[November 08, 2009]

Candidate says 'future is bright in Warren': Saylor was to be second interviewed for job, but school board member emergency caused delay

Nov 07, 2009 (The Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Owens Saylor is more than two hours away from the district where he serves as deputy superintendent, but he said Warren County Public Schools gives him many familiar feelings.

Saylor, who works for Jessamine County Schools, received a tour of several Warren County schools Friday and was supposed to be interviewed Friday night by the Warren County Board of Education for the vacant head of schools position; however, his interview has been tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday due to a board member's family emergency.

The former principal of West Jessamine High School, who also served as assistant principal of East Jessamine High School, is vying against three other candidates, one of which will be named superintendent later this month.

On Tuesday, the board interviewed D. Wade Stanfield, superintendent intern in Madison County Schools in Richmond. Dennis Dearden, former superintendent of Marana Public Schools in Marana, Ariz., is scheduled to interview Tuesday and Warren County's current interim Superintendent Tim Murley is set to go before the board Friday.

Following his school tour Friday, Saylor said he saw great things going on in all the classrooms. He said he recognized many similarities with things he sees in Jessamine County.

The candidate said while the two districts are different in size -- Jessamine County serves about 7,000 students compared to Warren County's 13,000 -- if you held them up to each other, they are facing many of the same challenges.

The deputy superintendent said his district is also experiencing rapid growth that will eventually lead to redistricting, and pointed out that like Warren County, Jessamine County is about to build a new elementary school and appears to have similar demographics.

One of the most significant similarities, Saylor said, are the test results the districts share for No Child Left Behind. Jessamine County was able to achieve its federal standards but had fewer standards to meet. Warren County met 23 of its 25.

"If you take test results and lay ours and put Warren County's on top, they are almost the same, especially with No Child Left Behind," Saylor said.

The deputy superintendent said he saw a school in his own district achieve tremendous gains in the testing standards after moving out of one of the lowest testing tiers.

Saylor said he knows how administrators were able to make such large strides and wants to bring some of the same emphasis on individualized strategies for children to Warren County.

The candidate emphasized that he is not "job shopping," but was attracted to the position because of the reputation the district has maintained over the years.

"I've come to realize a lot of people say the future is bright in Warren County, well, the present is bright," Saylor said.

Saylor said he tries to do everything with a "servant's heart," which means he must listen and be willing to help people.

"So that's how I go about my work -- I'm here to serve the board and the best interest of our children," he said.

With 30 years of experience, Saylor said he hopes to bring his hard work and enthusiasm to Warren County.

"I'm all about aspiring to be the best and I have to model that ... I want to promote the Warren County district in terms of the great things it does," he said.

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