What we learned from interviews with the Rutherford County school board director finalists
The Rutherford County school board may hire a new director to replace Bill Spurlock Monday after interviewing three finalists Thursday.
Board vice chairwoman Shelia Bratton called for approval to meet at 3 p.m. Monday "to vote on the next director of schools."
The Rutherford County Board of Education voted 6-1 for the special called meeting with only Tammy Sharp opposing an event that will be at the district's administration building in Murfreesboro.
Sharp said the public should be given more time to review the six-plus hours of interviews with finalists on video recorded by Rutherford County government's RCTV and available through YouTube.
The board will consider choosing a director after listening to responses to interview questions from the three finalists:
Andrea Anthony, assistant superintendent of human resources and support services
James Sullivan, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction
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If a majority of the seven school board members agree on a finalist, the chosen applicant will be offered a contract to start by July 1.
The board also could decide to continue the search and appoint an interim director to replace Spurlock. Sharp favors this approach and wants to continue the search in September after three new board members will be elected Aug. 4.
Although school board members praised Spurlock for academic success of students since he became director in 2018, they were critical of his communication in their evaluation of his performance.
Spurlock agreed to vacate his position a year early by June 30. The board agreed to provide Spurlock with his annual salary of $166,633 for another year, as well as benefits that push the total cost to $205,464, according to Rutherford County Finance Department records.
The board also increased the negotiable pay range for the next director from $200,000 to $225,000.
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Finalists respond to questions about academics and curriculum
Some of the board's questions involved academics and curriculum, which most parents in a recent district survey ranked as the top priority.
The three finalists drew lots to determine the order of interviewing. Anthony went first, followed by Sullivan and then Ash.
Rutherford parents: Academics, curriculum top priority as next schools director is chosen
Anthony: 'All students can learn'
Anthony mentioned how proud she was as a former executive principal for Williamson County Schools (2003-2015) at Page High, which she said transformed from a state target school (below standards) to a National Blue Ribbon School winner in 2011.
Anthony, who's been part of the Rutherford County Schools central office staff since 2015, said she wants the district to examine what the district educators can do to move students to the next level by strengthening instruction.
"All students can learn," said Anthony, adding it's important to "put the students first."
A former Riverdale High student, teacher and assistant principal, Anthony mentioned the importance of providing training for teachers and more planning time for lessons and grading.
"They want to see those students achieve," said Anthony, adding that district leaders need to make sure the teachers are "heard and respected."
Anthony also wants more communication to parents about the curriculum and instruction to let them know what is mandated by the state and the district's efforts to meet objectives.
"Everybody has that same goal," Anthony said. "We all (have) the same passion for our students to succeed."
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Sullivan: 'Data is essential for improvement'
Sullivan mentioned being part of building a strong culture when he was the founding principal at Rocky Fork Middle in 2017. He accepted promotion from Spurlock in 2019 to be the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
"Data is essential for improvement," Sullivan said. "We have to know where our students are in order for us to improve."
Rutherford County Schools is in the state's top quadrant for standardized tests, especially for academic growth of students, Sullivan said.
"There's always room for improvement," Sullivan said.
Sullivan also talked about how he and other district officials had to adjust early in the 2020-21 school year during the pandemic after learning how difficult it was for teachers to provide distance and traditional in-person instruction at the same time. The district changed the approach a month into the school year.
"I apologized" to teachers and instructional leaders for the initial approach to distance and traditional instruction at the same time, Sullivan recalled.
"People will be on our your side as long as you tell them to truth," Sullivan said. "People appreciate transparency."
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Ash: 'Reading is central for every other subject'
The Central Magnet principal touted the performance of his school serving high achievers and receiving recognition, including being ranked 7th best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
"Central obviously has been a success," said Ash, adding Central's recent graduates had an average ACT score of 30.5 and earned $11 million in college scholarships.
Ash, however, raised concerns about the district overall only having a success rate of 34.7% of students succeeding on state standardized exams in 2021, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.
"We have got to raise our children up," Ash said. "They deserve it."
Ash said the success rate is not acceptable for a district that's expected to be serving over 50,000 students next year. He said the district needs to improve education for each child.
Ash said he especially wants to see literacy rates increase for third-graders because they should be able to read for comprehension.
"Reading is central for every other subject, including math," Ash said. "It is vital."
Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden.
Meeting to choose director
The Rutherford County Board of Education will consider voting on the next director of schools during a 3 p.m. Monday meeting at the district's administration building, 2240 Southpark Drive in Murfreesboro.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Rutherford school board could hire director Monday after 3 interviews
