Siler gets high marks during annual evaluation

The Whitley County Board of Education gave Superintendent John Siler the equivalent of all A’s on his report card during this year’s recent annual evaluation.

The board met in executive session for about 45 minutes with Siler during its monthly meeting to discuss the annual superintendent’s evaluation before returning to regular session and unanimously voting to give Siler a rating of exemplary in the areas of human resource leadership and managerial leadership.

“Mr. Siler’s evaluation focused on two standards of performance for 2020-2021. Following a review of the evidence provided by the superintendent throughout the year, the board rated the superintendent as exemplary in the areas of human resource and managerial leadership,” said Board Chairwoman Brenda Hill.

“The board opted to evaluate Mr. Siler on these two areas because these are the two he identified during his evaluation last year that the wanted to focus on as part of his performance growth plan. Mr. Siler is especially deserving of the exemplary status given his handling of the COVID-19 crisis. The board will be working with Superintendent Siler to develop and implement goals for the 2021-2022 school year,” Hill said adding that the board is looking forward to working with Siler to make “great things happen for the Whitley County School District.”

Under the superintendent evaluation system, a superintendent can receive one of four performance levels in one of seven areas of evaluation, including: strategic leadership, instructional leadership, cultural leadership, human resource leadership, managerial leadership, collaborative leadership and influential leadership.

Exemplary means exceeds the standard. Accomplished means meets the standard. Development means makes growth toward meeting the standard, and growth required means areas required to be addressed in the professional growth plan.

Last year, Siler received a rating of exemplary in the standards of instructional leadership and influential leadership.

Siler said he was pleased with the exemplary rating.

“It was a challenging year with Covid and everything. With the numbers where they are, we are excited for the reopening of school, and we are looking forward to another school year,” Siler noted.

The new school year starts on Aug. 11, which will be the first day back for students.

Siler noted that all classes will be in-person this fall, and a virtual option won’t be offered.

“We will be opening up back pre-Covid,” Siler said.

While some schools in Lexington and other counties are offering vaccination clinics at the high schools in order to vaccinate students, Siler said that Whitley County is relying on the health department, Baptist Health Corbin, and places like Walmart, Kroger and Walgreens pharmacies to administer vaccines to students.

“The vaccines are very available now,” he added.