3.9 out of 5: How the Williamson County school board evaluated Superintendent Jason Golden

Superintendent Jason Golden will continue to lead Williamson County Schools for the next four years after receiving glowing reviews and a contract extension — though some school board members believe staff morale must improve.

The county Board of Education extended Golden’s contract by one year — four years is the maximum allowed by state law — through 2027. The vote at the June board meeting comes a month after the board discussed Golden’s annual evaluation. He received a score of 3.97 out of a maximum of 5.

A score of 4 is "above expectations" and 3 is "at expectations.” The highest score of 5 is “significantly above expectations.”

"The work we do is hard,” Golden said recently while thanking the board for its comments and commitment. "The work we do is worth the effort.

"We have seen a lot of growth. We have a lot of growth to go."

Board Chair Angela Durham described Golden as kind, thoughtful and considerate.

"He shifted from leading the operations day to day into leading the district as a whole and maintained the standards and grew," Durham said.

When asked his main focus over the next four years, Golden said simply "the strategic plan."

Below are more details and school board members’ comments and scores on Golden’s performance over the last year.

Scores for annual goals, comments

Three annual goals are 80% of the evaluation. The following are the goals and Golden’s scores:

• Strategic plan — 3.92.

• Staffing and pay plan — 3.92.

• Satisfaction and retention — 3.17.

School board members on Golden's strategic plan

Board member Jennifer Aprea: “I like the direction the draft seems to be taking (Williamson County Schools), but I'm hopeful that through continued discussion we can drill down a few more specifics under the strategic priorities in the supporting actions. For example ... I am pleased to see student mental health becoming a priority, but even though it was brought up in every community feedback event, the issue of school start times is not specifically addressed.

"I'd also like to see students with disabilities specifically called out ... for improved postsecondary outcomes. There are many opportunities that can be offered to (students with disabilities) to help increase independence and involvement in the community, and that should be a specific focus if we are truly working to prepare ALL students for life after WCS.”

School board members on Golden and staff pay plan

Durham: “I appreciate Mr. Golden's fierce commitment to continuing the fight to bring our teachers and staff up to reasonable pay rates.”

Aprea: “I appreciate that WCS has worked to include raises for teachers whenever possible, and as the dust settles with (Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement) and we get into a good cadence with what to expect from the various funding sources involved (mainly thinking about outcomes-based funding) I hope that those funds will continue to be considered for our invaluable teachers and staff.”

School board members on Golden and improving faculty and staff job satisfaction

Board member Donna Clements: "I would like to see us focus more on teacher/faculty morale. After receiving the survey, I was saddened to see so many negative comments, and even more surprised to find some of negative comments were categorized under 'Feels Supported by Central Office' (or other positive headings.). Thankfully, I took the comments in depth; otherwise, I would have been misled by the headings."

Board member K.C. Haugh: "This remains a work in progress, and that progress has been very good and data driven, with a high level of input provided via the Gallup survey and strategic plan efforts. I would like to see this goal carried into the next school year, with more specific deliverables and metrics for improvement."

Scores for annual characteristics, comments

Below are the five characteristics on which Golden was graded and his scores. The characteristics score makes up the remaining 20% of his evaluation.

• Student achievement — 4.17.

• Board relations — 3.92.

• Community relations — 4.08.

• Staff relations — 3.5.

• Facility, finance and human resources — 4.17.

School board members on Golden and characteristics

Board member Dan Cash: "Still needs some work. I don't believe Principals feel like they can make a decision W/O help."

School board members on Golden and facility, finance, human resources

Board member Eliot Mitchell: "Jason excels at managing facilities, the budget and communicating the need for such within the community and other stakeholders. Jason excels at communicating facility and budget information to the Board. Jason and his staff excel at ensuring all facilities are operational, functional, and utilized.

"I have concerns that our HR department will not be successful in leading the district through increasing challenges with hiring and retaining quality employees. I worry that our employment culture is becoming increasingly negative (i.e. parental harassment, manager temperament). I do not see sufficient proactive efforts to address that negative trend."

What’s next?

Golden began as Williamson County superintendent in 2019. His annual compensation is $270,504, according to his contract. It has not been increased since he first took the job.

However, if the County Commission approves the school budget in the coming weeks, Golden will receive a 6% pay increase, like other county school employees.

More: Williamson County school board approves superintendent's contract extension

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Board: Why Williamson County Schools superintendent received 3.9 score