DIRECTOR OF SCHOOLS DR. STAN CURTIS ASKED TO RESIGN

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Cheatham County Director of School’s Dr. Stan Curtis has been asked to resign after a unanimous vote, by school board members, to seek his immediate resignation.

All six board members voted in favor of asking Curtis for an immediate resignation  

Monday, October 3, board member Jennifer Hamlin made a motion during Cheatham County School Board Meeting to offer Curtis, in exchange for his resignation, his remaining salary in the amount of $57,598.50, one of his past accrued bonuses in the amount of $15 thousand and to use paid vacation leave until the agreement is signed.  The motion was followed by a roll call vote.  

School board members are considering three options for conducting a search for a new director of schools. Their choices include independently conducting a search, working with TSBA – Tennessee School Board Association or hiring an outside consulting firm.

If they choose to independently conduct the search they’d be responsible for seeking out potential candidates, interviewing and deciding on the most qualified person for the job. The consensus of the board was not to pursue independently fulfilling the position. Previous school board members independently sought and fulfilled the position of director of schools in 2010 hiring former Director of Schools Tim Webb. Curtis was appointed the position of Director of Schools after Webb resigned in 2012.

The second option was to work with TSBA – Tennessee School Board Association in filling the position. It would cost approximately $7 thousand dollars for TSBA to do a director search.   They would seek qualified individuals, meeting the specific needs of the district and providing assistance to board members on the interview process, how to proceed with offers, negotiations and employment contracts. The district has hired TSBA to assist in conducting searches for teachers, administration and staff positions in the past.

Board member David Bibee recommended the board consider Jeremy Qualls, ED.S, Principal and Education Consultant with TEAM, Inc., out of Centerville, Tennessee.

Qualls addressed board members providing his experience, credentials and success in working with school districts to find a qualified director of schools fitting the needs of the school system. A folder was given to each board member, for their review, explaining in depth the process by which he conducts searches, interviews and hiring techniques proven beneficial in surrounding districts.

Qualls stated the district would be charged approximately $6 thousand dollars to conduct the search. They would be required to pay half, $3 thousand dollars, up front and the remaining amount would not be paid until a director was hired. According to Qualls it typically takes ninety-days to conduct a proper search, interviews and negotiations to fulfill the position. He further stated he only worked with two to three districts each year giving sufficient time and attention to board members and finding qualified candidates.

Director of Schools Stan Curtis’ contract will expire with the school district as of April 1, 2017.  If he accepts the terms of his resignation as presented during Monday’s board meeting, an interim director of schools will have to be named.  According to Vice Chair John Louallen they will await Curtis’ decision before proceeding on making any decisions.

Cheatham County School Board will meet Thursday, November 3, holding a work session at 6:00 p.m. and Monday, November 7, a board meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public and held in the Annex Building of Ashland City Elementary School.

-Tonya Steele

**Note:  Article published in the I-24 Exchange Newspaper distributed on October 8, 2016 in Pleasant View, Cheatham County, Tennessee and can be found online at www.exchangehotspot.com with more news from Pleasant View, Tennessee.