Why do you want to be Director of Schools?
JASON HORNE
MATTHEW DRINNON
That was Dr. Matthew Drinnon, before that Dr. Jason Horne, answering the final of around 35 questions each were given during individual interviews with the Greeneville City Board of Education Wednesday evening.
QUESTIONS OF THE CANDIATES
The two responded to the same questions from board members, ranging from but not limited to such things as the single greatest threat to continued excellence in education, their first 90 days in office, ensuring transparency and clarity when communicating complex or challenging issues to parents, staff and the community, facing a complex problem and the end result, dealing with such things as the pandemic, attracting and retaining exceptional principals and teachers who could work elsewhere, handling a disagreement with the board while maintaining unity, building a productive, trust-based relationship with the city council, particularly during times of disagreement over funding priorities.
GRADING THE ANSWERS
Questions asked were a combination of suggestions by the TSBA with input from school board members. A grading sheet used on each question allowed board members to rank answers from 1 thru 5, five being the highest. Results of those scores were not made available following the sessions.
GREENE MEDIA
The evening was videoed by the Greeneville High School operated Greene Media for viewing later by board member Crystal Hirschy and members of the public upon request. Hershey was absent for the interviews, as she was when school board members decided to interview Horne and Drinnon at their February meeting.
ATTENDANCE
Including the candidates and those conducting the interviews, around 40 persons gathered in the board room at the Kay Leonard City School Office Complex. School Board members sat in their usual seats while Horne and Drinnon sat at a table directly in front of them about 20 feet away.
FAMILY , FRIENDS OF CANDIDATES SHOW SUPPORT
Some family and friends of both candidates as they were in the public forum a day earlier, were in attendance Thursday.
UP NEXT
Up next in the search for a new Director of Schools, the board must decide whether to bring the men back for second interviews. That decision is expected to be announced soon but had not been “officially” decided last night as some of the board members huddled together at the conclusion of the interviews.
School Board Chair Josh Quillen – Why do you want to be Greeneville City Director of Schools?
HORNE
“The reason why I want this job is I feel led. I feel called to do it. I did not come back to Greeneville thinking that I would be the Director of Schools. Certainly, 16 year old, me, 26 year old, me, 36 year old me, never thought that I would be applying to be a Director of Schools. I feel sometimes you just have to step up. I’ve come back to this district that I love and reconnected with people that I care a lot about, students that maybe I don’t even know yet that I care about. My kid goes to this school system. I care what happens here. And I’ve done a lot of things in my career to be prepared for this job. And you know I would have loved to learn from Mr. Starnes for a few more years? But that’s just not how it worked out. And there’s just a time in life when you’re in a position and it’s sitting right in front of you, you can either step up or step out, and I decided to step up. I am not looking to be a Director of Schools anywhere else in the world. I am not interested in that at all. This is not a stepping stone for me. I am home. I’m where I meant to be, and this is where I’m going to stay. This is where I want to be. The second that Bev (Beverly Miller) posted that her job was available, my whole future became clear to me what I wanted. I wanted to apply for that job and be Assistant Director in Greeneville for the rest of my career. And then when Mr. Starnes announced his retirement I really did some soul searching, and I said I’ve got to step up and do this. I’ve prepared myself for this. I’ve gotten a lot of extra education to be able to do this. I’m not just a humanities person. I’m all of it. And I can talk to you about English, the same I can talk to you about calculus now. I just feel like I’m ready for this I want to lead this school district into the future. One of my favorite expressions is “tis better the devil ye know, than the devil ye don’t, and I’m the Greene Devil you know.”
DRINNON
“This is a school district that is on the cusp of being recognized as a national school district, should be. You’ve been one of the best in the state, if not the best in the state for years. I’m committed to excellence. I think across my career, I’ve demonstrated that. I think that’s something that I’ve been focused on, to be a part of that culture and to be a part of that experience is something that has enticed me. I applied two years ago as an assistant superintendent, I’m applying now as a director. I feel like the skill set that I have is a skill set that will translate well into this job. It’s a great community. I’m a history teacher. I don’t know that we have a community that I’ve been to in East Tennessee that’s more steeped in history than this one. That’s what drove me to apply here. There are a wide number of directors jobs that are open. I only applied for this one. And there were a wide number of assistant superintendent jobs that were open years ago. I only applied here and in Hamblen County. So those are the only two places I’ve been interested in working the last 15 years. I just want to thank you all for being here. Thank you for the opportunity. I have felt incredibly welcomed. You’ve got a tough decision. You’ve got a tough job to do. But I wish you all the best regardless of what happens. I wish nothing but the best for Greeneville City Schools. I am here to offer my services and have that conversation, but just deeply grateful to have the opportunity.”
OTHER QUESTIONS OF THE CANDIDATES
We’ve read your resume. We know something about you. Is there something you’d like to tell us that is not on your resume?
What do you consider the major strengths that you would bring to this position?
In a district that is already high performing, what is the single greatest threat to continued excellence?
What has drawn or attracted you to our system for you to decide that you would like to be the Director of Schools?
In what ways do you foster a culture of open communication and accessibility?
Can you share an example of a time when a staff member or community member proposed an idea you initially disagreed with, but later embraced after listening to their perspective?
What steps will you take to maintain open lines of communication with staff and the community, especially in times of crisis or rapid change?
How do you ensure transparency and clarity when communicating complex or challenging issues to parents, staff, and the wider community?
How do you balance sharing the successes of the school district while also highlighting areas where improvement is needed? Can you give an example of when you’ve done this?
Tell us about a time you concluded that a significant change was necessary in your district? What indicators or evidence led you to that conclusion?
What would you focus on your 1st 90 days and what would you intentionally NOT change? How do you balance trend tradition and legacy? With forward thinking change.
Describe a time, you let a change initiative that faced strong resistance. How did you proceed and what was the outcome?
How will you ensure that the community stays informed about both these successes and challenges of the school system in a timely and transparent manner?
Describe a time when you highlighted a school or district success to build community pride and support. How did you communicate the success and how did you engage the community in celebrating or sustaining it?
Tell us about a time when you created or strengthen meaningful opportunities for parents, students, or community members to participate in decision-making. What steps did you take and what impact did that involvement have?
Describe a time when you were faced with a complex problem that required you to gather input from multiple sources before making a decision. What information did you seek and how did you ensure that your decision was fair and impartial?
When you make decisions and impact students, parents, staff, and the community, how do you ensure that the needs of all groups are considered fairly?
Just a few short years ago, we had to deal with a worldwide pandemic. There were no handbooks or policy guidelines on how to manage that. If faced with a similar crisis, what would your process be to guide the district through it?
How do you attract and retain exceptional principles and teachers who could work anywhere?
How do you foster a culture of open dialogue and collaboration among staff and administrators to prevent potential conflicts from escalating?
In a high performing district facing revenue shortfalls, how would you approach budget reductions while protecting academic excellence and staff morale? Walk us through your decision-making process.
How do you ensure that the school board is regularly and adequately informed about key issues and decisions? Can you give an example of how your communication has strengthened board decision making?
How would a director of schools handle disagreement with the board while maintaining unity?
How would you partner with the board to strengthen its effectiveness, support high-quality decisions, and enhance the board’s credibility with the community?
Can you describe your experience in developing and administering a comprehensive school budget? What steps do you take to ensure the budget aligns with the district’s goals and priorities?
How do you stay informed about federal, state, and local funding changes that could impact the school district? Can you provide an example of when you successfully navigated such changes?
How would you build and maintain a productive, trust-based relationship with city council as the district’s financing body, particularly during times of disagreement over funding priorities?
How is your experience in the classroom shaped your understanding of what makes a curriculum effective? Can you provide an example of when you helped implement or refine a curriculum?
How do you ensure that the instructional practices and curriculum in the district meet the diverse needs of students and align with educational standards?
How does your understanding of classroom management and instructional time influence your approach to district policies that impact teaching and learning on a day-to-day basis?
