Silence is not the answer.

As much as there have been discussions between community members, the Adams County Board of Supervisors and its appointees to the Natchez-Adams School District, one voice has been absent from the conversation about the state of Natchez public schools.

Superintendent Frederick Hill did not attend Monday’s meeting between the Adams County Board of Supervisors and the two county appointees to the school board, and yet, Hill and his recent decisions were at the center of the sometimes-heated debate.

In the last two years, Natchez High School has experienced much turnover in the principal’s office. Will Smith, who became the school principal at the beginning of the school year, resigned before the school year ended.

Smith replaced long-time local educator Fred Butcher after he resigned unexpectedly in May 2014. At the time, Butcher would not explain his abrupt departure. It was Butcher’s first year as Natchez High School principal. Butcher served 24 years as Ferriday High School’s principal and joined the Natchez-Adams School District as the high school’s athletic director in 2008.

Hill recently appointed Natchez alderman and Frazier Elementary School principal Tony Fields as the high school’s next leader.

The turnover at the high school and other recent administrative decisions have been questioned by many, including school board member Cynthia Smith, who said she has given a list of her concerns to Hill with no response.

Supervisors recently appointed Cynthia to the board, despite the fact her daughter Shannon Doughty is suing the school district.

As much as Cynthia’s opinion may be colored by Hill’s decision not to rehire her daughter as a NHS assistant principal two years ago, Hill’s silence should come as no surprise. In fact, his silence has become commonplace.

When questioned by the newspaper about recent hirings and firings, Hill and the school district’s public relations coordinator have refused to comment citing personnel issues. At the same time, Hill has made no effort to assure the community that recent resignations and administrative changes fit his strategic vision for the school district.

School board president Tim Blalock, who was at Monday’s meeting, defended the superintendent.

“(Hill) is showing the results we desire,” Blalock said.

Scores are improving and those numbers are what is important, Blalock pointed out.

“The world of teaching is over. It is no longer an art, it is a science,” Blalock said.

Unfortunately, students and teachers are not robots. As much as the school board and superintendent may wish the secret to high performing schools was as simple as finding the ultimate mathematical equation or developing the perfect app, educational excellence involves creativity, imagination and motivation — all qualities that are more artful than scientific in many respects.

School districts may ultimately be judged by test scores, but running a school district is much more than pushing numbers.

First and foremost it is about communicating a vision around which  teachers, students and the entire community can rally.

Silence is not a vision. Silence is not the answer.

Ben Hillyer is the design editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3540 or by email at ben.hillyer@natchezdemocrat.com.