The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has written to the Hamilton County school board, asking it to conduct a national search for a new school superintendent.
Board members are expected to vote tonight on a contract buyout for Superintendent Jim Scales. They will also discuss an interim replacement. If the board approves the buyout as it stands now, Scales will step down June 30.
Tom Edd Wilson, the Chamber president and CEO, acknowledged pros and cons to both internal and external candidates, but that a “wide” search ensures a “rich talent pool.”
“Our members depend on Hamilton County schools to produce graduates that will help their companies compete in the global marketplace,” Wilson wrote in a letter to school board. “We view the selection of a superintendent as one of the most critical decisions impacting the future competitiveness of our business in the country.”
Some board members are said to favor current Deputy Superintendent Rick Smith as a replacement for Scales. Smith worked for the county school system prior to its merger with the city schools and has more than 25 years on the local education scene. He was an applicant in 2006 when Scales was hired, but withdrew before a search committee named finalists.
The board meets today at 5 p.m.
For complete details, see tomorrow’s Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Online: Read the entire letter.
Adam Crisp covers education issues for the Times Free Press. He joined the paper's staff in 2007 and initially covered crime, public safety, courts and general assignment topics. Prior to Chattanooga, Crisp was a crime reporter at the Savannah Morning News and has been a reporter and editor at community newspapers in southeast Georgia. In college, he led his student paper to a first-place general excellence award from the Georgia College Press Association. He earned ...
Didn't a "National" search get us Register and Scales?? HMM I think we need to stick to local. I believe someone local will be in our childrens best interest.
Yessire, that's exactly what we don't need....another high paid, gold plated, educrat. Let's find someone who cares about educating our chill-ren and not one who ax about the amount of his buyout and retirement benefits.
The school board has proven they are incapable of hiring a leader and innovator for this job. I agree that a national search is in order but how can our school board be given this responsibility having botched the last two?
I'd be fine with promoting from within while we finish weeding out the poor performing school board members.
The White Devil Tom Ed Wilson is an impotent figurehead and glorified "Yes" man for The Usual Suspects...He should go back to Nashville where he purports to be from...The White Devil Donn Calvin "Some call him 'Chip'" Baker needs to go back to Texas where he purports to be from...All Power To The People!!!!
How about a national search for a new school board instead?
FOLKS...THIS FOOL NAMED MUHAMMAD VAN BUREN is a SODDY red neck disguising himself....take a real childish mind to do that...lol lol must be a republican
Or login with:
New Account