| School Board Discusses Role As Policy Maker |
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By JOEL McNEECE School Board President Billy McCord presented a report about school board policies, zero tolerance and financial stability at Monday's meeting of the board in Pittsboro. McCord, who recently attended a school board training session sponsored by the Mississippi School Board Association, told the board they are a "policy-making board" and needed to make good policy. McCord said the training emphasized the school board's role in the chain-of-command. The board is responsible for establishing policy and then calling on the superintendent to enforce that policy, he said. "The board isn't to worry about how to increase the QDI score of our schools," McCord said. "We're just to ask the superintendent if it's increasing and if it's not to demand it from him." "We can't teach the classes," McCord said. "We make the policy." McCord said the district is responsible for making sure they are employing qualified, good teachers. He said it was stated at the seminar that if a poor teacher is allowed to stay for two years, those students will likely never catch up. "We have to ask, are we serving the adults or the students?" McCord said. McCord said they were also cautioned about "zero-tolerance" policies. "They won't hold up under the law," McCord said. Policies must provide for due process, he said. McCord concluded by saying it was reaffirmed that the school board members are ultimately responsible for the financial stability of the school district. In other news from the brief meeting, the board approved two transfers of instructional employees' children and grandchildren – John Harmon from Houston to Calhoun, and Cote Pena. In personnel matters, the board accepted the resignation of Calhoun City English teacher Bobbie Caranna. Her husband Jon, youth minister at First Baptist in Calhoun City, is going into the seminary in Kentucky. Caranna will stay on through December. Superintendent Mike Moore said the district has a "qualified" replacement that will likely be presented to the board at next month's meeting. Sandy Aron and Jeff Patton at BHS were both approved as substitute administrators. The following substitute teachers were hired – Sharon Kelly at BES; Leigh Childs, Kathy McRight and Mauel James at CCMS; and Bryan Anderson of VHS. |