Mayor Robert Smith said Friday morning that it will be “a great loss” if Columbus Municipal School District Superintendent Del Phillips accepts a position with the Sumner County, Tenn., Board of Education, which unanimously named him its top candidate for superintendent.
The Hendersonville Star News reported that the 11 Sumner County board members chose Phillips in a “non-binding” straw poll as their top choice to head the 27,551-pupil district in Gallatin, Tenn., during a Thursday night meeting.
Smith said he wasn”t surprised when he learned Phillips was applying for the position.
“Most of the time when you get a person of that caliber, it”s difficult to keep them around in one location,” Smith said. “If he decides to move on, I hate to see him go, but at the same time, I understand and wish him a world of success.”
Smith said Phillips had done “an outstanding job,” citing his long-range planning and public relations skills as particular assets to the city.
“He”s young, very smart, articulate, energetic and aggressive,” Smith continued. “If he decides to accept the position, it will be a great loss to the City of Columbus, the district, and the community, and a great gain for Tennessee. He”ll do an outstanding job wherever he goes.”
Phillips, 39, took over as superintendent of the Columbus Municipal School District in June 2007.
Joe Higgins, CEO for the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link, lauded Phillips” accomplishments over his four-year tenure, including the institution of magnet school programs at each of the city”s elementary schools and the International Baccalaureate program at Columbus High School. He also praised the passage of the $22 million school bond issue, which led to creation of Columbus Middle School.
Higgins said whenever he needed to sell industrial prospects on the city”s education system, he often called upon Phillips, who was quick to share his enthusiasm and vision.
“He”s the first city school superintendent that we”ve had meet face to face with industrial prospects, because we had enough faith in his abilities to help sell our community,” Higgins said Friday afternoon.
From the time he arrived in Columbus, Phillips has been clear about his higher aspirations, especially to serve as state superintendent.
But Nancy Bragg, principal of Sale Elementary International Studies Magnet School, said she never worried about where Phillips” lofty goals would take him; she believed he would bring that same drive and ambition to whatever he touched — including Columbus” city schools.
She hasn”t been disappointed. After working under the leadership of 10 different superintendents in her 23-year career, Bragg has seen a lot. She said with Phillips, he came in running, immediately immersing himself in the community and working to advance education.
“Hands down, he”s the most out of the box thinker I”ve ever worked with,” Bragg said. “If he gets this position, it will be a credit to what he has done. I truly hate to see him go. As much as he”s done, there”s probably more we could accomplish, but I”d never want him to be held back.”
Phillips did not return phone calls to the Dispatch Friday.
If he chooses to accept the director of schools position in Tennessee, a potential contender for the helm of the Columbus Municipal School District could be Craig Shannon, who currently serves as Special Assistant to the Superintendent.
In March, Shannon announced he would leave his post as principal of Columbus High School at the end of this school year in order to return to the central office full time.
“Any decision right now would be premature as the decision has not even been made in Tennessee,” Shannon said Friday afternoon. “But it”s definitely a job I”d be interested in.”
Shannon praised Phillips” fiscal management, passion for children, and charismatic, fearless decision-making, saying he has brought “great leadership and vision to our district.”
At a time when great leaders are rare, Shannon said, people like Phillips are always going to be in demand.
“We”re fortunate and lucky to have him here,” Shannon concluded. “I hope the board will do everything they can to keep him in our district.”
Carmen K. Sisson is the former news editor at The Dispatch.
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