Panel to review superintendent applications

Owen County School District’s superintendent screening committee will meet Thursday to review applications in hopes of finding a new leader.
Owen County Primary School Principal Sharen Hubbard, who also serves as the committee’s principal representative, said the meeting will be closed to the public.
The screening committee screens all applicants, calls and checks all references and chooses the top applicants, which is usually between three and five.
The committee consists of six members, including two certified teachers elected by certified staff, Tiffany Montague and Susan Traylor; one classified employee elected by classified staff, Mina Hammons; one parent elected by PTO of the school, Debbie McMillen; one school board member, Stuart Bowling; and one principal elected by the principals, Hubbard.
Hubbard said having a parent on the committee is crucial to the process.
“As is representation from each area of the school,” Hubbard said. “Research shows that good schools become even better schools when parents are involved. Having a parent member on the committee gives parents a voice in this major decision that affects their children.”
Hubbard said the committee held a community meeting Nov. 14.
“The purpose of the meeting was to get input as to the qualities desired in our next superintendent,” Hubbard said. “Everyone is in agreement that the next person to lead Owen County schools need to have experience as a district administrator, experience with curriculum and someone with a strong financial background.”
The committee gained access to candidates’ applications Friday, 30 days from the time the job was posted on Oct. 23, Hubbard said.
“We are looking for a candidate with experience,” Hubbard said. “We also desire a superintendent who is fair and trustworthy, willing to listen, highly visible in the schools and in the community and someone who understands small towns and rural education.”
After the committee reviews applications and makes recommendations to the board of education, Hubbard said the members of the board can choose to interview all of the candidates or only some of them.
“They can choose a superintendent from our list or they can ask us for more names if they’re not satisfied with any of the ones we submitted,” Hubbard said. “The board of education members make the final decision.”