Brian Johnson, superintendent, Cherokee County Schools, received the results of his Professional Education Performance Evaluation, or PEPE during a recent meeting. And he made the grade.

Dr. Neil Hyche, who did the evaluation during the past few months, reported the results to Johnson and board members. PEPE is a lengthy process, involving surveys, interviews and a portfolio by the superintendent.

Johnson was rated in a number of areas by board members as well as school administrators. He was rated from 1 to 4 with 4 being the highest score.

According to Hyche, 51.7 percent of the board gave Johnson a 4 rating and the remaining 33.4 percent gave him a 3.

“Those are very good,” said Hyche. “If you add those two together, you have a very high percentage of 3’s and 4’s, which the evaluation will reflect.”



School administrators and central office personnel gave Johnson high marks as well, Hyche said. Of the responses, Johnson received 434 ratings of 4.

“That is very unusual,” said Hyche. “That was a 3.4 mean score. I don’t know whether I’ve ever done an evaluation before where the administrators and the board’s mean score were exactly the same. But in this case it was. It is very good. That means you are all on the same page.”

The evaluation, Hyche explained, outlines plans for professional development in the superintendent’s weakest areas. Of the 13 knowledge skill areas, Johnson received a 3 rating in collaboration.

“The prize and results of the whole thing is to improve teaching and learning in Cherokee County,” said Hyche. “They (superintendents, administrators) all wind up with a professional development plan based on whatever their area of focus might be. Your superintendent’s for this coming year will be on collaboration. Next year it will be another one of the 13 knowledge skill areas.”

As part of the PEPE process, Johnson was required to provide a portfolio with documentation of what he accomplished in each of the 13 knowledge skill areas. At least three documents are required for each area, Hyche explained.

“It takes a lot of work,” said Hyche. “It [portfolio] includes your financial statement, budget, everything you caused to happen in the Cherokee County System. And he (Johnson) did a fine job with it. I congratulate him, I congratulate you on your superintendent having a good evaluation.”

Said Hyche, “Mr. Johnson is a very impressive young man. I’ve enjoying working with him an awful lot. You have a right to be real proud of yourself, your superintendent and your school system. This is quite good, believe me. Normally, first-year superintendents do not score this well. I am very, very pleased.”



“I would like to thank Mr. Hyche,” said Johnson. “The evaluation process is time consuming. But I actually think I could have listed on my professional development plan talking to him. He is a former superintendent in Tuscaloosa County. During this process, I was able to sit down with him and talk about situations. I was able to pull from that to learn from him.”

“It was enjoyable,” said Johnson. “I love analogies. One that sticks with me in PEPE is that as you go through the evaluation process, whether it is a teacher, administrator, the evaluation is like a diagnosis. This is where you are weak. And then the PDP (Professional Development Plan) is what is so important. That is the prescription. This is what is going to make you stronger, make you better. That is what the evaluation is all about. It is not to threaten anyone because we all have areas of improvement.”

And Johnson isn’t the only one in the central office who has received high ratings of late. Johnson presented board members with the First Ever Alabama Association of School Board’s President’s Awards. According to a news release from AASB, Cherokee County was one of five school board honored at the District 6 meeting in Jacksonville on Oct. 5.

This award was presented to an inaugural group of 30 school boards during AASB district meetings Sept. 18-20. This prestigious award will be presented annually at fall district meetings to school boards that have had at least 60 percent of their members attend three or more AASB School Board Member Academy courses in the previous year.

“I would like to present our board of education with the School Board member President’s Academy Award,” said Johnson. “For Cherokee County to be one of 30 is quite an honor. I appreciate the board’s dedication.”