June 23, 2017 (7am)
Please note that the following
are the highlights of this interview session. Not every question is
represented, and answers have been abbreviated to provide an abridged and
balanced representation of the candidate.
Mr. Keith Lankford had withdrawn from the Superintendent
pool, leaving only 4 left in the race by Friday morning. At 7am, board members
listed their top two candidates, and agreed unanimously that Mr. Chresal
Threadgill and Dr. Michael Douglas should proceed to the final round.
Following that decision, board members called both
Threadgill and Douglas with a few more questions which would aid in their final
decision.
They called Threadgill on the phone first, who had to stand
outside (hopefully not in the rain) to have enough service to hear every word
they said.
Questions to
Threadgill are as follows:
How do you plan to
raise student achievement, specifically regarding the developments of yesterday
concerning the change from ACT Aspire testing to Global Scholar?
Threadgill: Professional development is crucial to raising
student achievement. I will need a meeting (or several) with teachers to coach
them on the differences between Global Scholar and Aspire.
How does the process
of building student achievement look in the classroom?
Threadgill: Gone are the days of a teacher standing in front
of a class lecturing a group of students. Now we must raise student engagement
with peers teaching peers, project-based learning, student engagement, and get
away from classroom boredom. Create action plans to strengthen weaknesses.
Do you get personally
involved in the disaggregation of data?
Threadgill: I’ve done it two ways in my life:
1.
Assimilate the data myself and present it to those
it concerns. This method works, but I sense that they don’t own their own data.
2.
Assimilate the data myself and then keep those
results to myself until each person completes their own data analysis. Then we
compare figures, and discuss strengths and weaknesses. I find that this method
forces each person to own their own data.
How would you feel
delegating responsibilities to other administrators, especially considering
that you are coming from a much smaller district where your roles were more
hands-on?
Threadgill: I’m going to be honest; this will be really hard
for me. I have a hard time delegating, but I also realize that a system the
size of Decatur really needs a good delegation system, so I’m willing to work
with it.
How would you grow
teachers and administrators and then hold them accountable?
Threadgill: First, I would have one-on-one conversations
with teachers and administrators to find out what they need for quality
professional development. Then accountability would be an everyday occurrence.
I need to establish a baseline, and then measure them according to how they’ve
progressed from that baseline.
What process would you
use to interpret the intent of a Board policy?
Threadgill: Well, I would definitely talk with everyone
about it, and ask the board what they understood it to mean. Then if necessary,
I would consult a professional, including an attorney to clearly understand any
legal implications.
If chosen, when could
you start working for Decatur City Schools as Superintendent?
Threadgill: in under a month
Questions to Douglas
are as follows:
How do you plan to
raise student achievement, specifically regarding the developments of yesterday
concerning the change from ACT Aspire testing to Global Scholar?
Douglas: I would start in the classroom, make sure teachers
are prepared, encourage teacher-on-teacher mentoring... I would definitely
define what my expectations are for good instruction, and then collect data to
be used for accountability. I currently use Global Scholar at Oneonta, so I’m
already familiar with the system. I think it aligns closer to our standards
than Aspire does, and it is a good growth tool that can track from fall,
winter, to spring.
How does the process
of building student achievement look in the classroom?
Douglas answered here, expanding on his answer before but we
did not keep
Do you get personally
involved in the disaggregation of data?
Douglas: Yes. I’m a heavy data person, and because I’m
ultimately responsible for our data results, I definitely want to be personally
involved.
How would you feel
delegating responsibilities to other administrators, especially considering
that you are coming from a much smaller district where your roles were more
hands-on?
Douglas: I realize that it is impossible to be successful
without delegation, so I would sit down with each program leader and lay out my
expectations before them, and then let them use their expertise to make it
happen. We have to inspect what we expect, so later I would need to check in
with them and see how our progress is coming.
How would you grow
teachers and administrators and then hold them accountable?
Douglas: We need to be constantly growing our own, meaning
that we identify teachers who show strong leadership qualities and train them
to one day be administrators. I also advocate workshops and conferences to
train our administrators to be better, have administrator for a day for
teachers when administrators are at workshops, align veteran teachers with
novice, outline job descriptions, and know expectations. A system that size, we
need to be growing our own. As for accountability, I would hold regular data
meetings and a fall retreat in which each principal presents their respective
data to the board to explain progress. It is always about growth and how we get
there.
What process would you
use to interpret the intent of a Board policy?
Douglas: First I would speak to the Board president to hear
their opinion on the policy, but then I would also get a legal opinion to make
sure everything is being done right. I
like to know the background and intent of policies.
If chosen, when could
you start working for Decatur City Schools as Superintendent?
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