BE COMPARABLE.
YOU KNOW, FACILITIES IS A BROAD TOPIC, YOU KNOW, DO WE, DO THEY HAVE THE SAME VIEW SONIC TECHNOLOGY DEVICES THAT THE OTHER SCHOOLS DO? YES.
I MEAN, BUT ARE YOU GOING BEYOND THAT? BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, IF YOU DON'T KNOW TUCKER'S CROSSOVERS DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME ATHLETIC FACILITIES
[02:35:01]
THAT VILLE MIDDLE DOES, SO WHAT'S THE PLAN GONNA BE? THAT'S A MONETARY DECISION.THAT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BUDGET ISSUE.
ARE WE GONNA FOCUS ON THAT? BECAUSE IT GOES BACK TO WE GOT A BUNCH OF WANTS, WHICH WANTS ARE WE GONNA FULFILL? BECAUSE THEY WON'T ALL GET FULFILLED.
SO THEN IT COMES, HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE THAT DECISION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GONNA SPEND ANY MONEY THAT WE DO HAVE TO PUT TOWARDS EQUITY? ALL RIGHT.
THE NEXT ONE IS, AND THIS CAME BEFORE THE BOARD LAST WEEK, WHILE STATE MANDATED ASSESSMENTS ARE REQUIRED, MANY STAKEHOLDERS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT WHAT THEY PERCEIVE TO BE EXCESSIVE TESTING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, IRA ET 21.
HOW DO YOU VIEW THE NECESSITY OF THESE ASSESSMENTS AND HOW WOULD YOU BALANCE THE NEED FOR MEANINGFUL DATA WITH CONCERNS OVER, OVER TESTING AND LOSS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME? UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK YOU GOTTA EVALUATE YOUR TESTING SCHEDULE.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU DOING? YOU KNOW, UH, THIS CONVERS TOPIC CAME UP A FEW DAYS AGO ABOUT, UH, THE, THE BENCHMARK TEST.
YOU KNOW, AT ONE TIME, THAT WAS OUR NINE WEEKS ASSESSMENT THAT WE USED AT THE, AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FOR SURE.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT CAN'T BE A NINE WEEKS ASSESSMENT AT A ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR THAT MATTER.
YOU KNOW, UM, I-READY IS TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH THOSE STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE POTENTIALLY IN NEED OF REMEDIATION IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UM, YOU, I THINK YOU GOTTA PROTECT THAT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME NUMBER.
BUT, BUT THAT DOES PLAY A BIG PART IN IDENTIFYING WHAT STUDENTS NEED.
IT'S NOT THE ONLY PART, BUT IT DOES PLAY A PART IN IT.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE, I BELIEVE IT WAS LAST YEAR IN ORDER TO, THEY REDUCED ONE BENCHMARK TEST, I BELIEVE IT WAS, IN ORDER TO TRY TO HELP WITH THAT FEELING OF OVER TESTING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, AND ALSO I THINK IT'S REALLY HOW YOU VIEW IT, BECAUSE ANYTIME I REALLY, ANYTIME YOU TAKE A TEST, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, SHOW ME WHAT, YOU KNOW, SOME, BUT WE GET ALL WORKED UP ABOUT GRADES AND BEING IDENTIFIED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT'S A COMMUNICATION PIECE.
YOU KNOW, EVEN AS A TEACHER, LIKE, YOU DON'T NEED TO STRESS ABOUT THIS.
I JUST NEED TO SEE WHAT, YOU KNOW, SO I KNOW WHAT, WHAT I NEED TO FOCUS ON TO HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY A BALANCE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY CLEAR CUT ANSWER ABOUT THIS IS THE RIGHT NUMBER OF ASSESSMENTS WHERE YOU NEED TO ELIMINATE THIS PIECE.
I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT THAT AT THIS.
WELL, I KNOW THERE'S TALK ABOUT THAT AT THE STATE LEVEL, ABOUT WE MIGHT START, I, UH, PILOTING.
CAN WE REDUCE STATE TESTING AND STILL GET THE SAME RESULTS? SO IT CAME OUT IN A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE RECENTLY.
I'M SURE YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT IT.
WELL, I KNOW THERE WAS CONCERN BECAUSE AS SOON AS WE TOOK THE TCAP TEST, THE VERY NEXT WEEK, WE HAD TO TAKE I-READY.
SO I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF ISSUES AND CONCERNS WITH THAT.
MR. MAYFIELD, HOW YOU DOING? I'M GOOD.
SO YOU GOT SOME BIG SHOES TO FILL AS A NEW DIRECTOR, GIVEN THE SUCCESS THAT MR. ROS HAD OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, I SEE IT AS A, AS THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES THAT WE CONTINUE ON THE PATH UP, WE FLATLINE OR WE DECLINE.
HOW DO YOU, WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR VISION SEPARATE FROM MAYBE WHAT MR. LETRELL HAD? OR, AND HOW WOULD YOU EXPAND ON THAT AND HOW WOULD YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, SEE OUR WEAKNESSES AND, AND MAKE US STRONGER? OH, I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT YOUR QUESTION ALL ALONG BECAUSE HE'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, AND YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE ONE OF THREE OUTCOMES THAT TAKE PLACE.
UM, I FEEL LIKE FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'VE GOTTA BUILD CAPACITY IN PEOPLE.
I'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THAT TREND.
AND, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT CAPACITY COMES FROM ALL OF THOSE THINGS I'VE TALKED ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I'VE SAID, YEAR ONE, I'VE GOTTA GET PEOPLE TO TRUST ME.
I'VE GOTTA GET PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT I CARE ABOUT 'EM.
I'VE GOT TO INSPIRE THEM TO CONTINUE TO TRY TO IMPROVE UPON THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY'VE ALREADY DONE.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS RECOGNIZING THEIR PAST SUCCESS, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE ACKNOWLEDGED SO THAT THEY'RE, THEY FEEL PRIDE IN THE, IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, UH, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK MY METRICS FOR SUCCESS, I DON'T VIEW THOSE ANY DIFFERENT.
I WANT THOSE SAME, I'M GONNA FOCUS ON THOSE SAME AREAS, UM, BECAUSE I, I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT GUY THAT FLAT LINES OR DROPS.
SO I'VE GOTTA DO EVERYTHING IN MY ABILITY TO TRY TO KEEP US MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO GIVEN YOUR INSIDER KNOWLEDGE OF BEING A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF, OF OPERATIONS AND KNOWING WHERE WE STRUGGLE WITH BUSING, I MEAN, IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I CONTINUOUSLY GET HEALTH INSURANCE,
[02:40:01]
OBVIOUSLY REZONING, THE CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE THINGS.NOW THAT YOU WOULD BE DIRECTOR, HOW WOULD YOU, YOU HAD A CHANCE TO KIND OF INFLUENCE THOSE THINGS.
AS DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, HOW DO YOU, HOW DO WE TRUST THAT AS DIRECTOR THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON THOSE THINGS? BECAUSE I STILL FEEL LIKE WE'RE STRUGGLING, AND I FEEL LIKE SOME OF THAT'S BEEN REACTIVE, VER VERSUS PROACTIVE.
BUT EXPLAIN TO ME HOW YOU WOULD MAKE THAT BRIDGE AND HOW WE WOULD MAYBE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE CAPACITIES AS YOUR ROLE WOULD GO.
YOU KNOW, THE INSURANCE FUND IS, IS GOING TO BE A MONETARY, IT'S GONNA BE A MONETARY DECISION.
WE'RE GONNA, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS HOW I WOULD DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING.
NUMBER ONE, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT DO OUR EMPLOYEES WANT? HERE'S, WE, WE NEED TO HAVE TWO OPTIONS, AND WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR ON WHAT THESE TWO OPTIONS COULD LOOK LIKE, WHETHER IT'S A, OUR CURRENT SITUATION PAIRED WITH A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN.
BUT, BUT IF WE'RE SELF-INSURED, FOUR PLANS WILL DIVIDE IT TO THE POINT WHERE THE BEST PLAN WILL BE UNAFFORDABLE TO ANYBODY.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO DEVISE, HERE'S THE SCENARIO FOR TWO PLANS, PUT THAT OUT TO THEIR, TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO THEY SAY, THIS IS WHAT I WOULD PREFER AND THIS IS WHAT I WOULD PREFER.
AND I THINK YOU NEED TO GATHER SOME METRICS ON EXACTLY WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE SO YOU CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISION.
BECAUSE PROBABLY THE GENERAL CONSENSUS WOULD, I'M, IF I'M YOUNG AND HEALTHY, I, I WANT A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN.
IF I GO TO, I'M OLDER AND GO TO THE DOCTOR A LOT, THIS, THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK FOR ME.
I WANT THIS OVER HERE, WHICH IS GOING TO INFLUENCE HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO COST, PERIOD.
AND THEN THAT COST, HOW IS THAT BEING DISSEMINATED? IS THAT THE DISTRICT? HOW MUCH IS THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTING? HOW MUCH IS THE INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTING? IS THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTING A CERTAIN AMOUNT TOWARDS THIS PLANT AND A DIFFERENT AMOUNT TOWARDS THIS PLANT OVER HERE? WHICH SOME DISTRICTS DO THAT, YOU KNOW.
SO I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF VARIABLES OUT THERE THAT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO TRIM DOWN THOSE VARIABLES TO FIGURE OUT WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT AND THEN FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND THEN WE GOTTA PUT IT BACK OUT THERE AND SAY, HERE'S OUR OPTIONS.
BECAUSE IF IT'S THE STATE PLAN, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO VOTE ON IT.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO INVOLVE OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE DECISION WE MAKE.
BUT THEN YOU ALSO GOTTA COMMUNICATE, HERE'S THE, HERE'S THE CONSTRAINTS, AND NOW WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? I, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE KEY.
UH, AND I THINK WE, I, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I, I BELIEVE I SAID IT'S NOT A SIX MONTH PROCESS, IT'S 18 MONTHS IN MY OPINION.
'CAUSE SIX MONTHS IS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE THAT KIND OF CHANGE, BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, IN YEAR ONE, THE NEW DIRECTOR HAS GOT TO FOCUS ON THAT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
AND LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN'T HAVE EMPLOYEES WORRIED ABOUT THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE WHENEVER THE NEW DIRECTOR NEEDS 'EM FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.
UM, TRANSPORTATION, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT SOME NEW IDEAS.
YOU KNOW, IT GOES BACK TO RECRUITMENT NUMBER ONE.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING I'VE JOTTED DOWN IS WE OFFER A REFERRAL BONUS, BUT WE DON'T EVER OFFER A SIGNING BONUS.
NOW THAT'S A MONETARY BUDGET INCREASE.
WELL, IT COULD BE BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE'RE PAYING SOME DRIVERS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OVERTIME TO COVER EXTRA ROUTES WHERE IF WE HAD AN EMPLOYEE IN PLACE MAY, WE WOULDN'T BE PAYING THEM OVERTIME.
SO WHAT DOES THAT DO TO OUR BUDGET? UM, BUT CONSOLIDATING THOSE ROUTES, WE GOTTA REALLY, REALLY LOOK AT THAT.
AND, AND I HAVE SOME OTHER IDEAS.
SO THE NEXT 15 MINUTES ARE GONNA BE, IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER A QUESTION FURTHER THAT YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YOU GOT ANSWERED, OR THE BOARD MAY ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS, THEN ARE WE COMING BACK TO ANOTHER ROUND? YES.
SO TO CONTINUE, UM, NUMBER ONE, WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO RECRUIT MORE DRIVERS.
I, I HAVEN'T I, WELL, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WILL RECRUIT MORE DRIVERS, BUT THE ATTENDANCE INCENTIVE, I FEEL LIKE IT WILL MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
AND WHICH IS DEFINITELY GOING TO IMPACT OUR DAY-TO-DAY SERVICE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE.
DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT, IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE IN THE SUBDIVISION, ESPECIALLY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE GONNA SWING THE BUS INTO THE CLUBHOUSE AREA.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PICKING YOU UP.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET YOU TO SCHOOL.
BECAUSE IN OUR HIGH DENSITY AREAS SUCH AS THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY, I COULD BE IN A SUBDIVISION, PICK UP 50 KIDS, TAKE 'EM TO LZ PATTON, DROP 'EM OFF, AND GET TO ANOTHER SUBDIVISION AND PICK UP SOME MORE KIDS AND STILL GET 'EM TO SCHOOL BEFORE THE BELL RINGS.
IS THAT DOABLE? YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THINGS THAT, THE IDEAS LIKE THAT, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS POPULAR, BUT IF IT'S DOABLE, LET'S TRY.
LET'S TRY, BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN, IF, IF HERE'S AN IDEA TO FIX A PROBLEM, LET'S TRY IT.
[02:45:01]
THEN I'M JUST GONNA ADMIT IT DIDN'T WORK.IT WAS, IT WAS NOT THE RIGHT DECISION.
AND LET'S, LET'S MAKE A BETTER DECISION.
BECAUSE SITTING AROUND AND DOING THE SAME OLD THING THAT WE'VE DONE ISN'T GETTING US ANYWHERE, WHETHER IT'S THE TRANSPORTATION PROBLEM OR OTHER PROBLEMS I'VE ENCOUNTERED.
UM, SO, SO I THINK YOU GOTTA ACTIVELY LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS AND, AND YOU GOTTA TRY, YOU KNOW, AND PART OF THAT GOES BACK, I NEED THE DRIVERS BEING WILLING TO DO THAT.
AND WE, WE DO HAVE GROUPS OF DRIVERS THAT ARE WILLING, 'CAUSE A LOT OF 'EM WILL DRIVE MULTIPLE ROUTES.
THEY'LL RUN THE SECOND SHIFT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO IN REGARDS TO THE TRANSPORTATION, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE AN ONGOING, WE, WE GOTTA CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR IMPROVEMENT.
WE NEED MR. HOOVER FIRST AND FOREMOST.
SO THERE WAS A THIRD PART OF YOUR QUESTION, IT SEEMS LIKE THAT MAYBE I DIDN'T TOUCH ON.
I THINK I DIDN'T GET TO MR. BID, DID YOU? NO, NO.
I WAS GONNA ASK A QUESTION, BUT IF THERE WAS SOMETHING GO AHEAD.
YOU WANTED TO, ARE YOU GOOD, MS. FLYNN? OKAY.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA ASK A QUESTION.
WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THIS YET.
UM, AND, AND I ASKED, UH, I ASKED, UM, MR. DUNCAN THIS QUESTION.
SO, UM, UH, CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF HIRING SOMEBODY INSIDE OUR SYSTEM, VICE HIRING SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE OF OUR SYSTEM? THE BENEFIT OF HIRING SOMEBODY WITHIN YOUR SYSTEM IS THEY ALREADY KNOW A LOT OF YOUR PROCESSES THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
THEY, THEY HAVE A REALLY GOOD IDEA OF KNOWING WHAT'S GOING WELL AND WHAT NEEDS SOME ATTENTION.
UM, THERE'S NOT A SHARP, A LEARNING CURVE, ALTHOUGH I STILL FEEL LIKE THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE BECAUSE WHILE I MIGHT KNOW THE JOB OF PRINCIPAL OR THE JOB OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, THE, THE JOB OF SUPERINTENDENT OR DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS IS NOT ONE I'VE DONE.
AND SO THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I, THAT I WILL LEARN.
DOES IT GIVE YOU A LEG UP? OF COURSE IT DOES.
NOW, THE FLIP SIDE IS IF YOU WAS TO HIRE SOMEBODY FROM OUTSIDE, YOU'RE GETTING AN, UH, SOMEBODY THAT HAS A DIFFERENT SET OF IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES IN A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT A DISTRICT.
UH, NOW I'M GONNA GO BACK AND COUNTER THAT WITH WILSON COUNTY.
HADN'T ALWAYS BEEN WHERE I, MY, I'VE BEEN EMPLOYED, YOU KNOW, I WORKED IN THREE DISTRICTS IN OKLAHOMA AND TWO HERE IN, IN, UH, TENNESSEE.
SO, AND I THINK THAT'S MADE ME A BETTER TEACHER, A BETTER PRINCIPAL, A BETTER POTENTIAL CANDIDATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE WORKED IN A SCHOOL OF DISTRICT THAT HAD 220 STUDENTS.
DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
BUT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I LEARNED IN THAT SITUATION THAT I FEEL LIKE CARRIES OVER INTO TO OTHER SITUATIONS.
YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY FROM THAT IS IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL.
ALL THOSE VALUES AND THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE, THOSE ARE WHAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE RIGHT THERE.
UM, SO, UM, DOES IT, I MS. LYNN, YOU HAD SOMETHING THAT YOU DIDN'T, THAT I DIDN'T GET TO.
I KNOW THERE WAS, WASN'T THERE.
UM, MR. MAYFIELD, DO YOU LIVE IN WILSON COUNTY OR WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO MOVE TO WILSON COUNTY? YES, I LIVE IN WILSON COUNTY.
AND HAVE YOU GIVEN ANY IDEA TO HOW MANY MORE YEARS IT MIGHT BE BEFORE YOU WANT TO RETIRE? WELL, I'D RETIRE TOMORROW IF I COULD, BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY AN OPTION.
OPTION
UH, THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE I'M GONNA WORK NINE MORE YEARS.
SO, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, THE, YOU KNOW, SOME DIRECTORS LIKE, OKAY, I'M GONNA DO THIS FOR, I'M GONNA GET MY FIVE HIGH AND THEN I'M GONNA BOUNCE OUT.
WELL, THEN THEY'RE GONNA GO SELL INSURANCE OR ROOFS OR WHAT.
I, I TRIED THAT ONCE TO DO SOMETHING OUTSIDE EDUCATION AND I ABSOLUTELY HATED IT.
UM, AND SO, I MEAN, EDUCATION'S WHAT I WANT TO DO.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED TOO HARD TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR SALARIES.
WHAT SPECIFIC STRATEGIES WOULD YOU PUT IN PLACE TO RETAIN HIGHLY EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE DEDICATED 15 OR MORE YEARS WITH WILSON COUNTY? YEAH.
UH, I THINK TEACHER RETENTION IS THE KEY.
UM, AND LIKE I SAID, THE, THE PAY AND THE BENEFITS IS ONLY ONE PART OF IT.
UM, OH, I'M ON THE WRONG SHEET.
I WANT, I HAVE SOME NOTES IN REGARDS TO THAT THAT I, I WANNA MAKE SURE I HIT.
[02:50:01]
THOSE TEACHERS THAT ARE 10 TO 15 YEARS EXPERIENCE, I MEAN, THAT'S THE KEY TO DOING THAT.AND I REALLY THINK IT GOES BACK TO FEELING VALUED.
I THINK OUR CLASS SIZES HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN WILSON COUNTY BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT HAVE WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE AND IT'S LIKE, UGH, I'M MAKING MORE MONEY, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS NOT WHAT I ENVISIONED IT WOULD BE BECAUSE OF VARIOUS FACTORS.
UM, AND I REALLY BELIEVE LEADERSHIP MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
I KNOW THERE'S TEACHERS THAT HAVE BEEN IN WILSON COUNTY FOR A LONG TIME, UH, AND THEY COULD GO TO RUTHERFORD COUNTY AND MAKE 10 TO $15,000 MORE MONEY EASY.
AND THERE'S A REASON WHY THEY DON'T DO THAT.
AND IT GOES BACK TO THAT CULTURE AND COMMUNITY.
IT GOES BACK TO FEELING VALUED AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND I, I THINK YOU CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING PEOPLE GREAT JOB, OF RECOGNIZING THEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S THE KEY.
YOU KNOW, MONEY'S NOT EVERYTHING.
WE'VE HEARD THAT WE, WE STILL GOTTA HAVE IT, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT THE END ALL BE ALL IN A LOT OF CASES.
UM, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT TESTING, UM, I KNOW YOU'D MENTIONED KIND OF LIKE, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST ANOTHER TEST, RIGHT? UM, IT'S JUST ANOTHER TEST.
DO YOU THINK IN YOUR OPINION, THAT SOMETIMES AS A DISTRICT WE MIGHT CREATE SOME OF THE ANXIETY? BECAUSE WHEN THERE IS TESTING WEEK, WE CHANGE EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO DO YOU THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU CONSIDER CHANGING IT TO WHERE WE'RE NOT AMPING UP SOMETHING TO MAKE IT BIGGER? BECAUSE IF IT IS JUST ANOTHER TEST, ANOTHER BENCHMARK THAT'S RIGHT.
WE'RE TREATING IT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
AND SOMETIMES THAT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE TREATED SOMEBODY GOING UP TO HIT THE, YOU KNOW, TO TO, TO BACK AND WE TREATED THAT AT BAT DIFFERENT 'CAUSE WE SAID IT WAS BIGGER, UM, THAT'S A LOT OF ANXIETY.
SO IF WE, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT TO SEE ABOUT ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, THAT'S, UH, AND LIKE I SAID, I KNOW WHAT THE TESTING SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I, I'M PRETTY FAMILIAR, THE ELEMENTARY, TO BE HONEST, I NEVER WAS INVOLVED IN THAT.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I WANT TO DIVE BACK IN TO.
BASICALLY K FIVE, UH, THE ACADEMICS, THE EARLY GRADES, LITERACY AND THOSE THINGS.
I WANNA LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT STUFF.
AND, AND THAT TESTING COMPONENT WOULD BE PART OF THAT.
BECAUSE, I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT, WHENEVER YOU PUT A PERSON IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SITUATION TO DO THE EXACT SAME THING YOU'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR, IT CAN CHANGE IT.
AND, AND NOBODY EVER PERFORMS WELL WHEN THEY'RE UNDER A LOT OF EXTERNAL PRESSURE, PERCEIVED PRESSURE, UH, PERCEIVED EXPECTATIONS.
SO I, I DO THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT COULD VERY WELL BE A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
UM, HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS SHOULD VISIT SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND WHEN THEY VISIT, UM, WHO IN PARTICULAR SHOULD THEY BE GOING TO SEE? I THINK YOU GOTTA GO SEE TEACHERS.
I THINK YOU NEED TO GO CLASSROOMS. UM, I THINK YOU NEED TO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CERTAIN TIMES THAT YOU, I'M GOING TO TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL, BUT I'M ALSO GONNA MAKE SURE I TOUCH BASE WITH THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
I NEED TO KNOW WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE.
UH, BUT I, I NEED TO BE SEEN IN THE CLASSROOM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S A LOFTY GOAL, AND I HOPE MY, I DON'T HAVE SOME IDEA THAT IS UNATTAINABLE DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT THE JOB ACTUALLY PUTS ON YOU.
BUT I WAS THINKING ABOUT THAT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHY, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, WE HAD A, UH, A TRAINING YEARS AGO, AND, AND THE GUY WASN'T VERY POPULAR, BUT HE, HE HAD A COUPLE OF GOOD IDEAS THAT RESONATED WITH ME.
THERE'S NO REASON A PRINCIPAL CAN'T GO INTO A CLASSROOM, SIT DOWN AND BE A PART OF THE CLASSROOM, BUT YOU'RE REALLY IN THE BACK ANSWERING SOME EMAILS BECAUSE YOUR PRESENCE IS NOTED.
AND NUMBER TWO, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU'RE GONNA GET THE VIBE IN THE ROOM, SO YOU CAN REALLY ACCOMPLISH TWO THINGS AT ONCE.
NOW, THE, THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT IS BE PRESENT IN THE CLASSROOM AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO FOCUS, WELL, I'M ONLY GONNA VISIT CLASSROOMS TODAY AND I'M NEVER GONNA CHECK AN EMAIL, AND THEN I'M GONNA HAVE 200 EMAILS, SO THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO DO TOMORROW.
SO, BUT I DO THINK BEING VERY INTENTIONAL WITH YOUR TIME AND HOW YOU SCHEDULE, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, PLANNING OUT LIKE, OKAY, IS HERE'S THE SCHOOLS I'M GONNA VISIT THIS WEEK, AND HERE'S THE TIMES I'M GONNA DO IT.
AND IT'S BLOCKED ON THE CALENDAR.
AND YOU, YOU DON'T NEGOTIATE THAT YOU CAN ANSWER THE PHONE OR TALK, YOU KNOW, THE BLUETOOTH ON THE WAY TO A SCHOOL THAT CAN TAKE PLACE.
UM, SO I, I THINK IT'S PRIORITIZING AND PROTECTING THAT TIME BECAUSE I, I DO THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTORS.
ON THE TOPIC OF REZONING, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A SENSITIVE ISSUE, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF
[02:55:01]
GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING.HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT FUTURE REZONING DECISIONS ARE MORE DATA-DRIVEN, TRANSPARENT, AND ANNOUNCED WITH ENOUGH LEAD TIME SO FAMILIES CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY? I FEEL LIKE WE REALLY PUT IT OUT EARLY THIS PAST TIME, BUT MAYBE IT WASN'T EARLY ENOUGH.
I MEAN, I, I LIKE THE PROCESS THAT WE HAD THIS, THIS PAST ONE FOR CENTRAL PIKE.
UM, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME YOU START BUILDING A SCHOOL, THEN MAYBE WE NEED TO PUT IT OUT THERE, THESE AREAS YOU'RE SUBJECT TO, TO BEING REZONED TO THIS NEW SCHOOL.
AND HERE'S WHY, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT EXACT VERY THING COME UP HERE AND IT'S GONNA INVOLVE STONER CREEK, WHICH WE TRIED THAT ONCE AND IT DIDN'T GO SO WELL.
UH, BECAUSE I LOVE MY SCHOOL AND I DON'T WANNA LEAVE.
UM, NOW THAT WAS, WE'RE GONNA TRANSFER YOU OUT OF THIS SCHOOL AND PUT YOU OVER IN THIS SCHOOL.
IT'S A LITTLE BETTER WHEN WE'RE TAKING YOU GUYS OUT OF THIS SCHOOL AND THIS WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD'S GOING TO A BRAND NEW SCHOOL.
SO I THINK TRYING TO BALANCE THAT, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA REZONE WE OUR CURRENT STRUCTURE OR WE REZONING FOR A NEW BUILD AND THEN PLANNING FOR THOSE NEW BUILDS.
IT GOES BACK TO THAT LONG RANGE PLANNING THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT AS FAR AS OUR LIKE FIVE AND 10 YEAR PLANS, AND WHAT DO WE REALLY WANT.
UH, I, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES WE TALK ABOUT IT AND WE WRITE IT DOWN, BUT ARE WE REALLY, REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT? YOU KNOW? UH, BECAUSE IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE MAKING THAT DECISION.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T, YOU'VE ALSO GOT FUNDING ISSUES THAT ARE GONNA COME FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSION.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO BE IN FRONT OF THOSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND EXPRESSING, HERE'S THE NEEDS AND HERE'S WHAT WE SEE IN FIVE YEARS AND 10 YEARS.
AND WHAT IS YOUR VISION AND DO YOU SUPPORT THAT OR DO YOU WANNA SEE AN ALTERNATE PLAN? YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, UH, HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A FEW YEARS AGO, WE GOTTA BUY LAND FOR NORTH CENTRAL LAGADO, AND WE HAD THAT PIECE AND IT WAS PULLED, SO WE DON'T HAVE LAND FOR A HIGH SCHOOL UP IN THE LAGADO AREA.
SO IT'S STILL KIND OF ON THE, THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT OR THE FIVE YEAR, 10 YEAR PLAN.
UM, DO WE, AND, AND GEOGRAPHICALLY WE PROBABLY, WE MIGHT NEED IT, WE DEFINITELY NEED A MIDDLE SCHOOL GEOGRAPHICALLY BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF WEST WILSON.
BUT IN REGARDS TO THE HIGH SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S OTHER COUNTIES, INSTEAD OF BUILDING A NEW HIGH SCHOOL, THEY ADD CAPACITY FOR 500 MORE STUDENTS AT THREE SCHOOLS.
AND THEN YOU'RE GETTING SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS WITH 2,500 KIDS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN? WHAT IS THE, WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THAT DECISION? NUMBER ONE, WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT? WHAT'S IT GONNA DO TO THAT? WHAT'S IT GONNA DO TO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY? YOU KNOW, HOW'S IT GONNA AFFECT SAFETY AND ALL THOSE ITEMS? AT ONE TIME, LONG TIME AGO IN WILSON COUNTY, THE THE IDEA WAS WE'RE GONNA, WE DON'T WANT OUR SCHOOLS TO BE AT 2000.
WE DON'T WANT 'EM 1600 OR LOW, REALLY WHAT WE WANT.
BECAUSE WHEN WILSON CENTRAL WAS BUILT, IT WAS BUILT FOR 1200 STUDENTS ORIGINALLY, AND SEVEN YEARS LATER THEY ADDED ON.
SO, UH, BUT I THINK IT GOES BACK TO THAT LONG RANGE PLANNING AND, AND WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNITY WANT AND WHICH DIRECTION DO WE GO? I, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER ROUND WITH EACH BOARD MEMBER, UM, ASKING QUESTIONS FOR FIVE MINUTES.
HI AGAIN, MS. FAR WILL YOU TELL US ABOUT A DIFFICULT LEADERSHIP SITUATION THAT YOU'VE HANDLED AND WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM IT? UH, I THINK PROBABLY WHENEVER I CAME BACK TO WILSON CENTRAL, AFTER WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WHEN THE DATA CAME IN AND IT WAS NOT GOOD, IS HAVING A HARD CONVERSATION WITH THE FACULTY BECAUSE LIKE, NOBODY WANTS TO HEAR, WE DIDN'T DO, WE, WE DIDN'T DO VERY WELL AT ALL.
IT WAS, IT WAS A POOR PERFORMANCE AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? AND I THINK BEING HONEST ABOUT WHERE WE WERE WAS THE KEY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I HAD TO STAND BEFORE TEACHERS WHO HAD STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL AND SAY, YOU KNOW, THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE JUST IDENTIFIED US AS HAVING STUDENTS FROM A, UH, POOR UNDERPERFORMING SCHOOL, THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY OF US FEEL GOOD.
SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT IT? AND HOW ARE WE GONNA CHANGE WHAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE HERE IN ORDER TO GET WHERE WE WANT TO BE? UM, BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO BE THERE.
I MEAN, MAYBE SOME, MAYBE MAYBE
[03:00:01]
THERE ARE SOME ORGANIZATIONS THAT, LIKE APATHY HAS BEAT THEM DOWN AND THEY JUST ACCEPT IT.AND IT'S NOT WHO, WHO WILSON COUNTY IS.
I MEAN, AVERAGE IS NOT EVEN CLOSE TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
WE ARE AN ABOVE AVERAGE DISTRICT, AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE AN ABOVE AVERAGE DISTRICT.
AND WHEN WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT EXPERIENCES CHALLENGE, HOW ARE WE GONNA SUPPORT THOSE SCHOOLS? AND IN ESSENCE, HOW ARE WE SUPPORTING THOSE STUDENTS? BECAUSE THAT'S WHO WE'RE REALLY LEAVING BEHIND IF WE ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, SO, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT TIMES.
AND I, I JUST ADDRESSED IT WITH TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY AND, AND FEEDBACK AND THEN ENCOURAGEMENT AND, UH, RECOGNITION WHENEVER THINGS WERE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I THINK THAT'S, WHENEVER I STARTED, UH, WE, FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, WE STARTED HAVING A PEP RALLY.
AND I IDENTIFIED NOT ONLY OUTSTANDING STUDENTS, BUT OUTSTANDING TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS WHO DID GREAT.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, MS. WEEKS SCORED ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE ON AP UH, GOVERNMENT.
AND, AND WE CELEBRATED PEOPLE AND WE CELEBRATED GROUPS.
AND I THINK THAT RECOGNITION MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
UM, SO, SO, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND, AND DIFFICULT SITUATIONS, YOU JUST GOTTA APPROACH THEM WITH, WITH HONESTY.
UM, AND IN A NONJUDGMENTAL OR A NON ACCUSATORY WAY.
LIKE, LIKE, OKAY, YOUR CLASS DIDN'T DO WELL.
WE DID A TERRIBLE JOB OF SUPPORTING YOU AND HERE'S HOW WE'RE GONNA FIX THAT.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT ALL THIS PERSON'S FAULT OR ONE PERSON'S FAULT.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE LEADER HAS TO TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO FALL.
UM, SO HOW TO APPROACH THOSE DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVENUES TO GET YOUR MESSAGE OUT THERE.
THAT THAT'S WHERE I WOULD TRY TO BRIDGE THE GAP AND, AND FIND COMMON GROUND AND MAKE SURE, BECAUSE NOBODY CAN ARGUE WITH THE FACT THAT OUR FOCUS IS ON OUR STUDENTS.
I THINK YOU CAN, I KNOW I SAY THAT ALL THE TIME, BUT THAT IS WHERE IT'S AT.
UM, AND I THINK ONCE YOU START THERE AND REMIND PEOPLE, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE AT, THEN YOU CAN COME TO SOME SORT OF COMMON DECISION, COMMON GROUND.
WE, WE WON'T ALWAYS, WE WON'T AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT WE ARE GONNA AGREE ON THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ARGUE STUDENTS.
UM, POLITICAL DIVISION, YOU KNOW, I, ARE WE TALKING THE REPUBLICANS AND THE DEMOCRATS DON'T LIKE EACH OTHER? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS SIDE'S AGAINST THAT SIDE IN REGARDS TO FUNDING THE SCHOOL OR THINGS LIKE THAT? UM, THE POLITICS I ALWAYS TOLD WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL TOLD STUDENTS AND LIKE, I, NONE OF THAT STUFF MATTERS TO ME.
I DON'T CARE WHO YOU ARE, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU'VE GOT, WHERE YOU COME FROM, WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS, NONE OF THAT STUFF MATTERS.
MY FOCUS IS ON EDUCATING STUDENTS.
UM, AND I, AND I ALSO TOLD PEOPLE, I'M GONNA RESPECT YOU.
I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU RESPECT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, I RESPECT YOU.
I'M GONNA TREAT YOU WITH RESPECT EVERY DAY.
AND THE ONLY THING I EVER ASK OF THEM WAS JUST TREAT EACH OTHER THE SAME WAY.
AND I FELT LIKE WE HAD A REALLY, REALLY GOOD CULTURE, UH, WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL THERE.
I THINK WE HAD A LOT OF, WE HAD PEOPLE THAT RESPECTED ONE ANOTHER.
AND I THINK, I THINK THAT LEADERSHIP IS, HELPS BUILD THAT.
I WILL LET YOU GRAB A DRINK,
WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IT TAKES? OOPS, I WRONG ONE.
FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHAT DOES OUR COMMUNITY NEED FROM THE NEXT DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS IN ORDER TO BUILD TRUST AND WHAT WOULD YOUR FIRST SIX MONTHS LOOK LIKE IN ESTABLISHING THAT TRUST? IF YOU WOULD PLEASE PROVIDE EXAMPLES IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, BEING IN SCHOOLS, TALKING TO TEACHERS, TALKING TO ADMINISTRATORS, BEING VERY, UH, FOCUSED IN PRINCIPAL AND STAFF MEETINGS, MAKING SURE MY MESSAGE GETS OUT THERE.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME MESSAGE I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THE, YOU KNOW, TWO HOURS OF INTERVIEWS SO FAR THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, MY, WHERE, WHERE'S MY FOCUS? YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND WHERE MY FOCUS IS, AND YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THAT I TRUST YOU.
UH, BUT THEN EVEN GREATER IN GETTING THAT MESSAGE OUT THERE IS BEING INVOLVED OUT IN THE COMMUNITY.
[03:05:01]
NOT JUST PARENT TYPE COMMUNITY, BUT THE CIVIC COMMUNITY, THE CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS.UM, I KNOW THAT THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS GETS INVITED TO GO SPEAK TO THIS ROTARY GROUP OR THAT ROTARY GROUP, OR YOU'RE ON THE RADIO.
AND I THINK IT'S, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE NOTICE WHEN YOUR MESSAGE CHANGES FROM, WELL, HERE, THIS PERSON SAID HIS PRIORITY WAS THIS, BUT OVER HERE THE PRIORITIES SEEM TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.
I MEAN, I, I, MY PRIORITIES ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
THERE ARE THOSE THINGS ABOUT STUDENTS AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND SAFETY AND, YOU KNOW, BUILDING COMMUNITY AND TRUST AND UNITY AND HAVING INTEGRITY.
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S WHAT I'M GONNA DO.
I, YOU KNOW, AND BEING OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, I'VE ALSO THOUGHT ABOUT COMMUNICATION FOR, YOU KNOW, OUR SCHOOL CONSTITUENTS BEING, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS AND PARENTS.
UM, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL, I WOULD SEND MY COMMUNITY UPDATE INFORMATION TO EVERY STUDENT, JUST LIKE I SEND IT TO EVERY PARENT BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW JUST LIKE I DO.
UH, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG.
I'M, I'M AN, I'M NOT THE TWITTER AGE, I'M MORE OF THE EMAIL AGE.
SO LIKE, I WOULD SEND WEEKLY NEWSLETTERS TO PARENTS.
I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T DO THAT, EVEN AT A DISTRICT LEVEL.
AND YOU'VE GOT 20,000 STUDENTS AND 40,000 PLUS PARENTS AND GUARDIANS.
SO, UH, I STILL THINK YOU CAN, YOU CAN PUT THAT MESSAGE OUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING, UH, PODCASTS, I KNOW BART DOES PODCASTS, CAN'T THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS GET ON THERE? BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA REACH A DIFFERENT CROWD THAN THE EMAIL CROWD.
UH, THAT'LL PROBABLY END UP ON TWITTER TOO OR SOMETHING.
BUT I THINK, I THINK COMMUNICATING YOUR, YOUR VISION FOR THE DISTRICT, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? WHAT HAVE YOU, WHAT ARE YOUR VALUES? I THINK I, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, YOU'VE ALWAYS GOTTA REVISIT THOSE THINGS IN REGARDS TO HOW YOU MANAGE YOUR, YOUR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS.
BUT YOU ALSO GOTTA KEEP THAT FOCUS IN THE FOREFRONT OF PEOPLE'S MINDS.
AND, AND I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO BUILDING THAT TRUST AND FROM ALL CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, UM, JUST LIKE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND VOTERS FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRUST YOU.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE INTEGRITY AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE DOING THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY YOU'LL DO AND THEY CAN COUNT ON YOU.
PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THEY CAN COUNT ON YOU.
AS YOU LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT SUCCESS STORY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAFEGUARD AND WHERE DO YOU SEE OUR GREATEST OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH? UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON
UH, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAVE, BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL AS FAR AS, AS AS K FIVE I, WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL DISTRICT WIDE, WHERE WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK COULD BE IN THE, UH, UM, UH, THE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS THAT THE A CTI THINK THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE SOME GAINS IN VERY, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SAY QUICKLY, I THINK WE CAN MAKE GAINS IN THAT AREA IN YEAR ONE.
UM, I THINK A LOT OF THAT GOES BACK TO MAKING SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND HOW IS MY STUDENT GONNA BE RECOGNIZED AS A, UH, COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS? WHAT, WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS THAT GO INTO THAT? BECAUSE I THINK I SAID THIS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, SOME PARENTS DON'T KNOW.
AND, AND YOU'VE GOTTA START EDUCATING HIGH SCHOOL PARENTS, MAYBE EVEN IN THE EIGHTH GRADE, ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GONNA BE, BE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
SO NOT JUST IN THAT CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION TO GET INDUSTRY CERTIFICATION, BUT YOU'VE GOT OTHER GROUPS OF STUDENTS THAT THEIR FOCUS IS MORE OF THE PURE ACADEMIC AP, DUAL ENROLLMENT, THOSE KINDS OF AREAS.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PARENTS KNOW WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO PREPARE THEIR STUDENT FOR THAT WHEN THEY GET TO THAT LEVEL.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S AN AREA WE COULD REALLY MAKE SOME GAINS IN EVEN NEXT YEAR.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS, AS WE'VE ALREADY ALLUDED TO CONTINUE THE UPWARD TRACK, GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE WHETHER OR NOT OUR DISTRICT IS TRULY SUCCEEDING IN DOING THAT, DOING THAT? WELL, THE METRIC THAT THAT WE'RE, THAT I'M GONNA BE JUDGED BY IN THAT REGARD IS GONNA BE THE REWARD SCHOOL STATUS AND LEVEL FIVES AND THE LETTER GRADES AND THOSE THINGS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE METRIC.
UH, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA BE PRINTED OUT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, THAT IS THE METRIC THAT THE STATE IS GONNA VIEW WILSON COUNTY ON ABOUT HOW WELL ARE YOU DOING.
UM, WE CAN COME UP WITH A WHOLE LOT OF INTERNAL MEASURES THAT WE WANNA RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE AND DO THOSE THINGS.
AND I, I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THOSE, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
[03:10:01]
TAKE OUR STUDENTS IN THAT THIRD GRADE, ELA AND EIGHTH GRADE MATH AND COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS.THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE KEY METRICS AND THEY ARE VALUABLE.
UM, THOSE, THOSE ARE KIND OF THE, THEY ARE THE PRIORITY.
UM, BUT JUST LIKE, I THINK I SAID BEFORE, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE WE FOCUS ON THIRD GRADE ELA AND OR READING FLUENCY DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA FOCUS ON THIRD GRADE MATH BECAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE STUDENTS ARE PREPARED FOR FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE MATH.
SO, UM, I KNOW AS A DISTRICT WE MIGHT FOCUS ON A CERTAIN THING AND, BUT I THINK TAKING THAT FOCUS DISTRICT LEVEL, AND THEN YOU REALLY GOTTA DRILL IT DOWN ALL THE WAY INTO A CLASSROOM, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND ACADEMIC SUCCESS IS THE STUDENT AND THE TEACHER.
THE TEACHER IS WHAT, WHAT THE IMPACT IS THEY MAKE WITH THE STUDENT.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KNOW THE STUDENT BEST.
THEY'VE GOT TO KNOW THE NEEDS OF EACH OF THEIR STUDENTS, AND THEY GOTTA BE ADDRESSING THOSE.
AND IF THEY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT, THEY'VE GOTTA, THEY GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENT GETS THAT.
SO I THINK IT'S A TEAM, IT IS GONNA BE A TEAM CONCEPT, BUT THOSE THREE METRICS ARE KEY.
WHAT WOULD CRITICS SAY ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? I CAN TELL YOU EXACTLY, UH, BECAUSE AS A PRINCIPAL, I, I FINALLY LEARNED THAT NOT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO, LIKE THE WAY I DO THINGS.
THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT I DO.
AND I FINALLY LEARNED THAT THAT'S OKAY.
LIKE, THIS IS THE WAY I'M GONNA DO IT.
AND IF, IF THAT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE THAT, THEN YOU, MAYBE YOU NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND I, AND IT REALLY CAME INTO PLAY ABOUT WHEN I DEALT WITH STUDENTS BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES NOT EVERY STUDENT NEEDS THE SAME THING.
ALL RIGHT? I THINK I SAID IT, YOU KNOW, UH, BEING FAIR IS NOT ALWAYS BEING EQUAL.
AND THERE WAS SOMETIMES TEACHERS WOULD GO, WELL, THIS STUDENT'S GETTING AWAY WITH WAY TOO MUCH AND BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
WELL, YOU DON'T KNOW THE, YOU DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE SITUATION.
YOU DON'T, YOU, IF YOU DID KNOW THE WHOLE SITUATION, MAYBE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK NOT EVERY, SOME PEOPLE LIKE A LEADER THAT IS VERY STRICT AND TELL ME EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
AND, AND I'M NOT THAT KIND OF PERSON.
YOU KNOW, I, I WILL TELL YOU, UH, ONE OF THE WORDS THAT I DISLIKE THE MOST IS BOSS.
UH, WHEN PEOPLE SAY, WELL, THIS IS MY BOSS.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.
I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHAT TO DO.
I WANT TO TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT.
AND, AND THEN I WANT YOU TO GO DO IT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, AND I, I WANNA BE, I WANNA BE YOUR LEADER.
UM, BECAUSE THEN I THINK YOU ARE PERFORMING AT YOUR VERY HIGHEST LEVEL BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, AND YOU FEEL VALUED FOR DOING THAT.
SO, SO JUST TO RECAP, UM, WHAT CRITICS WOULD SAY ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE IS SO SOMETIMES THAT I, THAT I DON'T, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA DO, YOU DON'T ALWAYS TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHY I'M NOT TREATING YOU THE SAME.
AND IT'S NONE OF YOUR, I HATE TO SAY THAT IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHY I'M TREATING THIS PERSON A CERTAIN WAY OVER HERE BECAUSE YOU, YOU DON'T KNOW THE SITUATION.
YOU KNOW? AND I THINK WHEN PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THAT LEADERSHIP, THEN THEY KIND OF UNDERSTAND, OKAY, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY NEED IT.
BECAUSE I, I'VE EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE WHERE A PERSON WHO WAS CRITICIZING HOW I HANDLED THIS TEACHER SUDDENLY NEEDED SOME GRACE.
AND WHEN THEY GOT THAT, HUH? 'CAUSE I, BECAUSE I POINTED OUT, WELL, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS PERSON'S DEALING WITH.
I KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH.
AND NOW HERE YOU ARE BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T HERE ON TIME.
WELL, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
I, I JUST DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A ABSOLUTE HARD LINE ABOUT HOW I'M GONNA TREAT EVERY SITUATION.
'CAUSE I THINK EVERY SITUATION'S UNIQUE AND IT, IT, AND IT REQUIRES A HUMAN APPROACH, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I APPRECIATE THE CLARIFICATION.
SO, UM, STUDENTS OF COURSE, GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN AND INSTRUCTIONAL TIME MUST BE PROTECTED, RIGHT? OKAY.
SO IF A HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL CONTACTS YOU BECAUSE HE'S BEEN NOTIFIED, A GROUP OF STUDENTS PLAN TO WALK OUT AND PROTEST, WHAT GUIDANCE DO YOU GIVE THAT PRINCIPAL? SO MY GUIDANCE WOULD BE, UH, IF STUDENTS CAN'T JUST WALK OUTTA THE BUILDING, IT'S NOT, IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE.
ALL RIGHT? THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE I, TO BE HONEST, I HAD THAT WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL.
WE HAD STUDENTS WERE GONNA PROTEST SCHOOL SHOOTINGS BY WALKING OUT OF
[03:15:01]
THE BUILDING.AND SO, TO BE HONEST, WHAT I ACTUALLY DID WAS I, I SAID, ALL RIGHT, I JUST GOT ON THE INTERCOM.
WE'RE HAVING A SCHOOL MEETING IN THE GYMNASIUM RIGHT NOW.
TEACHERS BRING YOUR CLASS SET WITH THEM.
AND I EXPLAINED TO STUDENTS LIKE, I CAN'T LET YOU DO THAT.
NUMBER ONE IS, YOU, YOU JUST ANNOUNCED ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT YOU'RE ALL GONNA GO OUTSIDE IN THIS, AT THIS CERTAIN TIME TO PROTEST SCHOOL SHOOTING.
WELL, WHAT IF THE SCHOOL SHOOTER IS NOTICING THAT YOU, YOU JUST, I CANNOT PUT YOU AT RISK.
I, LIKE, I TOLD THEM THAT DAY, AND I'LL NEVER FORGET IT.
MY JOB AS A EDUCATIONAL LEADER IS TO, TO, TO EDUCATE YOU TO THE VERY BEST OF MY ABILITY AND WITH THE RESOURCES I HAVE, BUT TO DO SO IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I'M NOT GONNA ALLOW YOU TO PUT YOURSELF IN AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT.
NOW, THE TRUTH BE TOLD NOWADAYS, IF I'M A PARENT AND I WANNA ALLOW MY CHILD TO LEAVE SCHOOL, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS WRITE A NOTE, SUBMIT IT, AND HE TURNS IT IN.
AND THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT I CAN DO ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT I REALLY FEEL LIKE COMMUNICATION IS KEY, BECAUSE IN THAT SITUATION I HAD ABOUT THAT THE STUDENTS, THEY UNDERSTOOD AND THERE WASN'T, THEY DIDN'T DO THAT.
THEY KNEW WHY IT WAS A BAD IDEA.
AND I, I THINK IT GOES BACK TO, TO COMMUNICATING BECAUSE I, I FELT LIKE I WAS ALWAYS VERY APPROACHABLE.
I THINK ALMOST EVERY STUDENT KNEW IF YOU HAD A SITUATION YOU COULD COME AND TALK TO, YOU COULD TALK TO MAYFIELD, JUST KNOCK ON THE DOOR, COME ON IN, YOU DIDN'T NEED AN APPOINTMENT.
UM, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE IN THAT SITUATION RIGHT NOW.
IT GOES BACK TO THAT DIVISIVENESS THAT WE HAVE TO SOME DEGREE.
UH, AND I THINK TRYING TO MAINTAIN THAT, WHAT OUR FOCUS IS, PUTTING THAT OUT THERE, THAT MESSAGE CAN HELP.
IT'S NOT GONNA FIX EVERY SITUATION.
AND THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN.
BUT MY ADVICE WOULD BE, YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE TO YOUR STUDENTS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT COULD AND COULDN'T HAPPEN.
AND THAT YOUR JOBS, FIRST AND FOREMOST IS KEEP THEM SAFE, PUT AND DON'T ALLOW THEM TO PUT THEMSELVES IN UNSAFE SITUATION.
UM, WHAT SHAPES YOUR ETHICS? I, I GUESS IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY, YOU KNOW, PARENTS AND GROWING UP AND WHAT, UH, WHAT MY VALUES, MY ETHICS ARE RELATED TO MY VALUES.
YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA BE A GOOD PERSON AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UM, AND, AND I FEEL LIKE TO DO THAT, I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EACH AND EVERYBODY, REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE.
AND, AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT I'VE ALWAYS DONE.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT, UH, I HAVE MY OWN MAYBE IDEAS AND BELIEFS, BUT I DON'T REALLY SHARE THAT INFORMATION MUCH BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE AS A INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER, AS A SCHOOL LEADER, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT MY MERE PRESENCE TO BE A DIVISIVE FACTOR, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE I MIGHT BELIEVE SOMETHING.
AND I DON'T WANT THAT TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY ON THE TOPIC.
I, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T DO THAT.
YOU KNOW? UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN THE GOLDEN RULE.
YOU TREAT OTHERS, YOU KNOW, AS YOU'D LIKE TO BE TREATED.
AND I THINK I RESPECT ONE ANOTHER.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, I KNOW THAT'S A SIMPLISTIC ANSWER, AND LIFE ISN'T ALWAYS THAT SIMPLE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST HOW I TRY TO TREAT PEOPLE.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW UP TO MY FIRST QUESTION, WE MIGHT HAVE TO HAVE MUCH TIME.
SO IF, IF THE PRINCIPAL CONTACTED YOU ABOUT WANTING YOU, WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THEY HAVE AN ASSEMBLY TO TALK ABOUT? I'M, I'M JUST WONDERING, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA SAY? I THINK IT VARIES NOW.
SO NUMBER ONE, SO WHO'S PLANNING TO WALK OUT? WHY THEY WALKING OUT? WELL, HOW MANY OF 'EM ARE THERE? WHAT? WELL TALK TO 'EM, YOU KNOW, FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND TALK TO THAT GROUP.
NOW IN MY, IN THAT SITUATION I HAD, IT WAS, IT WAS WIDESPREAD THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE APP WAS BACK THEN, BUT EVERYBODY, IT WAS, IT WAS CRAZY.
SO IT, IT REQUIRED, THAT WAS THE RESPONSE THAT I NEEDED FOR THAT SITUATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW ABOUT THE ONE THAT TOOK PLACE HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS IN THE FALL.
YEAH, IT, SO, YOU KNOW THAT YOU GOT THE, ALL THE FREE SPEECH STUFF AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO THINK STUDENTS NEED TO FEEL VALUED.
UM, WITH THE NEW RECESS LAW, HOW WOULD YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO TEACHERS THAT ARE LIMITED WITH DISCIPLINARY OPTIONS THAT, AND CAN ENSURE THEM TO
[03:20:01]
HAVE STUDENT MEANINGFUL STUDENT ACCOUNTABILITY WHILE PROTECTING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME WITHOUT ADDING TO THEIR WORKLOAD? AND HOW DO YOU RESPOND WHEN ONE STUDENT'S BEHAVIOR INTERFERES WITH THE REST OF THE CLASSES? OKAY.OKAY, LET ME START WITH THE SECOND ONE.
SO WHEN THE STUDENT'S BEHAVIOR IS INTERFERING WITH THE LEARNING OF THE REST OF THE CLASS, THAT'S WHEN YOU'VE GOTTA GO BACK TO THAT CODE OF CONDUCT.
AND, AND TO BE HONEST, YOU, YOU CAN'T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.
UM, I'VE HEARD OF SITUATIONS WHERE THAT DOES HAPPEN, AND I'VE TALKED TO MR. LULL ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST.
YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE, AND, AND IT GOES BACK TO WHERE TEACHERS, WELL, I DON'T WANT, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE MAYBE A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WITH A PARENT ABOUT HOW THEIR CHILD IS ACTING, BUT IT'S NEEDED, ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY GRADES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S WHERE YOUR, YOU KNOW, YOUR BEHAVIOR IS KIND OF SHAPED AND MOLDED ABOUT HOW, HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BEHAVE IN SCHOOL.
AND THERE MIGHT BE SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE STUDENT'S CONTROL.
AND, AND HAVE WE IDENTIFIED THOSE AND, AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT? BUT, BUT YOU CAN'T ALLOW DISRUPTIONS TO IMPACT THE, THE LEARNING OF AN ENTIRE CLASS, ESPECIALLY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I MEAN, THAT IS A, THAT IS A PROBLEM.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES IT MIGHT COME UP TO THIS LEVEL.
BUT THEN I THINK THIS LEVEL'S GOTTA GET BACK DOWN TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND HELP COME UP WITH A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
UM, NOW THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION WAS ABOUT PROTECTING RECESS.
AM I CORRECT OR PROTECTING THE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE DISCIPLINE OF STUDENTS DURING RECESS? BECAUSE WE CAN'T USE RECESS? WELL, I DON'T, DON'T THINK WE SHOULD USE RECESS.
I MEAN, I KNOW SOME THAT APPARENTLY CAN BE A DIVISIVE TOPIC, AND IT'S REALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'VE GOT FOR THE NUMBER OF REQUIRED MINUTES FOR ALL OF OUR MATH AND ELA AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
BUT I DO FEEL LIKE, I THINK RECESS IS VALUABLE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT MIGHT HELP WITH SOME OF THOSE BEHAVIORS.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK PUNISHING A STUDENT, I, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO COMPOUND THE CLASSROOM PROBLEMS. BECAUSE IF I'M ALWAYS IN TROUBLE AND I HAVE TO SIT ON THE SIDEWALK AND EVERYBODY GETTING AROUND, GUESS HOW I'M GONNA ACT WHEN I GET BACK IN THE CLASSROOM? IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE MORE PROBLEMS. BECAUSE IF I WAS OUT CHASING MY FRIENDS, I MIGHT BURN SOME OF THAT EXCESS ENERGY THAT'S GOT THE TEACHER UPSET WITH ME.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE ONLY HAVE LIKE, UH, PART-TIME ISS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S NOT A GOOD SITUATION BECAUSE SOMETIMES IF I WAS REMOVED FROM THE CLASS AND SITTING IN A CUBICLE DOING MY SOCIAL STUDIES OR MATH OR EL WHATEVER I NEED TO BE DOING, THEN MAYBE WHEN I COME BACK TO CLASS, I, I'VE, I'VE BETTER EQUIPPED TO BEHAVE AS I SHOULD.
I, I THINK I NEED TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS.
I UNDERSTAND RECESS IS VALUABLE.
I, I THINK EVERYBODY THAT WORKED IN ELEMENTARY AGREES WITH THAT.
UM, BUT IF I, IF TRAVIS IS MISBEHAVING IN MY CLASS, WHAT OPTIONS DO I HAVE TO KEEP HIM IN MY CLASS AND NOT INTERRUPT HIS INSTRUCTIONAL TIME? WELL HAVE, WE HAVE, WE AT TIMES WE WOULD MAKE 'EM WALK A LAP.
THEY WERE STILL OUTSIDE GETTING THEIR ENERGY, BUT YOU'RE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
SO WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS TO DISCIPLINE THEM, THE CLASSROOM TEACHER? WELL, TO BE HONEST, I HAVEN'T REALLY DIVED INTO THE DISCIPLINE FOR CLASSROOM DISRUPTIONS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE TEACHER DONE? HAVE, HAVE THEY CALLED HOME? HAVE THEY HAD A CONFERENCE WITH THE PARENTS? IF THE BEHAVIOR'S STILL CONTINUING, YOU'VE GOTTA, YOU'VE GOTTA FOLLOW THE DISCIPLINE CODE.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S ADDRESSED IN THERE.
UM, AND NOW I DON'T WANT TO DISRUPT HIS LEARNING, BUT IF THAT STUDENT IS CREATING A DISRUPTION IN THE CLASS, NOW HE'S IMPACTING THE LEARNING OF 16 OTHER STUDENTS.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU GOTTA DO.
I MEAN, I THINK YOU GOTTA FOLLOW YOUR CODE OF CONDUCT IF THAT MEANS YOU'RE REMOVED FROM THE CLASS, YOU'RE REMOVED FROM THE CLASS.
SO I TAKE A MINUTE TO KIND OF EXPAND ON THAT CODE OF CONDUCT TOO, BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT BOTH.
CONSISTENCY, I THINK IS WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, BOTH KIND OF BRIDGING ON WHAT MR. MACK AND MS. LYNN WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT, AND KIND OF, BUT HOW DOES THAT EXTEND THEN TO THE CLASSROOM IN TERMS OF WHAT THE TEACHER'S RESPONSIBILITY IS AND THE USE OF, OF PROFANITY AND MAYBE POLITICAL RANTS AND THESE TYPES OF THINGS, AND HOW DO WE HANDLE THOSE
[03:25:01]
SITUATIONS? AND, AND HOW WOULD A STUDENT THEN, UM, WHERE WOULD THEY GO IN TERMS OF MAYBE AIRING THEIR OWN GRIEVANCES AND HAVING A, A, A PLACE WHERE THEY WON'T BE HELD TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD IN TERMS OF RETRIBUTION OR SOME OTHER THINGS? HOW DO YOU ALLEVIATE MAYBE SOME OF THE PARENTAL CONCERNS IN THAT REGARD SO THAT THEY'RE EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS IN A PROTECTED PLACE AS OPPOSED TO GETTING IN TROUBLE? NO, JUST IN GEN, JUST IN GENERAL.IF A TEACHER IS USING, CONSISTENTLY USING PROFANITY IN THE CLASSROOM, OH, RIGHT.
AND, AND, AND THE STUDENT THEN WANTS TO, I'VE HAD THIS SITUATION.
I HAVE PARENTS CALL ME ON THESE SITUATIONS.
SO I JUST, HOW, HOW I FEEL, HOW DO WE MAKE THAT HAPPEN SO THAT CULTURE DOESN'T EXIST IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND OUR CLASSROOMS? WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE ADMINISTRATOR IN THE BUILDING NEEDS TO BE NOTIFIED OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE.
AND THEN THEY NEED TO FOLLOW UP AND INVESTIGATE.
YOU KNOW? NOW THERE MIGHT NOT BE CAMERAS IN EVERY ROOM, BUT SOMEBODY WILL USUALLY TALK TO YOU, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP.
AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I USED TO DO THAT ALL THE, I WOULD LOOK AT THE CLASS ROSTER AND I, I KNOW THIS KID AND HE'LL TELL ME THE TRUTH AND I'M GONNA DO IT CONFIDENTIALLY, AND I'M NOT GONNA, THEY KNOW I, YOU'RE NOT GONNA MENTION MY NAME TO THE TEACHER.
BECAUSE I MEAN, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, I'LL SAY, UH, A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, A TEACHER CODE OF ETHICS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I MEAN, THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THAT KIND OF BEHAVIOR IN A CLASSROOM.
JUST, AND, AND YOU MENTIONED GOING POLITICAL VIEWS AND VIEWPOINTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
CLASSROOM'S NOT THE PLACE FOR THAT.
IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN AND IT DOESN'T NEED TO HAPPEN.
AND WE HAVE A PROCESS THROUGH HR THAT WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT ISSUE.
UM, AND IT GOES BACK TO THE BUILDING LEVEL PRINCIPLE.
BUT, BUT THOSE SITUATIONS NEED TO BE REPORTED.
AND, AND IF THEY ARE BEING REPORTED AND IT'S NOT BEING ADDRESSED, THEN THIS LEVEL NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
I MEAN, I, I JUST DON'T HAVE A HIGH TOLERANCE FOR STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN SITUATIONS INVOLVING A STUDENT THAT I, I CAN GIVE THEM GRACE ADULTS THAT RANT AND DO THINGS THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.
I, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TOLERANCE FOR THAT.
UM, AND I THINK WE HAVE A PROCESS.
LET'S FOLLOW OUR PROCESS AND ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE THE BEHAVIOR.
BECAUSE IF WE CAN'T ELIMINATE THE BEHAVIOR, THERE'S, THERE'S A WAY TO ELIMINATE THE PROBLEM EVENTUALLY.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER IN THAT, UM, THERE'S BEEN, BEEN THAT PERCEPTION ON, UM, JUST BASIC FACILITY NEEDS THAT MAYBE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE DEFERRED AND, UM, OR INCONSISTENTLY ADDRESSED, UH, ACROSS OUR FACILITY NEEDS FACILITY, FACILITY NEEDS IN TERMS OF JUST MAINTENANCE, LIKE WHAT HAPPENED TO WA, RIGHT? AND SOME OF THESE THINGS GET DEFERRED.
HOW DO WE, WHAT'S YOUR PLAN IN TERMS OF KIND OF MAYBE GETTING A LIST PUT TOGETHER OR PRIORITIZING THOSE? SO THEN THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS, SOME SCHOOLS OBVIOUSLY ARE IN WORSE CONDITION THAN OTHERS.
SO HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE AND EXPLAIN THAT AND COMMUNICATE THAT TO PARENTS THAT, HEY, THAT'S, WE KNOW ABOUT, IT'S ON THE LIST AND WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS IT.
I KNOW IT'S BUDGET BOUND, BUT YOUR THOUGHTS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 'EM ON A LIST AND WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEEDS AND, AND WE COULD COMMUNICATE THAT TO PARENTS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND BUILDING LEVEL PRINCIPALS LIKE, LOOK, I I NEED THIS FIXED.
THIS IS, THIS IS A DISTRACTION IN MY BUILDING.
WE'VE HAD THOSE, LIKE AT WA RIGHTS SITUATION, LIKE, UM, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN SAY WE WANNA PLAN FOR IT, BUT THERE'S A MONETARY IMPACT THAT WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE GOT TO PLAN FOR ALL, FOR ALL OF THAT, THAT MAINTENANCE.
WE BUILT SOME NICE SCHOOLS, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, ARE WE MAINTAINING THE CURRENT ONES WE HAVE AT THE, ON A SCHEDULE THAT WE SHOULD BE DOING? BECAUSE I THINK WE ALL KNOW THERE'S SOME INSTANCES WHERE THE ANSWER'S NO, IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO FIX THAT? UM, AND, AND, AND IT'S A BUDGETARY CONSTRAINT.
UH, I DO THINK, AND ONE THING THAT MR. LUCHO KIND OF STARTED DOING IS WHENEVER WE CLOSE OUT OUR BOOKS AND WE SEE WHAT OUR EXCESS FUND BALANCE IS, WE PUT THOSE TOWARDS THOSE.
WE'VE BEEN PUTTING THEM TOWARDS THE ROOFS, IS WHAT HIS FOCUS HAS BEEN.
UH, AND WE'RE GETTING CLOSER TO FIXING THAT, THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
UH, AND WE'VE GOTTA CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON FIXING THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE.
BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO THE GREATER THINGS THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE ROOFS, BUT IT'S YOUR H-V-A-H-V-A-C SYSTEMS, WHICH CAN BE VERY COSTLY.
BUT, UH, SO I THINK IT'S GETTING EVERYTHING ON A SCHEDULE AND WE GOTTA STICK TO IT.
[03:30:01]
WE FINISH UP, SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE TILL FOUR 30.UM, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IS WE'LL ASK SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, POSSIBLY IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US, THAT'S FINE AS WELL.
BUT, UH, TOWARDS THE END, WE'RE JUST GONNA, WE'LL END EVERYTHING WHEN WE'RE DONE AND JUST GIVE YOU LIKE THE FLOOR FOR THE LAST TIME TO, UM, FINALIZE YOUR STATEMENT.
SO DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS TO START? I DO.
MR. MATT, MR. MAYFIELD, WHAT IS ONE MISTAKE YOU HAVE MADE AS A LEADER AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THAT? UH, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER ONE TIME I, I PASSED JUDGMENT TOO QUICKLY, UH, ON A TEACHER.
THE TEACHER STILL DID EXACTLY WHAT I KNEW THEY DID, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I MADE A DECISION THAT I DID.
BUT THERE WAS SOME EXTENUATING FACTORS, AND REALLY, I KIND OF LET MY EMOTIONS GET INVOLVED AND I MADE PROBABLY A RASH DECISION.
I NON-RENEWED SOMEBODY WHO DID EXACTLY LIKE I SAID, DON'T DO THIS, AND YOU DID IT ANYWAY, YOU'RE ON THE LIST.
UH, THERE WAS SOME EXTENUATING FACTORS AND AFTER A BIT OF TIME, I, I, I REFLECTED ON THAT.
AND THEN ESPECIALLY WHENEVER THE TEACHER WAS APPLYING FOR SOME JOBS AND DIDN'T GET 'EM.
AND THEN AT ONE POINT I HAD A JOB AND I, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND SO I TOLD THE TEACHER, THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE EVER GONNA REDEEM YOURSELF FROM THIS NON-RENEWAL THAT, THAT I DID WAS YOU COME BACK TO WORK FOR ME.
SO OF COURSE I HAD TO GET PERMISSION FROM HR AND I REHIRED SAID TEACHER, AND SAID, TEACHER DID A GOOD JOB AND, AND DID WHAT I ASKED TO DO.
AND WHEN I ASKED TEACHER NOT TO DO IT, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
UH, BUT I LEARNED THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T LET YOUR EMOTIONS GET INVOLVED.
UH, AND SOMETIMES WE'D, SOMETIMES WE DO THAT AND I, AND I'VE LET MY EMOTIONS GET INVOLVED IN OTHER SITUATIONS.
I REMEMBER ONE TIME I DON'T, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I SUSPENDED A KID AND I, BUT, UH, IT WAS EMOTIONAL BECAUSE HE WAS PROBABLY SAYING WHO KNOWS WHAT TO ME, HE GOT UNDER MY SKIN AND I SUSPENDED HIM, AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AND I ENDED UP CALLING HIS PARENTS AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK I MIGHT HAVE OVERREACTED, SO TOMORROW I WANT HIM TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL.
SO, AND I TALKED TO THE STUDENT AND IT KIND OF GOES BACK TO ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS THAT I SAID LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS STUDENT PROBABLY NEEDED A LITTLE GRACE.
YOU KNOW, HE OVERREACTED, BUT THEN I OVERREACTED AND I'M THE ADULT.
SO DON'T ACT THAT WAY AS AN ADULT.
THAT'S WHERE I THINK A LOT OF MY, I TRY TO JUST REMAIN CALM.
I TRY TO TAKE THE EMOTION OUT OF THINGS.
UH, SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE ARE UPSET, UH, YOU FEEL THAT DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU AND IT MIGHT NOT ALWAYS BE DIRECTED TOWARDS YOU.
AND I, I'VE COME TO, TO BE OKAY WITH THAT.
UM, BECAUSE, AND, AND I TOLD THERE WAS A, WHEN I WAS AT WILSON CENTRAL, PEOPLE KNEW EVEN NOW, IF, IF YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM, JUST COME IN AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN SAY WHATEVER YOU GOT TO SAY AND I'M NOT GONNA PASS ANY JUDGMENT ON YOU.
TELL ME HOW YOU'RE FEELING, AND THEN WE'LL WORK THROUGH THE PROBLEM.
SO, BUT I, I THINK I'VE LEARNED PATIENCE BASED ON THAT SITUATION.
UM, UH, I DUNNO IF WE CAN AGREE AND IF, IF YOU AGREE WHEN WE WERE TALKING WITH, UM, WITH MS. MS. LYNN, UM, IF ONE STUDENT JUST, WE SHOULDN'T TOLERATE ONE STUDENT DISRUPTING THE ENTIRE CLASS.
UM, I GUESS MY QUESTION, THIS JUST GOES BACK TO IF WE WON'T TOLERATE ONE STUDENT DISRUPTING THE WHOLE CLASS, THIS GOES BACK TO THE PROTEST, RIGHT? OKAY.
SHOULD WE TOLERATE A GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT ARE DISRUPTING THE ENTIRE SCHOOL TO, TO DO A WALKOUT? UM, THAT'S JUST MY, THAT'S, I'M NOT TRYING TO TO PLAY GOTCHA OR ANYTHING, RIGHT? IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I I'M ALL ABOUT EDUCATION, INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, AND, AND PARENTS ARE THE SAME WAY.
AND WHEN YOU HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER THAT ARE PLACING, AND WE CAN GET INTO FIRST AND SECOND OR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHERE THOSE LINES ARE DRAWN.
HOWEVER, SCHOOL IS INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND THEY'RE THERE TO LEARN, OKAY, WHAT THEY DO BEFORE SCHOOL OR AFTER SCHOOL IS, IS ON THEM.
AND SO, UM, I JUST, THOSE ARE DISRUPTIONS THAT HAPPEN AND WE LOSE SCHOOL DAYS, NOT JUST THE DAY IT HAPPENS, BUT GOING UP TO IT, THAT'S WHAT EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT.
SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M, I WAS TRYING TO JUST FIND OUT WHAT YOUR POSITION WOULD BE.
WHAT WOULD YOU INSTRUCT THAT, THAT, THAT PRINCIPAL TO DO? BECAUSE, UM, ONCE AGAIN, INSTRUCTIONAL TIME IS SO IMPORTANT TO PROTECT, BUT HERE WE ARE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, NEGOTIATE OR SAY YOU CAN DO IT DURING THIS OR YOU CAN DO IT, BUT IT'S STILL A DISRUPTION TO THE REST OF THE SCHOOL.
UM, I, I DO THINK, AND, AND I DON'T KNOW ANY OF THE PARTICULARS OF THAT.
I WASN'T, I WASN'T REALLY INVOLVED IN IT, BUT WHEN I SAID, TALK TO THE STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY, NOT EVERYBODY HAS
[03:35:01]
THE SAME PERSONALITY.SO, UH, BUT I KNOW WHAT I WOULD WANT TO DO IS I, ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE ORGANIZER.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS AN ORGANIZER.
THAT'S WHO I'D WANT TO TALK TO.
UM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THIS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE ENTITLED TO HAVE STRONG FEELINGS, BUT INSTEAD OF DOING IT DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WHY DON'T YOU GUYS JUST DO IT AFTER SCHOOL? I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE SAME IMPACT.
APPARENTLY THEY WERE STANDING ON THE ROAD HOLDING SIGNS BECAUSE THE BUS DRIVERS WERE YEAH, YEAH.
AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S WHAT I, I I I DON'T WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM INSTRUCTIONAL TIME EITHER.
UM, AS A DIRECTOR, YOU'RE GONNA HIRE PRINCIPALS.
WHAT IS YOUR INVOLVEMENT GONNA BE, UH, AS FAR AS HIRE, WHOEVER THE PRINCIPAL WANTS TO HIRE? UM, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR ROLE IN THAT ONCE YOU'VE HIRED THAT PRINCIPAL? I WILL SAY YES.
I WILL DECIDE WHO THE PRINCIPAL'S GOING TO BE IN THE BUILDING.
PRINCIPAL, YOU DO HAVE THE AUTONOMY TO HIRE.
NOW, THE PRACTICE HAS BEEN IN THE PAST THAT A PRINCIPAL MAKES A RECOMMENDATION TO THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS.
THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, AT LEAST SOME DIRECTORS.
MR. LURE, HE PRACTICED THIS, I KNOW SOME OF THE TIME ANYWAY, UH, HE WOULD MEET WITH THE RECOMMENDED ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
WHAT'S YOUR BACKGROUND? I WANNA TALK TO YOU.
UH, OFTENTIMES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY COME FROM WITHIN, YOU KIND OF KNOW THEM AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN FOLLOW UP TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE A, A CERTAIN EXPECTATION OF THE QUALITY OF CANDIDATE THAT YOU'RE GONNA SELECT FOR THOSE JOBS.
UM, BECAUSE NUMBER ONE PRINCIPLE, YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO HIRE THIS PERSON JUST BECAUSE YOU LIKE 'EM.
THEY HAVE GOT TO BE A STRONG INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL GOALS OF THE SCHOOL AND THE, AND THE GOALS OF THE DISTRICT.
IT'S, THEY HAVE TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND THAT ALIGNMENT HAS TO BE THERE.
AND WHY ARE YOU RECOMMENDED A PERSON WHO WE FEEL LIKE CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THAT? ESPECIALLY YOU MIGHT HAVE A BETTER QUALIFIED CANDIDATE.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT CAN WORK TOGETHER.
AND JUST BECAUSE YOU GOT TWO HIGH PERFORMERS DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN ALWAYS WORK TOGETHER.
SO I THINK IT'S A DELICATE BALANCE.
UM, AM I GONNA DICTATE WHO GETS THE JOB ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OR TEACHER IN THE BUILDING? NO, I'M NOT, ESPECIALLY TEACHERS.
I'M, I'M NOT GETTING INVOLVED IN THAT.
UM, NOW I MIGHT HAVE TO GET INVOLVED IN A NON-RENEWAL OR A DISMISSAL.
UM, AND THERE MIGHT HAVE TO BE SOME COACHING CONVERSATIONS THAT TAKE PLACE IN REGARDS TO THAT.
UH, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO TRUST THE PRINCIPAL TO AUTONOMOUSLY HIRE THEIR OWN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
UM, SO I I, I WOULD DEFINITELY, THEY WOULD HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE SAY I, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
IF, IF I RECOGNIZE A BAD SITUATION, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION.
UM, JUST KIND OF LENGTHY, SO I'LL, I'LL TAKE THE TIME.
UM, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY FOR ENGAGING THE SILENT MAJORITY PARENTS WHO AREN'T NECESSARILY AT EVERY BOARD MEETING OR IN THE PTO, BUT WHOSE CHILDREN MAKE UP THE HEART OF OUR DISTRICT? AND HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THAT ENGAGEMENT? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT DOES GO BACK TO THE, UH, THE COMMUNICATION PIECE AND ABOUT TRYING TO COMMUNICATE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS.
BECAUSE THERE'S A LARGE GROUP OF 'EM THAT THEY'RE NEVER COMING TO A BOARD MEETING.
UM, NOW THEY MIGHT BE VERY INVOLVED IN THEIR SCHOOL.
AND A LOT OF THOSE THAT SILENT MAJORITY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE VERY INVOLVED IN THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION.
AND I THINK IF, IF YOU MADE THE EFFORT TO TRY TO COMMUNICATE IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, YOU COULD REACH THAT SILENT MAJORITY NOW YOU MIGHT NOT GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THEM.
UM, SO HOW I WOULD MEASURE THAT SUCCESS WOULD BE DIFFICULT.
I DO THINK, UM, I'LL BE HONEST, I, I LIKE SURVEYS.
AND WHEN I SAY THAT I WANT, I WANT SURVEYS FOR YOU TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK ANONYMOUSLY.
UM, I KNOW I SENT A PARENT SURVEY, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHEN, WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL AT WILSON CENTRAL 'CAUSE I WANTED FEEDBACK ON WHAT THE PARENTS THOUGHT ABOUT THEIR, THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE TAKING PLACE.
SO I HAD, AND I TRY NOT, I DON'T MAKE 'EM LONG NOW.
I WANT IT TO BE ABLE TO BE DONE IN TWO MINUTES, AND SO THAT I GET SOME FEEDBACK.
BUT I THINK THAT IS A TOOL THAT, THAT COULD BE USED.
UM, JUST LIKE WHEN EVALUATING DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OR, OR, UH, PROCESSES THAT WE HAVE EVEN AT THIS LEVEL.
I MEAN, I, AND I THINK WHAT PEOPLE KNOW AND CAN TRUST YOU, LIKE, HEY, YOU SAY THIS IS AN ANONYMOUS SURVEY,
[03:40:01]
IS IT REALLY? WELL, IT'S, IF I, IF I TELL YOU IT'S ANONYMOUS, IT'S ANONYMOUS.AND IF I TELL YOU I'M THE ONLY ONE LOOKING AT THE RESULTS, THEN I'M THE ONLY ONE LOOKING AT THE RESULTS.
'CAUSE THERE IS SOME STUFF THAT LIKE, I WANT IT, I WANT IT TO COME TO ME, AND THEN I'LL DECIDE HOW I WANNA SHARE THAT OUT TO THE STAFF.
YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW AM I GONNA PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO THE BOARD AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK THE MORE WAYS YOU CAN COMMUNICATE AND THE MORE THAT YOU TRY TO GATHER FEEDBACK, I MEAN, I THINK THE BETTER THE ORGANIZATION'S GONNA BE.
UM, I, I DO THINK THOSE ARE TWO KEY.
AND I, I THINK A LOT OF PARENTS WOULD BE WILLING TO GIVE YOU SOME FEEDBACK IF YOU ASKED FOR IT.
AND IT WAS CONVENIENT, YOU KNOW? SO, OKAY.
WITH THE RISE IN TLC RATES AND NOW THE INSURANCE BEING SHIFTED TO THE EMPLOYEES SOMEWHAT, UH, WHAT WOULD YOUR ACTION BE TO RESTORE THESE AS MEANINGFUL BENEFITS WHILE ENSURING THE DISTRICT'S LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY? SO RIGHT NOW, I STILL SEE THEM AS A BENEFIT.
I MEAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THEY ARE.
UM, AND I TALKED TO A TLC, UH, PARENT TEACHER JUST RECENTLY, AND I ASKED, OKAY, YEAH, ABOUT THE RATES, YOU KNOW, YEAH, IT'S CHEAPER NOW.
THE HOURS ARE NOT QUITE AS CONDUCIVE BECAUSE IF I PAY FOR DAYCARE OVER HERE, THEY, THEY KEEP 'EM TILL SIX AND IT'S HARD FOR ME TO, I CAN'T WORK IN MY CLASSROOM VERY LONG AFTER SCHOOL.
SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT POTENTIALLY COULD OR MAYBE CAN'T BE WORKED OUT.
UM, BUT I DO SEE THOSE AS BENEFITS.
AND PERSONALLY I WANT TO, I WANT TO KEEP 'EM LIKE THE TLCI THINK I TOLD YOU PREVIOUS, I USE THAT AS A RECRUITMENT TOOL BECAUSE IT IS A RECRUITMENT TOOL.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING GREATER THAN WHEN A TEACHER CAN BRING THEIR OWN KID TO A SAFE FACILITY THAT THEY KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT ARE INVOLVED IN AND IT'S CONNECTED TO THEIR SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S IN THEIR SCHOOL.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I HAD ONE AT WILSON CENTRAL.
UM, MY OWN KIDS USED IT, SO I DON'T WANT TO GET RID OF THOSE.
AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO USE THAT, UH, AS AN INCENTIVE TO BE A PART OF WILSON COUNTY SCHOOLS AND THE INSURANCE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD INSURANCE, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS.
AND, AND I KNOW I, I DON'T MEAN TO SAY THE SAME OLD THINGS, BUT WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT OUR EMPLOYEES, WHAT DO YOU WANT, FIRST OF ALL? 'CAUSE THERE'S, DO WE WANT OPTIONS? AND THEN WE GOTTA INVESTIGATE WHAT THOSE WOULD COST AND WE GOTTA SHARE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE BACK TO THEM, AND THEN WE GOTTA GATHER THEIR FEEDBACK AGAIN.
UM, I MEAN, I, I THINK IT'S DOABLE.
I MEAN, I THINK IT'S VERY MUCH WE CAN GET THAT FEEDBACK.
I THINK WE CAN GET HONEST FEEDBACK.
UM, I THINK, I THINK I CAN BUILD TRUST, UH, IN OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, AND I THINK THEY WILL KNOW THAT I WILL SHARE ACCURATE INFORMATION WITH THEM.
AND IT MIGHT NOT BE EVERYTHING THEY WANT TO HEAR, BUT I THINK THEY CAN TRUST THAT I'M GOING TO, IT'S GONNA, WHAT I SAY IS GONNA BE THE TRUTH.
UM, AND IT'S, AND I'LL GIVE YOU THE REASONS WHY.
YOU KNOW, I'LL TELL, I'LL TELL YOU THE DECISION AND I'LL ALSO TELL YOU WHY.
UM, AND I'LL HAVE GOOD REASONS WHEN I MAKE, I WANNA MAKE, I WANNA MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON SOLID INFORMATION AND, AND PRACTICAL USES OF OUR RESOURCES, WHATEVER THOSE RESOURCES MAY BE.
AND THEN I, THEN I FULLY INTEND TO COMMUNICATE THOSE DECISIONS AND HOW THEY WERE, HOW I CAME TO THOSE DECISIONS BASED ON THE INFORMATION AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S KEY TO THE INSURANCE.
AND, AND WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? I MEAN, I'LL JUST, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INSURANCE.
I'VE ALREADY ASKED SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, WELL, WHAT DOES, WHAT DOES THIS ORGANIZATION PUT TOWARDS THEIR EMPLOYEE INSURANCE? AND I COMPARE IT TO OURS.
AND SO, OKAY, THEN IF, IF I'M THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, THEN I'M GOING TO WANNA SHARE, I'M GONNA GATHER EVEN MORE OF THAT INFORMATION.
I'M GONNA SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD, AND THEN I'M GONNA SAY, NOW LET'S DEVELOP, LET'S WORK TOGETHER AND DEVELOP A PLAN ABOUT HOW WE CAN, WHAT, HOW WE CAN GIVE THE BEST BENEFIT POSSIBLE TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
UM, LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT AN OVERNIGHT DECISION.
THAT IS A, IT'S, IT'S 12 MONTHS OF INVESTIGATION AND THEN YOU GOT A PLAN FOR IT IF YOU'RE MAKING CHANGES.
MR. CHAIRMAN, DID WE WANT TO CUT IT OFF? NOW? WE GOT ONE MORE TIME FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.
MS. FARROW AND I BOTH HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION IN THIS CAPACITY, WE KNOW THAT VAPE IS A BIG PROBLEM IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS NOW CREEPING INTO OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
WE PARTICIPATED IN THE, IN THAT SEMINAR OR THAT CALL THAT WE HAD, UM, WITH YOU ON THAT, ON THE VENDOR FOR THE VAPE DETECTORS.
[03:45:01]
A GOAL THAT MAYBE WE SHOULD GO AFTER? HOW, HOW DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AS DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS? YOU KNOW, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A REACTIVE APPROACH, WHICH WE NEED THAT.I, I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A GOOD THING.
IS IT GONNA SOLVE THE VAPING PROBLEM AMONGST YOUTH IN WILSON COUNTY OR, 'CAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A WILSON COUNTY PROBLEM, IT'S EVERYWHERE.
SO HOW ARE WE GONNA ADDRESS THAT FOR US THOUGH? YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, UH, UM, PARENT EDUCATION IS KEY.
UM, BUT I ALSO THINK PROGRAMS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE IN SCHOOL.
UH, BUT I DO THINK THOSE DETERRENTS ABOUT, I MEAN, I THINK THEY'RE A GOOD THING.
I, I WAS TOLD, HEY, IT CREATES A LOT MORE WORK BECAUSE AS, AS AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, MY PHONE'S GOING OFF EVERY TIME SOMEBODY HITS A VAPE, AND I'VE GOTTA TAKE OFF TO THAT BATHROOM AND THEN I'VE GOTTA DO THE INVESTIGATION.
IS, IS THAT INVESTMENT IN TIME WORTH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH ABOUT THE VAPING PROBLEM WITH OUR STUDENTS IN IN SCHOOLS? UM, I FEEL LIKE IT, I FEEL LIKE IT COULD BE WORTH IT.
UM, NOW DO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO PUT TOWARDS THAT? AND DO WE WANNA MAKE THAT A PRIORITY? UH, BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY A PROBLEM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND THAT IT'S, I THINK IT'S ALMOST TO AN EPIDEMIC PROBLEM NOW, WHICH IS, IS A SAD SITUATION.
UM, AND I, I, I HAVE, I FEAR THE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT GROUP, THAT POPULATION THAT'S DOING THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE DOING IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
I HATE TO, I, I HOPE THE REPERCUSSIONS AREN'T WHAT THEY COULD BE, BUT WE PROBABLY KNOW WHAT THEY WILL BE.
UH, AND I THINK EVERYTHING WE CAN DO TO EDUCATE AND, AND HELP OUR IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME PROGRAMS THAT ARE GEARED TOWARDS EDUCATING THE STUDENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE TEEN COURT AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I, I THINK THOSE ARE AVENUES WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO EXPLORE.
AND I DON'T THINK IT'S A BAD INVESTMENT FOR OUR SCHOOLS TO PUT THOSE IN THERE AND TO USE THEM, OR AT LEAST ROTATE 'EM IF YOU DON'T KNOW.
HEY, THIS IS, UH, WE'LL LET YOU FINISH THIS TIME UP TO YOUR FINAL, UH,
YOU KNOW, AND, AND NOW I WILL WANT, IF I, IF I'M CHOSEN WITH THE POSITION, I, I DO WANT FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU WANT CERTAIN THINGS HANDLED.
I MEAN, UM, JUST LIKE THE WHOLE, SOME OF THE POLITICAL STUFF THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT TRICKLES OVER INTO SCHOOLS.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S, OH, IT'S NOBLE FOR ME TO SAY, WELL, LET'S SEPARATE THAT OUT COMPLETELY.
BUT WE ALL KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA BE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
AND THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THOSE THINGS THAT COME UP.
UM, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN FEELINGS, BUT, UH, SO I WILL REACH OUT AND SAY, HERE'S THE SITUATION.
YOU KNOW, HERE'S, HERE'S HOW I THINK WE SHOULD HANDLE IT.
UM, SOMETIMES IT GETS SO BIG SO FAST THAT IT'S OUT THERE BEFORE ANYBODY CAN CONTROL PROBLEMS. UM, BUT I DO THINK THE COMMUNICATION THAT WOULD TAKE PLACE BETWEEN THE DIRECTOR AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL BE VITAL.
I THINK IT HAS TO BE A, I MEAN, NOT JUST A GOOD RELATION, GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
IT HAS TO BE A GREAT WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I THINK THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, WILL RESPECT AND SEEK OUT IDEAS FROM THE DIRECTOR.
AND I, I THINK YOU, YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT, UH, IF I WAS THE CANDIDATE, I DO WANT YOUR IDEAS AND YOUR INPUT AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK REEVALUATING, UM, GOALS AND, UM, DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH, IT, IT'S A GROUP EFFORT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALWAYS JUST ABOUT YOUR ZONE SCHOOLS, BUT IT'S ALSO COULD BE ABOUT YOUR ZONE SCHOOLS OVER HERE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE MS. LYNN, YOU BROUGHT UP THE TUCKER'S, WELL, I BROUGHT UP TUCKER'S CROSSROADS, BUT YOU BROUGHT UP K EIGHT.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, TUCKER'S CROSSROADS CAN'T JUST BE ONLY MR. MACK'S CONCERN, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND I, I, I FEEL LIKE THE BOARD HAS NEVER BEEN THAT WAY.
UM, I THINK, AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I THINK EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM IS HERE BECAUSE YOU CARE ABOUT STUDENTS.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT CAN BE BUILT UPON.
[03:50:02]
ACADEMIC SUCCESS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING.IT'S GOING, IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE.
IT'S GONNA BE A REAL CHALLENGE.
UH, 'CAUSE THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THE, THE CURRENT DATA SAYS THAT NEXT YEAR WHEN WE GET RESULTS IN OCTOBER, IT COULD BE EVEN BETTER THAN WE GOT THIS YEAR.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHO'S, WHO WAS THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS WHEN THOSE COME IN, MR. LURA.
SO NOT, WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT THIS YEAR'S DATA TO BUILD UPON.
WE'RE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR'S DATA TO BUILD UPON.
AND, UH, AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT THING.
AND, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE, I DO FEEL LIKE I HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO BUILD UPON THAT.
UM, I, I KNOW I'LL WORK HARD TO DO IT, SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY, I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE, I WILL SAY THIS, JUST LIKE THE WHOLE, WELL, WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT MISBEHAVING SECOND GRADERS IF WE CAN'T RUN THEM A LAP AT RECESS? YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER RIGHT NOW, BUT I'M, I, I'D TAKE YOUR OPINION.
YOU WERE A GRADE SCHOOL TEACHER, UH, I KNOW WHAT YOU USED TO DO.
UM, SO I, I FEEL LIKE SITUATIONS LIKE THAT, THERE'S GOTTA BE SOME COMMON GROUND THAT CAN COME TO, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT SITUATION, I NEED TO GO TO THE ELEMENTARY PEOPLE AND TALK TO THEM, THEN I NEED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW, HERE'S KIND OF, HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THAT AND HOW WE'RE GONNA HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS.
UM, I DO THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO DETER CLASSROOM DISRUPTION AS MUCH, MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE TEACHER HAS THE, THE TOOLS AND THE RESOURCES AND, AND THE TIME TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT HASN'T REALLY CAME UP IS PROTECTED TEACHER TIME, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S SO MUCH YOU DON'T HEAR ABOUT IT IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES, TEACHERS HAVE A VERY LIMITED PLANNING TIME.
AND WE HAVE COUNTLESS MEETINGS FOR NOW.
WE, WE GOTTA BE PRESENT FOR IEP MEETINGS AND 5 0 4 MEETINGS AND ST MEETINGS AND INTERVENTION MEETINGS.
WE, SO WE HAVE TO, THOSE ARE ALL NEEDED FOR STUDENT, UH, TO MEET STUDENTS' NEEDS AND STUDENT SUCCESS.
BUT ALSO FIGURING OUT HOW ARE WE GONNA PROTECT THAT TIME OF THAT TEACHER, BECAUSE THAT CAN LEAD TO POOR MORALE, UH, FEELINGS OF, YOU KNOW, MY TIME'S NOT VALUED, YOU KNOW, I'M SITTING IN A MEETING, I'M REQUIRED TO BE HERE, BUT I'M NOT EVEN CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ONE.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S JUST A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE CAME UP, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A WIDESPREAD ISSUE.
I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE AND MORE, UH, MORE AND MORE OF THOSE MEETINGS THAN WE EVER HAVE IN THE PAST.
YOU KNOW, I, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL GO AWAY ANYTIME SOON, BUT I DO THINK THAT'S AN AREA THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
UM, BUT I DO FEEL LIKE, I REALLY DO FEEL LIKE THE MORALE OF OUR EMPLOYEES DEPENDS UPON FEELING VALUED BY LEADERSHIP, NOT JUST THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS, BUT ALL LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP, UH, EVEN THIS LEVEL OF LEADERSHIP.
SO, UH, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO CONTINUE THAT.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE DON'T LOSE FOCUS ON THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, BEHALF OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE, UH, DUE DILIGENCE AND YOUR ANSWERS AND, UM, BEING AVAILABLE FOR US.
AND, UM, JUST A REMINDER ON MAY 20TH IS WHEN WE'RE MAKING OUR DECISION.
AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AGAIN.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.