The three candidates are Tonya Price, Clifford Owens and Charles "Chad" Murphy.
Calls went out to parents from Superintendent Greg Firn's office to attend the meetings, which were held March 17 and 19 at the media center at the high school.
On March 17, Tonya Price, an assistant principal from Hillside High School in Durham, was present. She said she was also in charge of the Freshman Academy and scheduling at the school.
In addition to her three years of experience as an assistant principal there, she said she has also worked as an algebra teacher, a social studies teacher and a substitute in classes for children with special needs and once worked for the Department of Public Instruction.
She described Hillside as "low-performing" and discussed how she had created teams of parents and faculty who worked to create solutions to problems. Price said the school made a lot of effort to get parents involved, with monthly assemblies, parent nights and shadowing programs, among other opportunities.
Firn said each candidate got involved in resolving discipline issues while they toured the school, and Price was no exception.
Michael Freeman, the Anson County Schools executive director for teaching and learning, said during her tour, a conflict broke out between two students. "They listened immediately" to her, he said. She handled the "most aggressive" student while he handled the other.
Owens and Murphy spoke March 19.
Owens is a former law enforcement officer and is currently the principal of an alternative middle school.
He said he had over 20 years of experience with children who were "at risk of failure." He also has a background working with exceptional children, as a football coach and a guidance counselor.
Owens described his approach to discipline problems. When a student comes to his office, he asks if they are an exceptional child and if they have an individualized education plan (a requirement for every student with a disability).
He said he lets students vent, asking them what they did to be sent to the office and what they could do differently the next time.
He thought there was a need to try to change those behaviors, partially by praising positive behaviors by students.
When asked what he would do if a teacher was not doing their job, he described a process for dealing with the problem.
He "always asks what's in the student's best interest," he said.
Murphy, currently an assistant principal at the alternative school for Catawba County Schools, also spoke Thursday.
A native of the Lake Placid, N.Y., area, he came to the region nine years ago to become a teacher. He taught for four years and has been an administrator for five years.
He said the ability to develop relationships was as important as students' knowledge of their subjects in a teacher.
Like the other candidates, he emphasized his desire to live in Anson if he should be hired. "I believe if you're a principal in the county, you need to live in the county," he said.
When addressing discipline problems, he said the two keys to success were making sure there were consequences, but not necessarily punitive ones, and changing the behavior in the future.
Those in attendance filled out sheets analyzing the applicants and ranking certain qualities in their speech and presentation, including clarity of thought and general knowledge. On the back of sheets, they were also asked to list the positive and negative aspects of applicants.
This feedback, along with that of staff and students, will help the school system make their decision, Firn said. The process is ongoing.
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