If you are concerned about public education in Adams County, please voice this concern by including your name on the “Vote of no confidence petition.” Also, reach out to others by encouraging them to sign the petition. The petition is to show that the citizens of Adams County have “No confidence” in the superintendent and the Natchez-Adams School District Board of Trustees. While the community accepted current Superintendent Frederick Hill with high expectations, his performance has fallen far short of achieving these expectations. The board recommended Hill and indicated that he had the skill and ability to move the school system onto a greater path of achievement. However, the school district has continued to regress under his leadership and that of the current board. Your signature on this petition indicates that you are in agreement that the superintendent and current board members have not implemented effective policies and practices to improve the school district performance, and you are also in agreement for immediate removal of both parties.

During Hill’s tenure, he has appointed three employees to positions of deputy superintendent, assistant superintendent and an administrative consultant, with the school board approving these employees with high salaries and lack of qualifications for each employee to be successful in these positions. One of these employees has a high priced consultant teaching her how to perform her job responsibilities.

There are also numerous areas of inept leadership practices by Hill demonstrating his lack of qualification for the position of superintendent of a 5A school district. Some examples of his leadership include disregard for school administrators’ recommendations for operations of the individual school, negligence of attention to principals’ concerns regarding safety and discipline, demotion of experienced career level administrators with replacement by entry level administrators at a higher rate of pay and non-renewal of employees without implementation for a plan of improvement and without formal evaluation to justify their job performance.

Addressing the area to education and student improvement on state test scores, Hill has implemented testing strategies that evaluated students on skills not taught during specific grading periods and testing conditions not conducive to student success. Teachers are in classrooms with broken technology, minimal resources and lack of support from their district level leadership. Some classrooms have more than 30 students in testing subjects with substitute teachers. Legal fees associated with demotions, non-renewals and firing practices are costing taxpayers enormous amounts of money with lawsuits and potential increase in district insurance premiums.

Because of this poor leadership, there has been no improvement in overall test scores and teacher turnover continues to grow because of resignations, early retirements and non-renewal of qualified teachers.

The goals of the petition are:

-Improving academic achievement

-Ensuring qualified district and school level leadership

-Safe and orderly Schools

-Community relationships

-Economic development

-Equality for all district employees

-Accountability for taxpayers’ dollars

-Ensuring proper and appropriate use of funds

-Preventing further nepotism

 

Kati Woodard

Natchez resident