A concerned citizen, Linda Clark, has blasted the Cumberland County Board of Education for violating their own policy in regard to DOS annual evaluations. The evaluation process is supposed to be once a year but the Board is now planning to conduct a second evaluation this year of William Stepp – Cumberland County Director of Schools. By all accounts Mr. Stepp has received very high marks from all sectors of the County including Cumberland County Commission, County Mayor’s Office and a vast majority of parents in the County. However, sources tell CNF there are some on the BOE who would like Stepp to fail in spite of his exemplary record. Below is the letter Ms. Clark submitted:
I was appalled at the BOE decision yesterday to conduct a second evaluation of the director of schools in one calendar year. If the intention of the agenda item had been clearly stated in advance of this meeting, I certainly would have provided comment during the BOE meeting. From the posted agenda and attachments, it appeared that you were working to revamp the evaluation to be used in the future.
Instead, you are acting in violation of your own policy, adopted in April 2024. Policy dictates one evaluation per year – in February. You’ve already completed the annual evaluation for the director for 2024. You have provided no justification for a second evaluation. The next evaluation should be conducted in February 2025, according to Policy 5.803. You may or may not wish to use a different evaluation tool.
Operating outside of policy is serious business. If you want to do something differently, change the policy with due consideration and then operate within the new policy. I’ve had decades of human resources training as a supervisor in my career. I was repeatedly instructed to follow policy – especially in human resources matters. Operating outside policy would place me in an area of personal accountability and risk. Operating within policy placed me in a position of acting on behalf of the organization in an appropriate manner and protected by the resources of the organization for exercising my responsibilities. No organization should deal with personnel issues outside of clear policy direction.
Further, IF you were justified in having a second evaluation within the calendar year, you agreed in your February retreat to utilize services included with TSBA, rather than spending extra taxpayer dollars for the BOE attorney services. This is an abhorrent misuse of taxpayer dollars. No one needs an attorney to conduct routine personnel business.
Two of you are nearing the end of your service to our community on the board. Public service is to be commended for you as many will not take the time and effort to serve in this capacity. I can’t imagine that you want your record of service tarnished by a blatant violation of your own policy and wasteful spending. For the rest of the BOE, think carefully regarding this action. You may have to deal with any complications that result from this action outside of policy.
I encourage the board to stop operating outside of your own policies and halt wasteful spending.
Sincerely,
Linda Clark
