By Crystal McGough, Associate Editor
TRUSSVILLE – The Trussville Board of Education concluded its fifth and final interview for the position of Trussville City Schools Superintendent tonight, interviewing Dr. Holly Sutherland, who is currently current the Superintendent of Haleyville City Board of Education, Alabama, a position she has held since 2017.
“You have a great school system,” Sutherland said. “Looking from the outside in, you have a lot to be proud of.”
Sutherland said that she considers herself a “mom first.” With a middle school-aged child who would be coming with her to the district, she said she feels like Trussville is a good fit for her entire family.
“I don’t just interview for jobs,” she said. “For me to even consider moving my family here, it’s got to be a special place. … You need to know that you have a special district and people are willing to move their family to be in your district.”
Sutherland said that she is the type of person who likes to challenge and grow herself professionally.
She shared with the board her seven-point entry plan, which included rigorous and relevant curriculum instruction, employee expertise, accountability systems, financial resiliency and responsibility, community relations, school and student safety, and equitable opportunities for all students.
“I think it’s very important to be a strategic planner, even with myself, and hold myself accountable,” Sutherland said. “As you look through that packet, it’s just a way for me to hold myself accountable as I really get to know this district.”
Speaking further on equitable opportunities for all students, particularly when discussing diversity in the schools, Sutherland said “diversity doesn’t always look the same.”
Whether talking about race, culture, economic status, gender, disabilities, or other diversities, she said that it’s important to make sure there are no barriers for things like dual enrollment, extracurricular activities, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) classes.
When asked which superintendent “hat” she is most excited to wear, Sutherland replied, “student achievement and special education.”
“Not all kids have an advocate,” she said. “Not all kids have someone standing in their corner.”
In closing, board member Dr. Steve Ward asked Sutherland what she would say were her five personal strenths.
Sutherland said she would say she is “courageous, compassionate, passionate, resilient and flexible.”
The BOE began its superintendent interviews Monday night, Feb. 27, with Dr. John Barge and Dr. Kevin Maddox.
Dr. Barge is currently self-employed as an education consultant in Kingston, Georgia, but has previous experience as the Superintendent of McIntosh County Schools (2015-2019) and State School Superintendent for the Georgia Department of Education (2011-2015).
One of the first questions the board asked Barge was concerning his immediate plans for the job within the first one, three and six months, to which Barge said that he planned to “hit the ground running.”
“As quickly as I can, (I plan to) meet with you all, each principal, the staffs at each school,” Barge said. “Get to know them and let them get to know me, making sure we don’t miss a beat.”
Barge added that he likes to have a wide range of advisor committees, including committees of parents, teachers and students, as well as other school staff including bus drivers, custodians and nutrition workers.
“I make it a point to make sure all groups are represented in my advisor committees,” he said. In his last superintendent position, Barge said he entered into a situation where there had been serious ethical issues and loss of trust with the community. “So, the advisor committees are very important. It allows members of the community to have an input.”
In answer to a question from Board Vice President Kim DeShazo regarding his leadership style, Barge listed four things he believes are necessary for a superintendent. According to Barge, a superintendent must be visible, accessible, approachable and active in the community.
“If you’re going to have trust … from the community, they have to see their superintendent,” he said. “I like to be involved.”
Barge said he plans to attend ball games and other extracurricular activities, as well as have lunch with teachers.
Additionally, he said he has an open-door policy and wants easily accessible lines of communication, via email, phone, text, and even an app, to be able to immediately communicate with parents.
As for educational standards, Barge said high expectations are critical.
“I expect all students to learn (and) that happens when we have high expectations,” he said. “High achievement is not going to look the same for every student (because) students have different passions. … As superintendent, my job is to make sure the environment is conducive to those high expectations. To make sure the environment is conducive to learning.”
When asked why he is interested in the Trussville position, since he comes from Georgia, Barge replied, “I’m sure you guys know how unique you are. In Georgia, every school board is elected. You (TCS) have an appointed school board and superintendent. With an elected school board, it’s hard to get politics out.”
“I probably have never been more excited about an interview for a position in my life,” Barge added. “I think I have a lot to offer Trussville as you move forward.”
Monday night’s second interview was with Dr. Kevin Maddox, who is currently Assistant Superintendent at the Homewood City Board of Education, a position he has held since 2012.
Maddox referred to the superintendent position as a “critical leadership position,” and prior to the interview, he provided the board members with his 100-day entry plan.
The plan, he said, has four overarching goals: transition seamlessly, listen intently, organize strategically and communicate transparently.
“Change is extremely difficult,” Maddox said. “… The last thing (we need) is for someone to come in and begin making changes.”
Maddox said that part of his plan for a seamless transition is to work closely with Interim Superintendent Dr. Frank Costanzo.
As for the second goal – listen intently – Maddox said he plans to initiate “Listen and Learn” sessions where community members will be invited to share their voice.
“Listening intently means you have to go where the people are,” he said. “We’re going to elicit feedback from our stockholders. I think that is critical.”
Maddox said that he is a big fan of climate surveys, surveys that provide in-depth profiles of a school’s strengths and weaknesses.
“If you want to know everything you need to know to be the best leader, you have to ask the right people and the right questions,” he said. Maddox added that the surveys would be anonymous and administered by a third party, in order to get the most honest results. “It will be the best source of feedback that a superintendent could ever get.”
The results of these surveys would then be used to meet the third goal in Maddox’s plan: organize strategically for the next school year.
As for his fourth goal, to communicate transparently, Maddox said he wants to “communicate so well, so often, and so efficiently” that people begin to ask why he’s sharing so much.
“Over-communicate,” he said. “Things are going to happen, but when they do you have to own it, deal with it and communicate about it. People have to trust that you’re going to be forthright with them and honest. That’s the only way I’ve ever operated.”
Maddox said that it’s in his personality to be highly engaged with the schools in his district, being in at least one school, if not multiple, every day.
Additionally, he said he loves working for Homewood Schools and would not consider leaving for just any school district, but that he fell in love with the Trussville community when his children played softball there in 2016.
“This is one of the top school districts in Alabama,” Maddox said. “There are lots of other opportunities, but I’ve always had my eye on this place since 2016 when we started coming here. I felt like this is the perfect match.
“I’m not looking for a title,” he added later in the interview. “I’m not looking for greener grass. I would love to be a part of something really special, and that’s what I see for this school district down the road.”
On Tuesday night, Feb. 28, the board interviewed Dr. Bart Reeves and Mr. Tony Willis.
Dr. Reeves is currently the Alabama Association of Schools Boards Assistant Executive Director/Government Relations, a position he has held since 2021, and was the former Superintendent of Satsuma City Schools (2018-2021).
While Reeves appreciates the position he currently holds, he told the board that he feels his true calling is to be a superintendent, working with K-12 schools and students.
“In 2015, I had reached the point in my career I was ready to become a superintendent,” he said. “I keep finding the same calling today, and that is to get back to K-12.”
Reeves said that, if he were to be the next superintendent of Trussville City Schools, he would immediately start working with administrators and principals to prepare for the upcoming school year and student population increases, and then focus on building relationships within the community.
“Relationships are the key,” he said. “… If you have good, working relationships with your people, they will move mountains for you.”
As for how Reeves plans to keep lines of communication open with TCS parents and the community, he said, “I am a technology enthusiast.”
Reeves said he plans to use multiple platforms to communicate, including the Blackboard App.
Additionally, Reeves said he is also a fan of incorporating technology into the classrooms, likening modern A.I. to his experience when calculators first came on the scene.
“I think we need to embrace A.I.,” he said. “I’m telling you, it’s about to change the world, folks. If your teachers and administrators are not aware of it, they need to be aware of it very soon.”
Reeves told the board that if they are seriously considering him for the job, he would like them to reach out to current and former co-workers as character references.
“I would like to leave you with this,” he said. “Why Trussville? You have an excellent school system. I would love for my kids to be a part of it. I would love to be the one leading this school system. Why me? I have the experience and expertise to lead this school system to the next level. I’m confident in that … but my focus will always be on putting students first.”
The next Tuesday night candidate was Mr. Tony Willis, who is currently the Superintendent of the Demopolis City Board of Education in Alabama. He has held this position since 2021 and is also the Supervisor of Accountability at Decatur City Schools, a title he has held since 2020.
“I love the job that I have with Demopolis,” Willis said in his introduction. “I’ve spent my life in education; I started at six-years-old and never have stopped going to school. I’m excited to interview for this, but it’s not looking for greener pastures or anything. I love where I am and I love the job.”
When asked about his plans for the first month, three months and six months, Willis replied, “Sometimes people love to try to awe people with some massive plan. … The first thing I’ve got to do is listen.”
Willis said that he would spend his first few days on the job having one-on-one conversations with each board member individually. Then, he would begin meeting with principals, administrators, and school staff members.
“I ask three questions,” he said. “What do you love about this job; about this school system? What can we do better? What can I do as superintendent to support you better?”
By late summer, Willis said that he would expect to have advisory committees in place.
Willis added that creating a positive culture in the schools would be his top priority, and that begins with the teachers.
“If mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy, and mama is the teacher in the classroom,” he said.
Willis listed three words that he considers key to creating a good culture and climate in schools: relationships, relevance and rigor.
“We are working with people, and you can’t take the people piece out of it,” he said. “If you have a relationship, you get more out of people.”
As for relevance, “we don’t have time for things that aren’t relevant,” Willis said. “We don’t have time for busy work.”
Concerning rigor, Willis said this term is commonly used in reference to the students, but it is equally as relevant to the educators and staff.
“I think adults like having a challenge that, once it’s accomplished, they can feel accomplished,” he said.
Another important goal Willis said he would have as superintendent is to engage with parents and families of the students.
“We have to remember that every single student is someone’s world,” he said. “I’ve got to engage parents and families because that’s the only way we’re going to know their needs and concerns.”
The superintendent interviews will be available to view in their entirety by visiting Trussville City Schools on Facebook or www.trussvillecityschools.com.