Final Hartselle superintendent candidate interviewed
Tony Dowdy, deputy superintendent of Calhoun County Schools, was the last of three superintendent finalists interviewed Thursday by Hartselle Board of Education members.
On Wednesday, board members interviewed Rachel Poovey, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning at Trussville City Schools, a job she has held since 2021. On Monday, board members interviewed Holly Sutherland, superintendent of Haleyville City Schools, a job she has held since 2017.
After a 1½-hour interview, board members and members of the public held a reception for Dowdy. Hartselle City Schools has more than 3,600 students in six schools, including a high school, junior high, intermediate and three elementary schools.
During the interview, board member Daxton Maze said implementing technology requires leadership and a support system. He asked Dowdy how he would foster a culture of innovation and continuous professional development for teachers and staff.
“This might get me in trouble,” Dowdy said, “but I’m still a little old school at work. I feel like technology is a tool. I don’t feel that technology should replace the personal one-on-one relationship with the teacher in the classroom.”
He listed two reasons for this. “Number one, we have a generation that can’t collaborate, they can’t communicate, they don’t talk, they don’t interact, so if you do too much technology-wise that keeps them in that world and out of the communication and the humanness part of the teacher that is in that world. However, that’s the world that this generation lives and works in, so there has got to be a good balance between the two.”
He suggested that students use technology to gain information but put it back together in their own words.
Maze followed up with another question: “We’ve seen big growth in STEM curriculum, (and) robotics. How would you continue to support our programs and help them expand?”
Dowdy responded by saying, “if it’s innovative and we can do it, let’s do it. The only no answer I will ever have on innovation is if that man right over there says we can’t finance it,” he said, pointing to the chief financial officer.
Board member Sabrina Buettner asked Dowdy to describe how he would collaborate with stakeholders in shaping initiatives that support student success academically, athletically and artistically.
“I think you just have to have a conversation. You’ve got to meet with the community. You’ve got to meet with the state boards. You’ve got to meet with the city council. You’ve got to meet with the civic organizations You’ve got to meet with the churches,” he said.
He said the story of the school and what is going on there day to day can be told on social media because that reaches the most people.
He said where he works they do an end of the year recap to learn how they can improve throughout the district. His school system includes eight high schools, five of those grades 7 to 12 and two of them grades 9 to 12, plus two middle schools and seven elementary schools. Total student population is 7,950, he said.
Dowdy has been deputy superintendent of Calhoun County Schools since 2023. Before that, he spent 25 years with Pell City Schools, including 10 as math teacher at Pell City High School. He also served as head baseball coach, assistant football coach, assistant baseball coach and junior varsity baseball coach.
For six years he was assistant principal and then principal of Pell City High. He worked four years as coordinator of instructional support services before retiring in 2019. He returned to education to take his current role at Calhoun County Schools.
Dowdy earned his master’s, educational specialist and doctoral degrees in educational administration from the University of Alabama. He was a platoon sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1990-96. He never deployed, but he did finish his six years of reserve time.
