Audio clip
Troy Weathers
CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The committee that will narrow the field of applicants for Bradley County school superintendent got candidate packets Thursday.
Panel Chairman Troy Weathers told members Christy Critchfield and Terry McGuire they should be ready to reduce the list from 13 to eight when they meet again at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
“I think that will be fairly easy,” Mr. Weathers said.
The eight should be reduced to five by the final meeting Thursday. Those finalists will be interviewed by the full school board the week of March 31.
Every school board member can nominate someone not on the list, Mr. Weathers said. It would take four of the seven board votes to add that person to the interview list.
“I would hope that doesn’t happen,” Mr. Weathers said. “That’s not necessarily fair to that candidate.”
Committee members also discussed the ground rules for interviews.
School board Chairman David Kelley, who sat in with the group, said applicants already have received a basic question list from the Tennessee School Boards Association.
He said school board members may ask two questions of their own, but they must be submitted in advance and be asked of all applicants.
The 12 applicants who don’t make the cut should know it is not personal, Mr. Weathers said.
“They are all good people. Not making it to the end doesn’t mean they are less than anybody else,” he said.
Mr. Kelley said he is impressed at the high caliber of the applicants and has received similar comments from regional educators.
“We have people with very strong administrative capabilities,” Mr. Kelley said.
