Columbus Municipal School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Martha Liddell Friday was interviewed by the board of trustees, as the last of three candidates vying for the full-time job.
Liddell opened with a one-hour presentation of her “Believe and Achieve” plan for raising test scores and improving finances. She cited the district’s Destination Imagination, International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs as strengths, but said the weakness has been an inability to translate innovative concepts into positive results.
She attributed part of that failure to too much talk and too little work. Accountability puts students first and monitoring progress keeps teachers on their toes, she said. Too many individuals following their own plan has resulted in “pockets of excellence” throughout the district, she said, adding teachers need more support at the district level and administrators need to spend more time in the classroom.
If selected, she plans to “repurpose” the central office, bringing employees into the schools to share expertise.
“I want your boots on the ground,” she said. “I’m sick of all this talk.”
She advocates in-school suspension to retain enrollment numbers and dollars, while making misbehavior less favorable to students.
Bringing dropouts — from Columbus or elsewhere — back into the district has been one of her main goals and she highlighted the key points of her Project 20/20 plan, saying the district loses money with every dropout. She estimated $500,000 could be returned to the district with every student returned to traditional classes or offsite “E-Centers.'”
Finances and teacher accountability
Finances have been a struggle over the past year and Liddell said she has had to make painful decisions, including not renewing contracts of 68 teachers and certified staff with less than two years’ experience. Without the reduction in force, she said, the district would have risked state takeover.
“Sad as it was, it had to be done,” Liddell said, adding she made $1.5 million in cuts to next years’ budget, currently being drafted.
The board recently decided to rehire 49 of the 68 positions eliminated in March.
Liddell said they must hire people who care about children and place ineffective teachers on improvement plans.
“We have a caring problem in Columbus,” she said. “Folks who care go the extra mile and don’t need a stipend to stay an hour after school to tutor children who need help.”
In her 24 years in education, she said she has seen too many teachers not willing to put forth the effort to raise student achievement.
“Put students first,” she told the board. “Hold employees accountable and insist on professionals. Weed out employees who are just drawing a check.”
She advocated professional development and early-release Wednesdays, which could be used for teacher training by central office employees. The loss in instruction time would be compensated by longer school days on Tuesdays and Thursdays for struggling students to receive extra tutoring.
Liddell said citizens could expect to see a change in the district’s fiscal management by June.
Board member Jason Spears said districts in neighboring counties operate on far less than Columbus and asked what she would do to bring the spending levels down.
“Due diligence,” Liddell said. “I look at the budget each week and month. I’ve already saved you $2 million and I will continue.”
To eliminate the “buddy-buddy” system, a perceived system of favoritism and nepotism within the district, Liddell proposed good communication, following board policy and keeping students first rather than promoting personal agendas.
Spears asked if she would take a pay cut if teachers were being laid off or having their salaries reduced.
“Absolutely,” Liddell said. “I lead by example.”
But, she cautioned, a better partnership would require the board to support her by following her recommendations and she would need to keep them informed and treat them equally.
Community feedback
After the meeting, Prude remarked on Liddell’s passion and enthusiasm. Joking about her presentation, which went 45 minutes beyond what the board had allotted to candidates, he said it was “a new way of keeping time,” but that the board and public needed to know the information.
“I think she did a real good job,” he said. “She was very passionate and outlined the future. All children can and will learn, if you have the right teachers.”
Jim Mullis, one of 50 citizens chosen to give feedback on the candidates, said she was organized and presented her data well.
“I know it’s been a tough road with the budget, and it’s been tough for the community,” Mullis said. “She was put in a tough position to start with.”
For retired history teacher Ezra Baker, Liddell exemplified leadership and forward thinking.
“The entire speech, all her answers, everything was spot-on,” Baker said. “(The candidates) were all good, but I think she was excellent.”
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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