Three candidates for Overton County’s Director of Schools position discussed their plans for improving school safety and retaining staff during Tuesday night’s interviews with the School Board.
Overton County Interim Director of Schools and Curriculum Director Kim Dillon has been with the system for over 20 years. Dillon said she brings a team-player leadership style.
“I like to have everybody’s input,” Dillon said. “I want to bring everybody to the table and discuss what’s going on. I’m very transparent. I want everyone to have a say in it, even if it’s the students.”
Chris Jones serves as Principal of Milan Middle School in western Tennessee. Jones said he wants to focus on improving test scores.
“You can look back at all of the schools I’ve been in in a leadership role and we’ve shown growth across the board,” Jones said. “We’ve been a level five school, we’ve been a level five district, exemplary district. So we, I think, we do a lot of the right things. I’d want to bring that with me.”
Wayne Sells has 16 years of education experience across several departments. Sells said he envisions great teachers, scores, and student happiness.
“Our goal is to give an education to every child in the district,” Sells said. “Not some of them, but every one of them. And to be successful, we got to get those children through the education system where they’re productive adults outside of here.”
Everitt Singleton was scheduled for an interview with the board, but was unable to attend.
The Overton County School Board will have further discussions at a work session next Tuesday, and members will ultimately vote for the new Director of Schools at a meeting on July 29.
All three candidates vouched for more communication and transparency from central office to schools, students, and the community. Dillon said she would like to give weekly updates from the office to the schools, with the expectation they would do the same.
Jones said he would like to see a larger, more positive social media presence. Similarly, Sells said the schools need to show off the great accomplishments from students and teachers.
All three candidates said making teachers feel appreciated would be a good way to retain them, especially since Overton County lacks the money to compete financially with larger school systems.
There were no clear disagreements on key issues, but each candidate had their own spin on ways to solve certain problems. In terms of school safety, Dillon said teacher visibility is important to make students feel safe entering and leaving school. Dillon also said Overton County Schools has been working on different safety drills and threat assessment plans.
Jones said there have been rapid changes to school safety over the years. He said the key is making the school inviting while maintaining safety. Jones said his current school uses metal detector wands, and there have been no issues so far.
Sells said he wants to secure the buildings, particularly at points of entry. Sells said the schools need to consistently ensure every safety measure is working correctly.
The new Director of Schools will replace Donnie Holman, whose contract was not renewed.
