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| Huss’ approval rating drops below 80 percent |
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Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 9:31 pm
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By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
Obion County Director of Schools David Huss’ job approval rating has dropped sharply.
He has received an overall rating of 79.92 percent this year — a favorable evaluation, but down more than 7 points from last year’s rating of 87.68 percent.
The seven members of the Obion County School Board recently completed their annual evaluations of Huss’ performance and the results were presented at Friday’s annual board retreat at the Obion County Public Library.
It marks the first time Huss’ job approval rating has dropped below 80 percent since he became the county’s director of schools in 2006. His first evaluation in 2007 yielded a rating of 80.58 percent and it increased to 82.68 percent in 2008.
His highest evaluation came in 2009 when he earned a rating of 89.66 percent. It dropped to 85.11 percent in 2010, but increased to 87.41 in 2011 and then rose to 87.68 percent last year.
The presentation of Huss’ evaluation by Obion County School Board chairman Brian Rainey lasted less than 10 minutes Friday afternoon as the final item on the agenda at the board’s annual retreat.
School board members were asked to rate Huss in 10 general evaluation standards and two specific board evaluation standards pertaining to his job performance. Both the highest and lowest individual evaluations sub-mitted by board members were omitted from the overall evaluation and the remaining evaluations were averaged to determine Huss’ final scores, with general evaluation standards counting for 40 percent and specific board standards for 60 percent in the overall approval rating.
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being excellent and 1 being unacceptable, Huss did not receive any overall average rating lower than 3.40 in any of the 12 standards evaluated by board members. The majority were in the upper-3 to mid-4 range, with 3 indicating a satisfactory job and 4 showing efforts higher in quality than a 3.
His highest ratings of 4.60 came in two areas where he was rated — determines that funds are spent wisely and adequate control and accounting are maintained; and evaluates funding practices and seeks ways to accomplish financial objectives.
His lowest rating of 3.40 was in the area of annually making diligent efforts to visit all teachers’ classrooms, as measured by the percentage of classrooms visited annually. He also received lower ratings of 3.80 in three areas — keeps the board informed on issues, needs and operation of the school system; supports board policy and actions to the public and staff; and develops and executes sound personnel procedures and practices.
Rainey said Huss has always received somewhat lower scores in the area of keeping the board informed and Huss said he doesn’t know what more he can do to improve in that area. Rainey also said he doesn’t know what more Huss can do to raise his ratings in supporting board policy and in developing and executing sound personnel procedures, adding he believes he does the latter “very well.”
There was little response from the board after the results were given, with vice chairman Diane Sanderson noting Huss rated the highest in the financial aspects of his job performance. Rainey said this is the area in which Huss — who has a strong background in finance — “really shines.”
New board member Scott Northam said he didn’t feel adequate to evaluate Huss for a full year’s job performance since he has been a board member for just three months and he said some low scores could be a result of that. Huss said that is understandable, adding that Rainey had already shared the results with him on Thursday prior to Friday’s session.
“I mean, it is what it is,” Huss said.
“This is still a favorable evaluation,” Rainey said.
“You know, when you get up at 5 in the morning and you begin working on emails, doing purchase orders, and you’re still getting phone calls sometimes at night at 8:30 and 9 o’clock at night, you can’t do any more. You just can’t do it, I’m sorry,” Huss said.
Rainey explained the evaluation process formerly used by the board was extremely lengthy and there were some questions board members had difficulty answering, no matter how long they had been serving on the panel. The evaluation used in recent years is much shorter and streamlined.
Huss said even though it is his evaluation, operation of the Obion County School System “is not a one-person show.” He said without the cooperation and dedication of supervisors, principals, teachers and the entire support staff, the school system would not function as successfully as it does.
“We do have a very, very good school system, all in all. I truly believe that,” he said.
Huss was hired in Obion County in mid-2006 while he was working as executive director of Local Education Agencies Support Services with the Tennessee Department of Education. Prior to that, he worked as director of schools for the South Carroll County Special School District from July 1999 to September 2003.
He also worked in the past as a fiscal consultant with the Tennessee Department of Education, director of finance with the McKenzie Special School District and a legislature auditor for the state comptroller’s office.
Since coming to Obion County, Huss has also earned a law degree.
He was given a year’s extension to his contract in Obion County — making it through June 30, 2016 — at the April 2012 meeting of the Obion County School Board. The extension came after Huss received the 87.68 percent evaluation at last year’s board retreat.
As part of the director’s employment contract in Obion County, upon Huss’ receiving a satisfactory annual evaluation, the board can grant either a salary increase or a contract extension.
Published in The Messenger 2.18.13
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