Bowling Green schools Superintendent Gary Fields showed improved performance on a recent annual evaluation, exceeding expectations across six standards and meeting expectations on the remaining standard.

“I’m blessed to have a board that is so supportive and is always focused on what can we do to help our kids be successful,” Fields said of his relationship with the district’s board of education, which approved the evaluation last week.

Previously the principal of Bowling Green High School since 2002, Fields was hired as the district’s superintendent in 2015 following a unanimous decision from the board.

This year, Fields earned the top score of “exemplary” in the category of human resource leadership, an area that he scored “accomplished” last year.

Under a seven-standard evaluation system established by the Kentucky Department of Education, superintendents are scored in the areas of strategic, instructional, cultural, human resource, managerial, collaborative and influential leadership. The board can assign the rank of exemplary, accomplished, developing or growth required to each of the areas.

Fields scored exemplary, or exceeded the standard, in the areas of strategic, instructional, human resource, managerial, collaborative and influential leadership. He ranked as “accomplished” in the area of cultural leadership, the same score he earned last year in his first evaluation.

In his second year on the job, Fields said “everything isn’t brand new” to him. Along with growing into the job, Fields credited the district’s incessant work to re-evaluate how it’s using resources and approaching instruction.

“We never want to become complacent and just do it because we’ve always done it that way,” he said.

Fields added he has an “outstanding” relationship with his school board. He credits board members’ commitment to supporting the school district.

School board member Frank “Hamp” Moore said the process to produce an evaluation requires a large amount of research. The superintendent first evaluates themselves before turning it over to the board.

Moore credited board chair Chris Dressler and vice chair Jane Wilson for their hours spent combing through newspaper articles involving Fields and school board meeting minutes, along with other evidence.

Moore said Fields had “big shoes to fill” by replacing former superintendent Joe Tinius. Tinius spent 38 years in the city district before retiring, the last 10 years as superintendent.

“You’ve got to be a communicator with parents and students and faculty. Each of those constituencies require a different set of skills,” Moore said.

Nonetheless, Moore said Fields has done “a superb job of growing into this job.”

– Follow education reporter Aaron Mudd on Twitter @BGDN_edbeat or at bgdailynews.com.