News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Clay County Board of Education met in a special called session Tuesday night to interview four director of school candidates.
All four candidates were allotted 30 minutes to answer questions. The board brought each member before them in alphabetical order.
First up was retired K-8 Principal Debbie Eads on her focus if appointed.
“Reading and math and science are our focus to do,” Eads said. “I would be willing to go out and research, talk with teachers on what we need to work on, work with any new programs and seek grants that are out their to help us.”
Clay County General Sessions Court Judge Diana Monroe on what makes a good teacher.
“You have to really care about the job you do,” Monroe said. “You have to have strong discipline but the love has to be there. If the kids know that you love them and that you care and if they know that you’re working hard everyday, they’re going to work hard for you.”
Overton County K-6 Supervisor Melissa Savage on her presence in schools as a Director.
“I would want that to be a positive thing,” Savage said. “I would not want the teachers to see me walking in the room and look at me as if i was a nurse with a needle this long. I want them to come in and say, ‘come to my classroom, see the good things that we have going on.”
Cumberland County High School Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Dr. Pat Teeples on an ideal classroom.
“It can be boisterous but as long as the students are focused toward that goal, toward that standard for that day,” Teeples said. “That’s what you’re looking for, long gone are the days that you just sit and lecture.”
Board Chairman Benji Bailey said the goal should be to have a candidate selection ready to hire on Thursday night.
“We don’t have a lot of roles honestly, but we hire a director and we set a budget,” Bailey said. “And to do that is a very important task and I think we’ve done a good job so far in approaching it with respect and integrity and I think that’s something we need to consider and continue.”
Bailey said that hiring on Thursday is not set in stone. He said the board should consider whether they want to hire or cut down the field of candidates to less than four on Thursday.
