By Cathy Higgins
BAY MINETTE, Ala. — Although Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Dr. Alan Lee received a positive performance review last month, he found fault with its procedure.
During the Baldwin County Board of Education’s December work session in Bay Minette Tuesday, Lee expressed that the board’s anonymous evaluation that consisted of questions and answers did not help him to improve his performance.
“I’d rather just have a discussion,” he told the board, adding that he preferred face-to-face constructive criticism. “When I don’t get it right, you need to tell me that.”
BOE President Angie Swiger explained that the questions had been specifically designed.
“In fairness to you, the questions were general enough so that you would know the board’s expectations for next year,” she said in the work session.
Lee said he had no problem with the questions, themselves.
“I would rather we go over those questions verbally,” he explained.
As previously reported, last month’s board evaluation of Lee found him to be doing a “very good job,” based on seven criteria, which included public relations and fiscal management.
That finding was echoed by a state evaluation of the superintendent, which was presented during Tuesday’s work session by Alabama Board of Education representative Dr. Neil Hyche.
With an ascending scale of 1 to 4, the evaluation rated Lee’s performance in a series of categories, which included collaboration, planning, technology management and following federal and state policies. In each of those categories, he was rated between 3.8 and 4.0, for an average of 3.9.
In his summary of the evaluation, Hyche told the board that a description of Lee’s performance was “excellent.”
“The only areas for growth would be systems management and fiscal management,” he said, explaining that the state requires a growth need be determined. “Since Dr. Lee scored as high as he did, there were no apparent areas for improvement.”
Following the presentation, Swiger thanked Hyche for his efforts.
“I would just say that your evaluation just confirms what we already know,” she said.
After further discussion of the board’s evaluation process, the board decided to look into holding periodic, informal, off-site meetings to discuss the board’s expectations of Lee.
