Evaluation plan for teachers turning heads

East Side Intermediate Principal Scott Dewar had high praise for teachers Amanda Stone and Chellie McGuire's efforts to organize and design a plan for administrator evaluation of teachers.

The state has required that evaluation of teacher's be more specific and less arbitrary and has delivered specific guidelines to each district to be drawn up and executed locally.

"Amanda and Chellie have constructed a binder and have it all laid out for anyone to read and understand," he said.

According to Dewar the progress on constructing a plan is attracting attention from surrounding districts who want to come to Harrisburg and study it in their efforts to implement the state standards in their own districts.

Dewar said that West Frankfort and Cairo want to come to review our math program.

"Why are we out front?" asked Board President Tom DeNeal.

Harrisburg High School Principal Karen Crank responded, "The teachers deserve the credit."

It appears Harrisburg has addressed the challenge more aggressively than some of the surrounding school districts.

Superintendent Mike Gauch said that he had heard that Mt. Carmel is facing the prospect of cutting 30-40 staff members.

"It appears they just kept putting things off, while Harrisburg has been dealing with the problem more directly," Gauch said.

In a discussion of new business the board approved another year of the successful Summer Food Service Program.

"We had it last summer and it lost a little money. But we have some other funding sources and it is so successful that I think we should go ahead with it again this summer," Gauch said.

The board approved it unanimously.

During the meeting, the board approved:

The retirement of cook Barbara Neighbor;

The resignation of Angela Salus, an EOC aide;

The hiring of a three to six hour cook, Lisa Shelvon;

The hiring of Ryan Lambert as assistant high school baseball coach for the 2014-15 school year;

The appointment of volunteer coaches for boys's baseball spring season, Gregg Davis, Al Way and Joe Thompson;

The hiring of girl's softball coaches Stephanie Ferrell and Victoria Beasley; girls soccer coach Jason Butler and assistant girls soccer coaches Jessica Winters, Hillary Hall and Stanley Rowlen.

The board also approved the appointment of Ron Brachear as track coach.