| Making the grade: Director of schools sees his rating rise | | Posted: Monday, February 27, 2012 10:00 pm
| 
David Huss | | | By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
Obion County Director of Schools David Huss’ job approval rating has risen slightly from last year.
He has received an overall rating of 87.68 percent this year — up less than a percentage point from last year’s rating of 87.41 percent.
Huss’ annual evaluation was recently completed by the seven members of the Obion County School Board and the results were presented at the close of Friday’s annual board retreat at the Obion County Public Library.
School board chairman Brian Rainey explained this year’s evaluation form was much shorter and simpler than those used in past years. He said there were previously many questions board members could not fairly answer.
This year, both the highest and lowest individual evaluations submitted by the seven board members were omitted from the overall evaluation and the remaining five evaluations were averaged, according to Rainey.
On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, Huss did not receive any overall average rating lower than 4 in any of the 12 standards evaluated by board members. His highest rating of 4.8 came in the area of making recommendations to the board on items requiring board action, with appropriate recom-mendations based on thorough study and analy-sis.
The presentation of the evaluation lasted less than 10 minutes and Rainey noted the slight increase in Huss’ overall evaluation this year.
“It shows Mr. Huss is doing a fine job,” he said.
Rainey said board members had previously asked Huss to make an effort to visit more teachers’ classrooms around the system and to make himself available to all school support organizations. This year, he received average ratings of 4.4 out of a possible 5 in both those areas.
He said several board members received positive feedback about Huss’ actions and it was noted Huss had taught classes at both Obion County Central and South Fulton high schools. Huss told board members he enjoys visiting in the schools and wishes he had more time to do so.
By comparison, according to results provided by Rainey in the form of a spread sheet, Huss earned an 87.41 percent rating in 2011, up more than two points from an 85.11 percent overall approval rating in 2010.
The results of Huss’ evaluation came Friday at the conclusion of the board’s annual retreat, which included a half-day of round-table discussions involving the board, Huss, the system’s supervisors and school principals from around the system.
In other action during Friday morning’s school board meeting, the board:
• Approved a bid of $17,750 from Insight Systems Exchange for 100 refurbished computers to replace student computers (purchased in 2002) that are in various classrooms across the system.
The bid was for $177.50 per unit and was the only bid received.
• Approved 13 overnight student trips, all for various organizations from Obion County Central and South Fulton high schools for students to attend training, conventions or competitions.
The couple of items of business were conducted at Friday’s session since the school board does not plan to meet in March.
Staff Reporter Chris Menees may be contacted by email at cmenees@ucmessenger.com.
Messnger 2.27.12 | | | | |
