Meet Murfreesboro City School Board of Education Candidate Butch Campbell.....

A recent article in Rutherford A.M. gave the citizens of Rutherford Co. an inside look at the candidates for the Murfreesboro City School Borad election that will take place on April 15, the candidates also have shared their views at two forums and other appearances on multiple educational issues.

Among the issues they've talked about include socioeconomic balance vs. neighborhood schools and public participation at board meetings vs. policies requiring personal issues to be dealt with by educators outside the public events.

Now it is time to take an in depth look at each candidate:

Name: Butch Campbell

Address:1639 Kensington Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37130

Phone:615-896-1951

Education: Attended Crichlow and Mitchell-Neilson Elementary School before graduating from Central High School in 1963; earned bachelor's degree education from MTSU in 1968; added master's degree 1970 and 30 more graduate level courses in education.

Career: Principal for Rutherford County system's Walter Hill Elementary School.

Family: Wife, Janie, secretary at the city's Discovery School at Reeves-Rogers and previously held this position at Bellwood Elementary for 22 years; two children, Ritch Campbell, a kindergarten teacher at Erma Siegel Elementary School; Chris, a social worker with Youth Can in Murfreesboro; two granddaughters, who attend Siegel schools.

What are your qualifications to serve on the Murfreesboro City School Board?

I'm a longtime educator and resident of Murfreesboro. I have been involved in education for 40 years. I started teaching in 1967 at Bradley Elementary School. Then in 1968, Bradley changed to a middle school. I taught there and coached football and basketball. Then in 1972, I moved to Central Middle School when it opened basically because Murfreesboro City Schools quit working with seventh- and eighth-graders. At Central, I taught eighth-grade social studies and coached football. I was assistant principal for three years dealing primarily with curriculum and a pre-vocational career education pilot program. It was a joint effort between Rutherford County and the state of Tennessee. I was in charge of about a quarter of million dollars, budgeting equipment, personnel and the program. In 1978, I moved to Walter Hill School as principal, and have been here ever since.

What kind of letter grade would you give Murfreesboro City Schools Director Marilyn Mathis for her job performance, and why do you feel she deserves this grade?

I have known Marilyn Mathis for several years. I have worked with her on the parks and recreation commission, which I was a member for 10 years. I don't know if I could give a fair evaluation at this point in time because I have not been that involved in her job performance and the criteria of things she needs to get accomplished. If I had to give her a grade based on my knowledge at this point, I'd give her a B-minus.

What are key problems the city district faces, and what do you think should be done to resolve them?

I think the city school board has a problem of communication with administrators, teachers, clerical personnel, custodians, and with school board employees. I think morale needs to be improved, and I believe morale can be improved with proper communication among school system personnel.

Why are you seeking a four-year term to serve on the board?

I'm seeking the position on the Murfreesboro City School Board because I believe I have something to offer as an educator for several years. I believe I can make some decisions based on the experiences I've had in 40 years because I've been there and done that.

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