Indya,

Thanks so much for making this happen. I'll respond tot he survey, and help put out the word about its availability.

"The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones." - John Maynard Keynes

Thank you. Please make sure the survey goes out to teachers as well. We can't very well speak out about our needs for fear of losing our jobs. We would, however, love the opportunity to speak.

I would agree with the comment above about the teachers. Surely you have email communication or something with them where you can direct them to take the survey? I know it is a problem on School Matters that teachers have told us they don't want to post with their real names because they are afraid of repercussions.

Also, is there some way you can let parents know about the online survey also?

I think it is awesome that you have not only agreed that an online survey is a good thing, but figured out a quick and easy way to do it! Props to Indya.

Lisa

I will ask KCS to send the link out to faculty and staff. I will alert people on my email distribution list and also try to get the word out through PTA/PTO networks.

The survey will remain open until 6pm on Thursday, December 6th.

I read the survey, and I have to say, I'm unimpressed.

A lot of the issues that are asked about should always be considered by any group or organization hiring a person for a leadership position.

1. Willing to listen to input, but can make a decision when necessary.
2. Remains current on educational issues
3. Has demonstrated strong leadership skills in previous positions.

If the school board has to be told that those three things are leadership qualities, then it's not competent to make a hiring decision. If it's going to seriously consider these issues, which I assume it will, then the school board is wasting our time with these kind of questions.

5. Possession of an earned Ed.D or Ph.D. degree.

This is also a given, isn't it? Although the teachers might have wanted to add "...and has more than five years of classroom experience, before he/she started climbing the administrative career ladder.

6. Inspires trust, has high levels of self-confidence and optimism, and models high standards of integrity and personal performance.

I guess this means he/she means what he/she says, and that you can count on his/her word.

7. Effective communication skills to include speaking, listening and writing.

One would hope, a candidate for superintendent of Knox County Schools has these skills, and that the public can safely assume that the school board will see to it that he/she does.

10. Successful experience in sound management practices, including appropriate participation of others in planning and decision-making.

This sounds like another one of those characterisitics that the public assumes any candidate for this type of job has, doesn't it?

12. Ability to develop and direct an effective administrative team, with a commitment to the professional growth and development of team members.

See above.

13. Ability to delegate authority appropriately while maintaining accountability.

This should also be assumed for any position that involves the expenditure of public dollars and the use of public trust.

14. Experience in the management of district resources and knowledge of sound fiscal procedures.

Again, see above.

15. Possesses excellent people skills.

Gen. Patton and Admiral Halsey didn't necessarily have "excellent people skills," but they were great leaders.

16. Committed to keeping the Board informed.

The board only believes this is important if the public does? See above, under 1,2,and 3.

17. Strongly committed to a "student first" philosophy in all decisions.

Well, the student generally should come first. However, this can be a real impediment to teachers who are trying to maintain discipline in classrooms, and who hope that the administration will back them up, as long as the teachers act accordingly under Knox Co. Schools guidelines and local, state, and federal laws. If the student always comes first, then who stands up for the teachers? Teachers need support from their central office administration. That's what keeps morale high.

18. Ability to develop both short and long-range district goals.

Since teachers and staff have to develop goals and objectives throughout the year, one would hope a superintendent can as well.

19. Ability to develop and communicate a vision of quality education for the future to the board, staff and community.

Again, isn't it a given that a leader can do this?

20. Successful experience in the selection and implementation of educational priorities consistent with the interests and needs of students, staff, board and community.
21. Commitment to the importance of both the academic and activity programs.
22. Ability to secure and promote positive student behavior conducive to student achievement/learning climate.

These are good, as long as the candidates are questioned as to "how" he/she would do this.

23. Skilled leadership in the development of inservice training for administrators, support staff and teaching staff.

Unless you are, or have been, a teacher, do you know how important this is?

24. Possesses the leadership skills required to respond to the challenges presented by an ethnically and culturally diverse community.

This is a legitimate question.

25. Ability to identify and select building and central office administrators who are capable of advancing the district vision.

This seems like another insider detail that the board is in a better position to measure and manage.

26. Work experience in a similar district.

We'll Google the candidate.

27. Inspires and motivates others to achieve or exceed No Child Left Behind annual yearly progress requirements.

This would be important, but it looks like NCLB may soon be left behind, from what they're saying in Washington.

28. Ability to lead a large organization dedicated to goals of continuous improvement.

Another given.

29. Ability to develop and maintain a mutually beneficial relationship between the business community and the school district.

Another given that Mayor Ragsdale, Mayor Haslam, and Mr. Edwards, among others, have made abundantly clear that it is important. Along with all those parents with twenty-somethings still living at home.

30. Demonstrated ability to enhance student performance, especially in identifying and closing or narrowing the gaps in student achievement.

We have to ask this?

31. Demonstrated ability to work with the media.

Whether he/she can get along with the media is not my problem. What is my problem is how the media keeps the superintendent accountable.

32. Recommendations and decisions are data driven.

As opposed to crystal ball gazing? It would be nice.

I wish that those in charge of this survey had been honest enough to see where Knox County schools are lacking, and address those issues more specifically. Like teacher morale, talented and gifted programs, classroom and school discipline, and achievement issues. That would have helped the public, I think, more than just these general, and sometimes, irrelevant, issues.

and perhaps they should have let you write the questions like "Do you think management skills are more important than leadership skills?"

It would have shortened the list and made it easier to get through.

Although I still think that statements like
(a)bility to delegate authority appropriately while maintaining accountability., after all that has gone on in Knox County, waste ink and time.

I have to say that it has been pretty cool to watch the idea of putting the survey on the web become a reality here at KnoxViews. I'm a regular reader and saw the post this morning that the survey was now on line. Then, I got an email from my PTA this afternoon notifying me of the opportunity to contribute through the survey.

Yes, it is cool, but I have to agree with Gary that the questions seemed redundant and too general to be useful - form without substance.

List of qualities might be limiting, but trying to match a large diverse community to one person isn't so easy. Anyone want to try writing a recruitment advertisement? What would you say?

What was it about Lindsey they did not like and want to prevent in the new hire?

Why do we make this so difficult in this town? It's been like 10 months since Lindsey left, and we're diddling with surveys?

I'm really of the opinion that they aren't very worried about what happens with k-12 education in Knox County or they would have done something sooner. pgs

Pam Strickland

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be." ~Kurt Vonnegut

I'm really of the opinion that they aren't very worried about what happens with k-12 education in Knox County or they would have done something sooner. pgs

I don't think I would go that far. I think they're just playing it safe, maybe too safe, but I'm not really sure I can blame them.

After all, local legislative bodies have come under much more scrutiny since last January, and especially when it comes to appointments.

Plus, I think with the possibility that the state is going to rewrite the TCAP so that it is more in line with the National Assessment of Educational Progress, which could greatly affect a number of areas in education, the board probably feels like it's changing horses in mid- stream. Add that to the other,and for fun, throw in general discontent with county government, I would be careful too.