Two dozen apply to be the next Knox County Schools Superintendent

In a last minute rush Knox County Board of Education members were hoping for, the number of applicants for Knox County Schools Superintendent jumped to 24 just before the end-of-day deadline.

On Friday morning, there had only been 11 applicants.

The deadline to apply closed at 4 p.m. Friday. There are 24 official applicants, with one additional application that wasn't completed.

There are two internal candidates and at least one other local candidate, according to KCS spokesperson Carly Harrington.

"I sensed a little bit of panic earlier in the week," said Patti Bounds, Chair of the BOE.

More: List: Knox County Schools Superintendent candidates

On Monday, member Amber Rountree, who is also overseeing the three-person superintendent search committee, said she hoped more people applied by the end of the week.

“I would like to see some more folks and I have heard there are more folks planning to apply, and they just haven’t gotten their material together,” she said.

The committee responsible for the search is made up of Rountree, Tony Norman and Susan Horn.

Friday morning, Norman told 10News he was hopeful there would be more than 11 applicants.
"I especially hope we'll get a few internal candidates," said Norman.

The names of the two internal candidates were not immediately available.

There is at least one local applicant. Dale Lynch, who currently serves as Hamblen County Schools Superintendent, applied Friday morning.

"I had heard he was going to apply and I'm glad he did," said Bounds.

Receiving 24 applicants for this position is a 'win' for the board, who went about the recruiting process differently than they had in the past.

"I'm excited about the process. This is a little bit different than it's normally done. Many school systems in our area use outside search firms," said Bounds.

Outside search firms can cost up to $80,000. Knox County Schools used one in 2008, when Dr. Jim McIntyre was selected.

Bounds said not using an outside search firm will give them more control over the candidates.

Norman agrees.

"Sometimes those search firms also have some preferred candidates, so they'll eliminate people on their side before we even get to see them," said Norman.

On the morning of Jan. 17,  the three-member search committee is scheduled to look at who has applied. Rountree says the goal is to identify perhaps five solid candidates from among all who have applied and go from there.

Norman says the people in his top five will be applicants who have "a heart for the classroom" and "significant administrative experience and experience with large school districts."

Bounds agrees with Norman's desire to have a superintendent with classroom experience. She also hopes their new chief will have many of the leadership qualities Interim Superintendent Buzz Thomas has.

"He is very much a servant leader. He understands the role of the board and of the superintendent," said Bounds.

For now, the superintendent search is closed. However, Bounds says it could reopen at any time if the current applicants are not up to standards.

Bounds said the hope is to have a new superintendent in place by summer, but are willing to sacrifice that timeline for the right person.

"More importantly is getting the right person. The last two left without completing their contracts and I don't want to see that happen again," said Bounds.

List of 24 superintendent applicants

At the end of the application period on Friday, 24 people applied to be the next Knox County Schools Superintendent. Below is a list of the 24 applicants.

Susan Compton

 

Superintendent of the Atlantic Highlands, Highlands and Henry Hudson School District in Highlands, New Jersey. Compton previously served as the superintendent for the Russell Independent School System in Russell, Kentucky. In 2013, Compton was selected as one of the finalists for the Oak Ride school superintendent position.

Bob Thomas

 

Assistant superintendent for administrative services with Knox County Schools. Thomas attended The University of Tennessee and has worked as an educator in Knoxville since 1973. Thomas has served as the Knox County Schools assistant superintendent since 1990. Thomas was selected as a finalist for the superintendent position back in 2008.

Tryvan Leech, Sr.

 

Executive Director of State and Federal Programs for Youngstown City Schools in Youngstown, Ohio. Leech has worked in the education system since 1996, starting as a science controller and working up to principal of Youngstown City Schools in Ohio in 2014.

Carrmilla Young

 

Superintendent of Agape Public Charter Schools out of Fresno, California. Has served in various administrative positions over the years, including as principal of Fuller Elementary School in Chicago for three years. Earned her master's in education in 2009 at Walden University in Minneapolis.

Jon Rysewyk

 

Interim Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer for Knox County Schools. In 2014, Rysewyk was unanimously named as the founding principal of Emerald Academy after serving as executive principal of Fulton High School from 2008 to 2012. He earned his master's degree in education from the University of Tennessee, and has served as an educator since 1999.

Stuart Greenberg

 

Chief Academic Officer for Leon County Schools in Tallahassee, Florida. Greenberg is a longtime Florida administrator and has been looking to move up to a superintendent position. In 2015, he applied for a superintendent position to lead Metro Nashville's school system.

Duran Williams

 

Serving as Unified Services Director for Tennessee Education Association since 2014. Williams oversees District 4, which includes Knox County Schools, Pellisippi State Community College, the Tennessee School for the Deaf, and the University of Tennessee. He earned his doctorate in education administration and policy studies from the University of Tennessee. He's served in a variety of administrative positions, including being the longtime principal of Cosby High School in Cocke County.

Ronald Blair, Jr.

ESE Inclusion Teacher for Jesse Keen Elementary School in Lakeland, Florida. Blair studied public relations and earned his master's in special education at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville. He has worked primarily in Florida, serving as a special education teacher since July 2005.

Andy Spears

 

Adjunct Professor in public administration for Tennessee State University. Spears has a long-standing background in government policy advising and non-profit leadership. He created and runs Spears Strategy and Strong Schools, two advocacy agencies.

Timothy Gadson

 

Executive director, curriculum and schools for Robbinsdale Area Schools in Minnesota. Gadson previously served as the associate superintendent for Atlanta Public Schools in Georgia. Gadson has served as an educator since 1993, starting out as a teacher at Woodlands Middle School in West Palm Beach, Florida. He earned his doctorate in higher education administration at Washington State University.

Teresa Lance

 

School leadership officer for Harrison District 2 Schools in Colorado Springs. Has served in educational leadership positions, including principal of Community Education Partnership in Houston, an alternative school for at-risk students.

Mark Chandler

Superintendent of Des Moines Municipal Schools in Des Moines, New Mexico.

Elizabeth MacTavish

 

Clinical Assistant Professor for the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Sonia Diaz

 

Chief Academic Officer for Framingham Public Schools in Framingham, Massachusetts.

John Stoddard

 

Principal for Oak Hills High School in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Dale Lynch

 

Superintendent of Schools for Hamblen County Schools System in Morristown.

Ronnie Dotson

 

Superintendent of Schools for Carter County School District in Kentucky.

Catherine Beck

 

Assistant superintendent of the 3,500-student Summit County School District in Colorado.

Cedrick Gray

 

A former ‘superintendent of the year” by the National Association of Superintendents, Gray stepped down as leader of the Jackson Public Schools, a 28-000-student system in Mississippi. He previously worked as the director of schools in Fayette County in West Tennessee but left in 2012 after questions about financial discrepancies in school spending arose.

Andrei Ghelman

Secondary coordinator for the 47,000 student, 59 schools Collier County Public Schools in Naples, Fla. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. He previously worked as a teacher and principal for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.

Thomas Graves

An educational consultant since 2010, he also served as the assistant superintendent of Washington County Schools in Abingdon, Va. From 2006 to 2010.

Tonya Harris

 

Superintendent of the St. Louis charter school Preclarus Mastery Academy. The school, which for years had a high student absentee rate, has seen some improvements. Harris previously worked as an assistant principal in for District of Columbia Public Schools.

Andrè L. Wright

 

Learning Community Director for Aurora Public Schools in Colorado. Prior to assuming an executive role, served as principal of Woodland Middle School in Fulton County, Georgia. Wright earned his master's in educatioal leadership from Lincoln Memorial University.

Robert Vick

 

Principal for Parrotsville Elementary School in Cocke County.

Knox County Board of Ed approves salary range for new superintendent

The Knox County Board of Education approved a salary range of $200,000 to $240,000 for the district's next superintendent during its meeting Wednesday night.

The district is currently searching for its next superintendent. As of Monday, nine people had put their names in for consideration. The deadline for candidates to apply for the job is Friday.

Board member Amber Rountree, who is leading the board's three-member superintendent search committee, said earlier this week that they are prepared to take additional time to find the right candidate, if necessary.

“While we do have a timeline, the board is most focused on finding the best leader for Knox County Schools," she said. "So, if we do have to take some additional time to do so, we’re willing to do that. We don’t want to rush into a decision. We want the very best person to lead our district to make our schools the best in the South.”

During Wednesday's meeting, the board also approved a resolution opposing any state legislation creating a voucher program in Tennessee.

Nine apply to be Knox County Schools superintendent; deadline is Friday

With a Friday deadline looming, Knox County school board members say they’d like to see more candidates apply to be the next superintendent.

As of Monday, nine people have put their names in to lead the district of some 59,500 students and 8,000 employees.

Board members briefly discussed at a workshop Monday night details of the application process.

Member Amber Rountree is overseeing the search on a mini-committee that consists of her, Tony Norman and Susan Horn. Rountree says she’s not ready yet to end the process right now.

“I would like to see some more folks and I have heard there are more folks planning to apply, and they just haven’t gotten their material together,” she said.

On the morning of Jan. 17, the three-member search committee is scheduled to look at who has applied. Rountree says the goal is to identify perhaps five solid candidates from among all who have applied and go from there.

Applicants so far include people who have overseen smaller districts and some charter schools.

“I like how the process is going so far and I’m not discouraged at all,” Norman told 10News. “Some are a little bit (discouraged) in the slow response, a little bit of a slow response. But I think we’ll have several right here at the end.”

Board members aim to offer somewhere between $200,000 and $240,000 a year for the position. Norman said it’s possible the market might demand more for such a leadership position, but he also thinks someone making an annual salary of $240,000 would be very comfortable in East Tennessee.

Board member Lynne Fugate on Monday night expressed concerns whether $240,000 would be adequate to draw the kind of candidate they’re looking for.

It’s possible the search committee could come back to the board with a recommendation that the search process continue.

“While we do have a timeline, the board is most focused on finding the best leader for Knox County Schools," Rountree said. "So, if we do have to take some additional time to do so, we’re willing to do that. We don’t want to rush into a decision. We want the very best person to lead our district to make our schools the best in the South.”

Buzz Thomas of the Great Schools Partnership has agreed to serve as interim leader until this summer. Superintendent Jim McIntyre left the system last summer after about eight years.

Five apply for KCS superintendent

Five educators throughout the country have submitted applications to oversee the Knox County Schools system with only two weeks remaining to apply.

The applicants include educational consultants, former teachers and a superintendent of the year.
The deadline to apply is Jan. 13. The superintendent search committee, which includes school board members Amber Rountree, Tony Norman and Susan Horn, then meets Jan. 17.

"I think we should probably start seeing more apps come in now that the holidays are over,” said Rountree who is the chairwoman of the committee.

School members opted not to seek a recruiter to help fill the position, much like they did more than eight years ago when officials hired Jim McIntyre, a then-finance director in the Boston school system.

Instead, KCS began advertising the job Dec. 8 on its website and placed advertisements in national and regional publications.

As it stands, the school board has set an annual salary between $200,000 and $240,000.
McIntyre, who earned $228,000 stepped down in July. He took a job with the University of Tennessee.

The board picked Buzz Thomas, the leader of the Great Schools Partnership, to stand in until a replacement was named.

Thomas is not expected to apply for the job on a full-time basis and has publicly expressed an interest to go back to the Partnership by this summer.

Here’s a snapshot of the applicants who have submitted resumes as of Jan. 2:

• Catherine Beck: Assistant superintendent of the 3,500-student Summit County School District in Colorado.
• Cedrick Gray: A former ‘superintendent of the year” by the National Association of Superintendents, Gray stepped down as leader of the Jackson Public Schools, a 28-000-student system in Mississippi. He previously worked as the director of schools in Fayette County in West Tennessee but left in 2012 after questions about financial discrepancies in school spending arose.
• Andrei Ghelman: Secondary coordinator for the 47,000 student, 59 schools Collier County Public Schools in Naples, Fla. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. He previously worked as a teacher and principal for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.
• Thomas Graves: An educational consultant since 2010, he also served as the assistant superintendent of Washington County Schools in Abingdon, Va. From 2006 to 2010.
• Tonya Harris: Superintendent of the St. Louis charter school Preclarus Mastery Academy. The school, which for years had a high student absentee rate, has seen some improvements. Harris previously worked as an assistant principal in for District of Columbia Public Schools.

Education: Looking back at 2016

2016 held some major stories in education, from an upset in the statewide standardized test, to a change in leadership for Knox County Schools.

They year began with a surprise announcement: that Knox County Schools superintendent Jim McIntyre would be stepping down.

RELATED: KCS Superintendent McIntyre to step down

"I would love to continue to do the job that I love doing," McIntyre said at a media conference. "However, the current political environment has become increasingly dysfunctional, at times overtly antagonistic and seemingly untenable."

The search immediately began for his interim replacement, and the Board of Education tapped Buzz Thomas, president of the non-profit Great Schools Partnership.

"They want to create the best school system in the South," Thomas said of board member, in an interview with WBIR 10News.

RELATED: Buzz Thomas takes over as interim superintendent of Knox County Schools

He took over in June, and board members are in the process of finding a permanent superintendent.
School board elections in September brought three new faces to the table, leading to a shift toward a more public approach to input on teacher evaluations and student testing, plus the creation of a Teacher Advisory Committee.

In February, the state's much-hailed online standardized testing platform failed, and the backup pencil-and-paper form the of test wasn't delivered in time.

"Ultimately, you have to make a call about whether this is going to be a good experience for students or not," state education commissioner Candice McQueen told a reporter at the time.

"Everybody's making the joke about, 'Tennessee Ready's not ready,'" concerned Knox County parent Leslie Kurtz said, in reaction.

RELATED: Parents, teachers frustrated by TNReady online failure

In April, Tennessee canceled its contract with the testing company Measurement, Inc. and began an emergency search process for a new company.

RELATED: McIntyre: 'Time to pull plug' on assessment contractor

It named Minnesota-based Questar Assessment to take over the state's TNReady test for the current school year.

"Questar's been around for about 40 years, and we literally have hundreds of successful assessments under our belt," Questar VP of State Solutions Marty Mineck told 10News.

RELATED: Teachers talk with TN's new standardized testing vendor

Throughout the year, Knox County district leaders have been fostering conversations about cultural competency and racial disparities in both discipline and academic outcomes - and how to make improvements.

As awareness of bullying, hazing and cyber-bullying continues to grow, many East Tennessee schools are working to combat that. Roane County Schools has programs in the majority of its buildings, to teach kids about kindness and the harmful impact of bullying.

RELATED: School district prevents bullying by promoting kindness

Throughout 2016, we saw the hearts and love of teachers, students, parents and administrators shine through, from the Beaumont Magnet Academy community pulling together to win a $100,000 grant for a new arts-inspired playground, to a Blount County schoolteacher who fostered and then adopted three former students.

RELATED: Beaumont Magnet Academy wins $100,000 grant

RELATED: Blount County family thankful for 14 children

All around, those involved in education in East Tennessee showed the Volunteer spirit in the classroom and community - and ready to be carried into 2017.

Deathridge named to TSBA Board

Knox County BOE member Gloria Deathridge, who represents the 1st District, has been appointed to a one-year term on the Tennessee School Board Association’s Board of Directors.

The appointment to serve as one of four at-large members was confirmed at the board’s meeting on Nov. 5, during the TSBA convention that was held over the weekend in Nashville.

Deathridge was first elected to the Knox County school board in September 2010, and served as vice-chair in 2013. She was re-elected to the school board in 2014.

TSBA is a non-profit, private service organization whose mission is to assist school boards in effectively governing school districts. TSBA provides school board members a collective voice in matters of legislation and public education concerns.

Superintendent Search panel formed

Knox County BOE Chairwoman announced the three members of the Superintendent Search Committee: Tony Norman (District 3), Susan Horn (District 5) and Amber Rountree (District 9).

The committee will be tasked with making recommendations to the full board related to the superintendent search process and selection.

Rountree will serve as chair of the committee.

The school board authorized the creation of the search committee at its meeting on Nov. 2, giving Bounds discretion to appoint no more than three board members to serve.

The committee is expected to meet prior to the next board meeting in December.

BOE's focus on finding new Knox Co. Schools leader, testing data

The Knox County Board of Education tonight and Wednesday will continue discussions that touch on the search for a new superintendent and whether state testing data should help determine teacher evaluations and student grades for the current year.

The board also has some “housecleaning” and policy matters that officials will address during tonight’s work session, but the two “key items” focus on testing and the school system’s next leader, BOE Chairwoman Patti Bounds told WBIR 10News on Monday morning.

Bounds said the board will talk about whether it wants to put together a search committee and – if members do want a committee – then who should serve on it. The county law department has recommended three members, but Bounds said the board doesn’t necessarily have to stick to that number.

Buzz Thomas, who oversees the Great Schools Partnership, is currently serving as interim superintendent.

However, the GSP wants him back by next summer, so Bounds said the school board wants to get it done by then.

“I don’t think there are any members of this board who will not do their due diligence to get the best person, but we know we’re on a very tight schedule,” Bounds said.

The board also will talk about a proposed resolution sponsored by Amber Rountree that comes in the wake of the state’s recent announcement that it has signed a contract with Questar to oversee Tennessee’s annual student assessments.

Rountree wants the state to grant a waiver so that the tests don’t count against teacher evaluations and student grades for the current year.

The state in the past year or so has struggled to roll out new tests for students and she wants to make sure the kinks are worked out of the new tests.

Her resolution also notes that “there are documented errors on the part of Questar” to administer similar tests in New York and Mississippi, and that Knox County teachers wouldn’t be involved in writing test items for the current year.

Thomas has called the resolution “ill-advised” and “at the very least . . . premature.”

“(The) proposed resolution does not sound like a school district that is aspiring to be the best in the South or even in the state,” Thomas wrote to board members in a Sept. 23 email. “It sounds like we are making excuses. We need a good standardized test each year to tell us how we are doing compared to others across the state and the nation. We will achieve greatness not by shying away from this accountability but by welcoming it.”

The county’s Teacher Advisory Committee met earlier this month to talk about the issue.

“A great majority of those reported that in surveying their schools the teachers were in favor of Amber’s resolution . . .  (and) that their schools and teachers were in favor of it by a pretty significant number,” Bounds said.

An advisory committee member will give board members a presentation prior to the official start of tonight’s meeting.

The board meets tonight at 5 at the Andrew Johnson Building. The board’s voting meeting is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday at the City County Building.

Bounds, Rountree picked to lead BOE

Patti bounds, left, Amber Rountree, right

The Knox County Schools Board of Education named Patti Bounds board chair and Amber Rountree vice chair, respectively, during its meeting Wednesday.

The board held its first reorganization vote at its September meeting, but postponed the decision after two tied results.

In September, the votes were tied 4-4 between board members Terry Hill and Mike McMillan.

Prior to Wednesday's meeting, McMillan submitted a letter to the board withdrawing his name from consideration. McMillan was not present at Monday's board work session or Wednesday's regular meeting due to health reasons.

On Wednesday, Hill also removed her name from consideration. Board member Tony Norman then nominated Bounds, and she was named chair by acclamation.

Hill and Norman were then nominated for vice chair.

After a 4-4 tied vote, Hill withdrew her name from consideration again.

Amber Rountree was then nominated for consideration, and selected with a 5-3 vote over Norman.

KCS hears input on superintendent search in first of two forums

Thursday night marked the first of two public forums for community members to share their opinions on Knox County Schools' search for a new superintendent.

The meetings come after former superintendent Jim McIntyre announced his resignation in January and stepped down in June.

Buzz Thomas, of Great Schools Partnership, then took over as interim superintendent.

Some three dozen people gathered Thursday in Central High School's auditorium, where Thomas, a number of Knox County Board of Education members and other district leaders heard from community stakeholders, who included parents and educators.

David McCroskey attended the meeting. He's the grandparent and guardian of three Knox County Schools students. He said while he didn't dislike the former superintendent, he felt McIntyre was overly focused on the financial side of the job.

“I personally feel that we need someone who is an educator and is willing to sit down and talk to people and understand the needs of our children, as opposed to worrying about the financial side of it," he said.

Kathleen Robinson, a former KCS teacher and parent, hopes teachers and parents have a large say in who becomes the next superintendent.

“I feel like the last search, we really didn’t have that opportunity. I was a classroom teacher at that time and I feel like teachers really didn’t have a say," she said.

She hopes the next superintendent will focus on empowering both students and teachers.

“I would like a superintendent who has my child’s best interest at heart," she said.
“We have a lot of disenfranchised teachers, I feel, due to the fact that they don’t feel trusted.”

Board member Terry Hill attended the forum as well. She was disappointed with the turnout but impressed with those who did attend.

“I thought it was a wonderful forum we had tonight. I wish we would’ve had a few more people. But the folks that were there had really concrete suggestions, were very thought out, very purposeful," she said.

Prior to the meeting, WBIR 10News spoke with a number of district leaders on the importance of these public input sessions.

"It's an important job we have to do, so I think the more feedback we have, the better," new BOE member Susan Horn told 10News.

She said she heard from a lot of parents and educators while campaigning for her seat.

"People are looking for a great leader, who has a huge, great vision for our schools, who can communicate with people and who has classroom experience and administrative experience," Horn said.

Board members voted earlier this month to defer appointing a chairperson until next month. That's an important decision, as the chair will appoint members to the superintendent search committee.

Rest of story HERE.

Knox Co. superintendent search on

Knox County leaders want public input into who will serve as the school system's next superintendent.

The BOE has scheduled two meetings.

The first forum will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the Central High School Auditorium and the second will be held at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in the Bearden Middle School Auditorium.

School board defers naming a leader

The newly seated Knox County Board of Education is deferring the election of its board chair until October after members split between two candidates Wednesday night.

Meeting for the first time since three new members were elected on Aug. 4, the board voted 4-4 for Terry Hill and Mike McMillan as the new board chair. Board member Gloria Deathridge nominated Hill, while Tony Norman nominated McMillan.

The initial vote was 4-3 for McMillan, with Amber Rountree abstaining.
But the chair must receive a super-majority, or at least five votes. Rountree then changed her vote in support of Hill.

With the resulting tie, Rountree made a motion to defer the vote until the October meeting when all nine board members could vote. Patti Bounds was not present Wednesday.
The motion died for lack of a second, and the board members cast their votes again, with the same result.

Rountree reintroduced her motion after the second tie, and it was approved.

Lynne Fugate is serving as interim board chair until the October reorganization vote. The board will also choose a vice chair then.

The Knox County BOE next meets for a work session Monday, Oct. 3, and a regular voting session Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Susan Horn wins last open BOE seat

Susan Horn

In the only contested school board race, Susan Horn defeated Reuben “Buddy” Pelot, garnering just over 61 percent of the vote to represent the 5th District.

The board of education seats are non-partisan.

Horn will join Tony Norman and Jennifer Owen as new faces on the 9-member school board.

Norman and Owen defeated opponents in the March primary and were not in contested races Thursday. Norman (3rd District) and Owen (2nd District) replace Doug Harris and Tracie Sanger, respectively. Neither of the incumbents sought re-election.

Horn and Pelot were the top two vote-getters in a three-way March contest, so they squared off again. Karen Carson, the sitting incumbent for the seat, also didn’t run again.

In addition, 8th District incumbent Mike McMillan retained his seat after no one filed to challenge him in March.

The school board in the upcoming year will be tasked with hiring a new school superintendent to help oversee the system. Jim McIntyre and the current board reached an agreement to pay him one year’s salary of $227,000 to step down in early July.

KCS media relations policy change?

Well this is interesting:

Knox County Schools interim Superintendent Buzz Thomas is recommending the following paragraph to the BOE’s media relations policy:

The school system has a responsibility to provide information to the public, including members of the media, as appropriate. Therefore, the principal of each school shall be responsible for developing a public relations and outreach program for his or her school and shall promote programs which both involve and engage parents and the community in the life of the school and the success of students.

Glad to see the individual school given some autonomy on how to promote themselves. It's about time.

5th District commish, BOE candidates featured on WBIR 'Inside Tennessee'

On Sunday, we had the 5th District candidates running for Knox County Commission (John Schooner, incumbent and Republican, and Sheri Ridgeway, Democrat) and the non-partisan school board (Susan Horn and Buddy Pelot) featured on Inside Tennessee.

You can find the links to the discussions right HERE.

Next Sunday, we'll feature a special hour-long show and include more commission races.

Thomas new interim superintendent

As expected, the Knox County school board unanimously voted to approve the hiring of Buzz Thomas to serve as interim schools superintendent.

The board met Wednesday afternoon in a regular session at the City County Building downtown.

On Monday in a board workshop, board member Terry Hill nominated Thomas, head of the Great Schools Partnership, to serve in the temporary position.

“I am honored to be chosen by the Board of Education for this incredibly important position," said Thomas in a release. "I know how dedicated each board member is to the well-being of our children and the success of our schools."

Board member Amber Rountree supports Thomas, but wants the search for a permanent replacement to start with someone with teaching experience.

"Having been in a school and working in a teaching role and an administrative role helps you build positive relationships with staff and it helps you make the best decision for kids," said Rountree.

Buzz Thomas recommended for interim Knox Co. superintendent position

Buzz Thomas

Buzz Thomas, the head of the Great Schools Partnership, was nominated Monday night to serve as interim superintendent of Knox County Schools.

Board of Education member Terry Hill presented Thomas' name during a Knox County school board workshop.

About a half-dozen men had been identified as candidates, ranging from Thomas to several current schools administrators.

By agreement, board members are to formally vote Wednesday on Thomas' nomination.

Hill said she thought there was no better supporter of the school system than Thomas. She said he thought he could step away from his job to be the interim leader.

"Buzz is already a part of the leadership team for Knox County Schools so he has an in-depth knowledge of our system, even though he hasn't been an employee," Hill added.

Board members Gloria Deathridge, Lynne Fugate and board chair Doug Harris said they plan to support the nomination.

"He's got a great resume," Harris said. "He's got a lot of experience. He knows our school system and knows a lot of the players involved."

Hill reviewed nominated candidates in preparation for Monday's meeting.


Superintendent Jim McIntyre is leaving the school system in July.

Besides Thomas, other men who were nominated included Bob Thomas, a Knox County Schools assistant superintendent; Rodney Russell, director of human capital strategy at KCS; and Danny Trent, KCS secondary supervisor.

As part of the selection process, Hill interviewed candidates.

By agreement, Harris would have until April 17 to negotiate a contract with Thomas.

By policy, the person chosen for the interim role is not expected to be a candidate for permanent superintendent.  The search for a long-term leader could take up to a year and is expected to begin in September, after new school members are elected and seated.

Board members have said they want an interim leader who cares about children and who is familiar with the school system’s budget, schools and staff.

Last month, McIntyre proposed a general purpose budget of $453.5 million, an increase of $15.5 million or nearly 4 percent from the current fiscal year. The board will vote on the budget in April.

The system is composed of 90 schools and a 7,500 person workforce that includes about 5,000 teachers.

The Knox County BOE hired McIntyre in the spring of 2008, after a year-long process that included whittling down a list of 40 candidates to a handful of finalists.

Draft BOE budget includes raises

Jim McIntyre

Knox County Schools on Wednesday released its preliminary proposal for the fiscal year 2017 general fund budget that will go to the Board of Education for review.

Superintendent Jim McIntyre is recommending a general school purpose budget of $453,500,000 - an increase of $15,500,000, or 3.54 percent, from the current budget.

At its core, the proposed budget includes approximately $12 million for educator salaries and benefits, including a 3 percent salary increase for teachers, maintaining current percentages paid by employees for health insurance, and offering Workers’ Compensation to certified employees for the first time.

Other highlights include:

• A 2 percent salary increase for classified employees.
• $56,000 to support the work of the Disparities in Educational Outcomes Task Force
• Increasing investment in the student transportation program by $1 million
• Sustaining KCS’s Personalized Learning Environment (PLE) effort and initiating a comprehensive instructional technology initiative at the high school level

“Our teachers and staff continue to do an extraordinary job of facilitating student learning and success in an era of great change and heightened expectation,” McIntyre said in a released statement. “A significant salary increase for our hard working teachers and support staff both recognizes their remarkable success with our students, and also ensures that the Knox County Schools can retain our outstanding educators and recruit the next generation of exceptional teachers.”

Once the BOE approves the plan, it will go to Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett to incorporate into his overall budget for the county. From there it will go to the Knox County Commission for final approval.

Knox school leaders to consider seven for interim superintendent job

School leaders will consider seven candidates for the interim Knox County Schools supetintendent gig.

The deadline to apply or nominate someone was 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The Knox County Board of Education has agreed to pick an interim superintendent to oversee the school system by the first week of April and then have that person in place on July 11 – the Monday after current Superintendent Jim McIntyre officially steps down.

The list of contenders for the interim position:

• Bob Thomas, a Knox County assistant superintendent
• Buzz Thomas, president of the Great Schools partnership
• Rodney Russell, Director of Human Capital Strategy at KCS
• Danny Trent, Knox County Schools secondary supervisor
• Ed Hedgepeth, who now works for the University of Tennessee, and retired from KCS.
• Chris Caldwell, Knox County finance director.
• George Hamilton, a Knoxville resident, submitted a letter of interest in the position.

The board unanimously agreed to let member Terry Hill oversee the vetting process. Hill will interview the candidates and then submit a recommendation for the board to discuss during an April 4 workshop. Members would then vote on the appointment April 6.

After that, the BOE’s chairman, Doug Harris, would have until April 17 to negotiate a contract with the selection.

Board members during a meeting last month that they were looking for someone familiar with the school system’s budget, schools and staff.

As superintendent, McIntyre oversees a $438 million budget, 90 schools and a 7,500-person workforce that includes almost 5,000 teachers.

The Knox County BOE hired McIntyre in the spring of 2008, after a year-long process that included whittling down a list of 40 candidates to a handful of finalists.

At the time, officials held a number of community meetings to define the next superintendent’s skill set.

In the end, the choice came down to three names: McIntyre, Brian Bingelli, an assistant superintendent in Virginia’s Fairfax County Public Schools, and Bob Thomas, now in the running as interim superintendent.