Cumberland County Board removes superintendent-evaluation items, forms special committee as public urges reversal on director decision

The Cumberland County Board of Education voted to remove two agenda discussion items about evaluations and to create a special committee to work on superintendent and board evaluation templates, then heard extended public comment urging the board to reverse a prior vote on the director’s contract.

Board members first approved a motion to add discussion of the agenda by majority vote, then later voted 5–4 to remove agenda items labeled 5a and 5b and to proceed with formation of a special committee to discuss an evaluation process for the superintendent and for the board. The board then approved the initial committee appointments by a 5–4 vote.

The actions followed remarks from board members who said the existing evaluation templates were generic and should be aligned with the district strategic plan. Several board members urged creation of a template that combined quantitative and qualitative accountability measures and recommended a committee or work sessions to develop a locally appropriate instrument rather than adopting a standard form unchanged.

Director of Schools statement

Director of Schools Mr. Stepp delivered a brief statement to the board near the end of the discussion. He said, "I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunities this board has given me during my time as director of schools. ... I respect the board's decision and I'm committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the new leadership as I complete my contract on June 30." The board did not take any additional personnel action during this meeting.

Public comment urging reversal

During the public comment period, dozens of residents, employees and community leaders urged the board to reconsider a prior vote not to renew the director’s contract. Speakers cited academic and programmatic gains they attribute to the director’s leadership and urged either extending his contract or offering a new contract. Wendy Stanley, who identified herself as a resident of the Fourth District and a court-appointed special advocate for Cumberland County children, cited several test-score improvements and said, "This is not the right direction," referring to the board's earlier decision.

Other commenters included teachers, bus drivers, nonprofit leaders and parents who described engagement by the director with students and staff, improvements in the county’s trauma-informed initiatives, and community partnerships. Denise Melton, executive director of Cumberland Children’s Center House of Hope and vice president of the Cumberland County Trauma Informed Community Alliance, told the board Mr. Stepp "initiated implementation of trauma informed schools" and linked that work to modest academic improvements.

What the board did and what’s next

- The board approved adding agenda discussion by majority vote (roll call recorded during the meeting). - The board voted 5–4 to remove discussion items 5a and 5b from today’s agenda and to create a special committee to work on evaluation materials; it then appointed volunteers to that committee during the same meeting. - The chair noted initial appointments may be reconsidered at a future public meeting; the chair said appointments are the chair’s prerogative but that the full board could later amend them.

The board said committee work and a revised evaluation template will feed into later work sessions; members suggested using TSBA (Tennessee School Boards Association) guidelines as a starting point but tailoring measures to Cumberland County’s strategic plan. No policy changes or personnel actions were approved beyond the committee appointments at this meeting.

The board moved on to other agenda items after public comment and a short recess; the full board did not reverse or change its earlier renewal vote during this session.