Girl's openings

[JohnJacob]

I think the "full time teacher in the building" has a lot of merit. But is appears that it takes more income/jobs than normal to exist /live in Williamson County

 

 

That can go either way really. If the coach can coach, is well respected by the players,is a great mentor, handles parents, and gets the job done what difference does "being in the building" make ? That to me is an easy cop out for an administrator.

[PHargis]

Several different things in Williamson County right now:

 

Centennial - change in professional demands required that coach step down from head coaching position

Indy - coach had an offer she couldn't refuse.

Page - no idea on this one

Ravenwood - lack of administration backing of head coac with parents/staff

Franklin -same as Ravenwood

 

Bottom line, it's not pay or tenure.... although admin has been known to use tenure as an "excuse" to let a coach go. If I were WCS, I'd be looking at the principals in the schools with the especially high coaching turnover rates (Indy and Ravenwood both need to be studied). Ravenwood's principal has used the "I want a full time teacher who is IN THE BUILDING from the start to finish of the school day" excuse on several of the last coaches she axed (Boucher - physical therapist outside of school, Vaughn - was a teacher but at the elementary school that backs up to Ravenwood, West - works at the Y and in the music business). Apparently, whether you agree or not, Ravenwood seems to be going to be sticklers about the whole "head coach in the bulding all day long" thing. They have had over 35 head coaching changes and over 45 assisant coaching changes during the last six years. Those statistics make me think there needs to be some questions asked of someone.

This is a great post BUT Williamson has a great, in fact superior school system. If one thinks its not pay and tenure, you have your head in the sand. Just look at the cost of housing and look at a coach trying to coach in a very competitive parental County. Brentwood High has got the answer. Find a good coach, person and hang on to him. The other schools see them as a comodity. At one time Maxwell was still living in the BORO. Wonder if that was still happening and if this was a gas casualty. Everything that has been written about maxwell is true. Great person, coach and leader of young women. Can't debate that keepiing this coach was not in their budget but it is true that the situation should be studied. Williamson has decided to spend their money on academics and sports that other counties consider minor, ie, volleyball, soccer. Even off season those sports do well. And that is all right and even successful. The County does not promote girls basketball because of all of the Coaching turnover. Those coaches do promote their sport during off season. There's no one to do it. Wake up Williamson. How many more are you going to lose? You will look back in a very few years and see HM iin the State and Indy you were about to see yourself there also. Too bad it didn't work out.

 

 

I had awesome coaches in two sports when I was in high school. I still think highly of both of these men and can say that they had a positive impact on my life. When will WCS administration realize that these kids get attached to their coaches and it is very traumatic when they make a change because a parent complains or becuase an assistant coach said practices weren't "tough enough".

[qapet]

It is a shame that good coaches leave Williamson Co as they do. Barnwell at Independence, Maxwell (41 wins in 2 years) at Independence, Boucher ( starts program and goes to Region)at Ravenwood and Centennial, Williams at (Ravenwood near 300 wins and first winning season in school history) Brock at Page consistant 20 game winner. Levy going to Region first year at Franklin. And others not to mention in different sports. We talk about life lessons; what are we teaching the kids now. As and outsider to athletics it is hard for me to believe that we are so ruthless about HS athletics. The leaders of most schools are the coaches and if there is no stability in these positions who will lead the school? the physics teacher! No disrespect to Physics teachers. Good headlines are about athletics, not ACT scores. Not a great thing but reality. Good luck Williamson Co.

[BluesClues]

I can't speak for the whole county, but the leadership at Ravenwood should be seriously questioned. The massive amount of coaching changes (for no good reason) are small compared to the rate of teacher turnover at that school. Most teachers that are hired are young and impressionable (also no tenure). Once a teacher gets close to the tenure year, if they aren't a "yes man", then out the door they go. It doesn't matter how much the teacher does for that school or those kids, if they don't agree with the leader then they aren't asked back. The principal only cares about what the parents think - if they don't like something then she'll change it.

 

The past two main sport coaching changes:

 

girls basketball - Steve Williams (after a season in which the team posts a school record in wins, defeats rival Brentwood for the first time, wins his 300th game and defeats undefeated Hillsboro in the tournament) He was told that the school is going in another direction....I guess that means the school wants to lose?

 

baseball - Lee Vaughn (winning records all 3 years as head coach, regional champ in 2006, state tournament team in 2nd year as coach AND was fired on a Friday after spending that week running a baseball camp which raised over $5000 for a program he would no longer be able to coach) I know a kid that Vaughn cut his freshman year and then made the team this year - the kid went home and told his mom, "I made the team, but I wish Lee Vaughn was still the coach." And that's from a kid that Vaugh cut! He was extremely well respected by the players.

 

Vaughn was given the "you don't work in the building" reason by Principal Vaden. She didn't explain why Vaughn was never offered a position at the school (he's qualified to teach high school and there have been several openings over that past several years) Vaughn even asked her if his job was safe after Boucher (the first girls basketball coach) was fired and Vaden said yes! Conveniently she didn't remember this conversation.

 

If anyone out there has the ear of any members of the Williamson County School Board or the Superintendent - tell them they need to do something about the principal at Ravenwood. It's a good school that could be great under the right leadership.