Board members Peggy Pesterfield (chair), Dawn Robinson, Dr. Murl Dirksen, Tom Cloud, Steve Morgan, Richard Shaw and George Meacham are all scheduled to attend the event.
Cleveland Middle School teachers Jim David and Sandy Farlow will be presenting a program at the convention on the second year of their “paperless classrooms.”
In Nashville, board members and the director will be able to discuss a number of issues facing the board regarding City Schools. These include facility and energy needs, and plans to renovate the Little Theater at Cleveland High School.
“We may discuss the high school football situation,” Ringstaff said, referring to the recent resignation of Cleveland High football coach E.K. Slaughter.
The Cleveland director and school board members will be attending workshops and other events at the convention, returning to Cleveland Tuesday.
There were a number of key issues brought up in this week’s monthly school board meeting at Cleveland Middle School, and some of that deliberation may continue in Nashville ... although no action will be taken.
The weekend will give board members an opportunity to review a policy proposal being considered for the qualifications and duties of City Schools director. Ringstaff said this week he agrees with the specifics of the proposal. “All they (the board) need to do is tell me what they want me to do,” he said.
School board members have expressed approval of Ringstaff, who joined the school system this spring after the retirement of longtime director Dr. Rick Denning.
In addition to the proposal on qualifications and duties, Pesterfield also handed out (to board members) a guide to the principles of evaluation for the director of schools.
The guide says the development of a performance agreement and the entire evaluation should include input from each member of the board, along with Ringstaff.
It adds the evaluation is to provide a channel of communication between the board and the schools director to render a fair and impartial assessment of the director’s performance.
The scope of Ringstaff’s responsibility, as listed in the proposed qualifications and duties, extends to all activities in the school district, to all phases of the educational program, to all aspects of financial operation, to all parts of the physical plant and to the conduct of such other duties which may be assigned by the board.
It adds the director may delegate these duties together with appropriate authority, but he may not delegate nor relinquish ultimate responsibility for results or any portion of accountability.
The proposal specifies general administrative responsibilities, financial management, personnel administration, instructional leadership and community/public relations.
Terms of employment include a 12-month stay, with renewal based greatly on the board’s evaluation.
n The school board’s Site Committee met early Wednesday morning at the Central Office.
The committee, chaired by Dirksen, discussed a recent gift to the Memorial Garden at Cleveland High School, severe HVAC needs for the east wing at Cleveland High School and renovation of the high school’s Little Theater.
The rest of the board is expected to be brought up to date on the committee’s discussions in Nashville this weekend.
Renovation of the high school’s east wing is expected (by the school system’s maintenance team) to cost $1 million or more. The board received a proposal from the Trane Company on Monday to enter into a performance contract with the company, which could reduce the cost of rehabilitation of the east wing.
