Clarksville, TN – When asked why he applied to be the next director of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, Dr. B.J Worthington said “The time was right for me to seek this job, and take the next step in my career. I just want to help move the district forward.”
Dr. Worthington was speaking on a weekly radio show, “Clarksville in Review” on WJZM1400am this past Saturday.
Worthington was the unanimous choice by the Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board to replace Mike Harris, who announced he was leaving last fall. Dr. Worthington is popular among teachers, administrators and parents alike, and his appointment has been very well received throughout the district.
When asked about the challenges that lie ahead, including growth, Dr. Worthington said, “We have to plan strategically, minimize distractions and stay focused on student achievement. Our biggest challenge is accountability. I believe all of us want students to perform well, but the level of accountability is so great, it’s like a moving target. We’re working on our third set of standards. We just need to know what the target is.”
The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System has over thirty thousand students, what’s the number one complaint you hear?
“It varies from day to day. There’s no one thing. We know that every person who comes to us wants their child to do well, and has an interest in their school. We want to make sure we identify how we can help those parents, and their children the best way we can” Worthington said.
On the impact of social media, and the distractions that affect the schools.
“The school system is competing with a lot of distractions that the student has, and the disengagement that happens very quickly. We allow cell phones in the schools, but they must be put away. If something appears on Facebook that could affect the school, then we will intervene and take care of it.”
Dr. Worthington will assume his new responsibility on August 1st.
You can hear Dr. Worthington’s interview podcast here.
