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Blount County Board of Education reviews five director finalists, votes to add Justin Ridge
Summary
At a called meeting, the Blount County Board of Education heard presentations of five finalists for the director of schools search, reviewed interview procedures and timelines provided by TSBA, and voted to add Justin Ridge to the candidate pool.
The Blount County Board of Education reviewed five finalists for the district's director of schools search and voted to add one additional candidate to the pool during a called meeting.
Dr. Tammy Grissom, a consultant with TSBA, told the board TSBA screened 17 applicants and presented five finalists who met the board's criteria. The finalists identified in the board packet were Dr. Rainey Bridal; Dr. Dylan Connell; Mr. Shane Johnston; Dr. David Myers; and Dr. Alisa Tief Taylor, the district's interim director of schools.
Grissom said the board previously approved a vacancy brochure containing the criteria used to screen applicants. She reviewed for members that sample interview questions and tips were included in the meeting packet, that interview questions should be the same for every candidate, and that interviews must be conducted in a public meeting. Grissom also noted equal opportunity employment guidelines and a list of prohibited interview questions were included in the packet (tabs 10'12) and encouraged board members to read them before interviewing candidates.
Board members discussed scheduling interviews and agreed to try to hold them Tuesday through Thursday of the week identified in the packet, while avoiding Good Friday. Board staff will coordinate final dates and times. Grissom said candidates had been informed of the board's tight timeline and that interviews would be in person; the board also agreed interviews would be video recorded so members unable to attend could review them.
During the meeting a motion was made and seconded to add Justin Ridge to the pool of candidates. Members voted in favor of adding Ridge; the board chair instructed staff to notify Ridge and include him in the next stage.
The meeting concluded with directions for the chair and board secretary to coordinate interview scheduling with candidates and to make interview materials available to members. The board did not take a hiring vote at the meeting; the action items were limited to approving the interview process and expanding the candidate pool.
Next steps: the board will schedule public interviews using the uniform question set and record the sessions for members who miss them. Staff were directed to begin scheduling and to notify the candidates and board members of confirmed interview dates and times.
