There are some uncertainty at the present time in the Carroll County School District. With a Superintendent search underway and other unresolved issues, School Board Member John Phillips pointed out the noticeably high turnover this year in the school district at Monday night’s meeting of the Carroll County School Board in Vaiden.
Superintendent Billy Joe Ferguson said one teacher turned in her resignation today and asked to be allowed out of her contract.
“She said she didn’t know what was going to happen with the uncertainty of a not knowing who the superintendent is,” Ferguson said.
The board voted in favor of allowing the teacher to break her contract, and they also approved eight new resignations which brought up Phillip’s question.
“Mr. Superintendent doesn’t that make 13 resignations and 11 to 12 non-renewals?”
“Yes,” MiMi Alldread, Assistant Business Administrator, answered.
“That’s a lot, that’s a high turnover, and that’s not good. That’s not good at all,” Philips said.
“That speaks to the administration in the district,” Board member Donnie Wiltshire said.
“No, it doesn’t. It speaks to the school board,” Board member Stella Washington-Bell said.
“No, it doesn’t speak to us. It speaks to them,” Wiltshire said.
“No, it’s us. Because y’all don’t want to do what’s best and the board sets the tone for the entire district,” Washington-Bell said.
This tone continued for most of the meeting. Another battle of words ensued over a sixth and seventh grade English teacher at J.Z. George Junior High School who Ferguson wanted to move up to an English and Math coach and wanted to extend his contract to 200 days instead of the standard 187.
However, Wiltshire and board members William Downs and Kenneth DeLoach voted against the measure because they said another teacher may want the same thing, and the board can’t give them that. Ferguson argued that because he would be an academic coach and that athletic coaches have 200 day contracts, it would be in line with what the district already has in place.
“Can’t she get the money out of Title I and supplement it to him? She does it for everyone else, why not him?” Wiltshire asked.
“Yeah, she can I guess,” Ferguson said.
After the board modified the recommendation and approved the matter 3-2 with Washington Bell and Phillips opposing, Washington-Bell told Wiltshire, DeLoach and Downs she felt they were not doing the best for the children of Carroll County because of their decision.
“We have a teacher who writes the test questions for the state test and you don’t want to pay him?” Washington-Bell said. She went on to say it shows where the three men intentions are and they aren’t for Carroll County.
Before that recommendation, Ferguson recommended a candidate who would replace Anjuan Brown, who currently serves as Assistant to the Superintendent and Head of Security which covers Bullying, Bus Referrals and other matters pertaining to discipline and the safety of the students of Carroll County.
“We’re going out of the county too much to find people when we have qualified people here in Carroll County that can do this,” William Downs said. “I think we should open it up and advertise the position.” After Downs placed the matter in the form of a motion the board approved the matter 3-2.
