Search begins for next director of City Schools on The Murfreesboro Post

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Search begins for next director of City Schools

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By: MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer

Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 5:52 pm

Murfreesboro City Schools will conduct a regional search for the next director of schools.

The city school board voted unanimously to look for a firm to conduct a search of the Southeast to replace current Director of Schools Marilyn Mathis, who will retire Oct. 1.

“I feel like we owe it to the children of Murfreesboro to do the best we can do and find the best person we can,” Board member David Hopper said, adding getting the best possible director is worth the expense.

School board member Nancy Duggin agreed, saying the board needs someone to help with the search.

“Our system has a lot to offer a new director and a new director should have a lot to offer us,” Duggin said.

The board also outlined its criteria for selecting a search firm. The board would like a firm with good references in the Southeast, who have conducted searches since the No Child Left Behind act was passed and is cost effective.

School board chairwoman Mary Wade said cost was her biggest concern, along with proximity.

“We could go cheapo and hire me and Mr. Campbell for 200 bucks … but if you want the best you’re going to have to pay and you get what you pay for,” Hopper said.

The board also heard from Philip White, a representative from the Tennessee School Board Association, about what to look for in a search firm.

The board will meet again in the next few weeks to discuss the requirements for the next director of schools and possibly select a search firm.

When retires Oct. 1, she will take a new job as executive director of the Association of Independent and Municipal Schools.

Mathis has served as director of MCS for 12 years and has spent 26 years working in the school system.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.

Tagged under David Hopper, Mariyn Mathis, Mary Wade, MCS, Nancy Duggin, Philip White, Schools, TSBA

Member Opinions:

By: sechappell on 7/16/09
Why does Murfreesboro need a separate school system from the county, particularly when that system stops at sixth grade, does not mesh at all with what the county offers, and simply provides a duplication of services at greater expense to those who live in the city?

It seems this would be an ideal time to discuss a merger of two systems that simply duplicate services and therefore waste a great deal of taxpayer money.

By: Hello-out-there on 7/16/09
I agree - this would be an ideal time to combine the two systems.