By Joe Parrino, NEW ERA STAFF WRITER

Objections over the narrowness of the new superintendent evaluation stopped approval of the document during the Christian County Board of Education’s meeting on Thursday.

The board elected to table the evaluation until it could devise a fairer test, one which emphasized student achievement but retained such criteria such as personnel management, legal navigation and financial decision-making.

The measure passed 4 to 1 on first reading in February. The majority of board members seemed to share the opinion that a stripped down evaluation more accurately reflected the district’s priorities than the older version. All six other sections were removed.

But during a special session before Thursday’s regular meeting, Superintendent Dr. Bob Lovingood asked the board to more clearly define the student achievement criteria.

“These (criteria) have a lot of ambiguity,” Lovingood said.

One required the superintendent to prepare long- and short-term achievement goals. A committee working on a comprehensive district improvement plan (CDIP) is currently setting such goals. Board member Dr. Karen Dougherty informed the board that the full CDIP report would was due next fall but thus far, the goals were “more ambitious than they’ve ever been.”

Lovingood wanted to know whether the evaluation mandated that he to play a more active role the CDIP committee’s goal setting. Lovingood wanted to insure the goals and the time frame were realistic.

Dougherty acknowledged Lovingood’s concerns.

“There’s a fine line between setting high expectations and goals that cannot reasonably be achieved, especially in a particular time frame,” Dougherty said.

Board member Mary DeBow, who cast the only dissenting vote at the first reading, renewed her opposition to the tapered evaluation. Student achievement could simply not make gains fast enough to give Lovingood a fighting chance.