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.
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Meet the local legislators Saturday
The East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists is hosting its annual Legislative Luncheon.
This is an opportunity to find out where your legislators stand, engage with them and hear their priorities for the 2017 legislative session. Members of the public will be able to submit questions to the panel.
RELATED: ET lawmakers gather for 2016 legislative luncheon
The event will take place at Bearden Banquet Hall on Kingston Pike in West Knoxville.
Doors will open for lunch at 11:30 a.m. and the panel discussion will start around noon.
Cost for the lunch is $15 in advance for SPJ members, $18 in advance for non-SPJ members and $20 at the door.
If you don’t plan on eating, the event is free. Donations are encouraged for coffee and tea, which will be available.
The event is open to the public, but reservations are required for lunch. Please reserve your lunch ticket HERE.
Legislators attending include:
- Sen. Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville)
- Rep. Harry Brooks (R-Knoxville)
- Rep. Martin Daniel (R-Knoxville)
- Sen. Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville)
- Rep. Bill Dunn (R-Knoxville)
- Rep. Roger Kane (R-Knoxville)
- Rep. Jimmy Matlock (R-Lenoir City)
- Sen. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge)
- Rep. Bob Ramsey (R-Maryville)
- Rep. Eddie Smith of Knoxville (R-Knoxville)
- Rep. Rick Staples (D-Knoxville)
- Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston)
- Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville)
Nine apply to be Knox County Schools superintendent; deadline is Friday
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.
Large crowd honored former 9th Dist. Commissioner Mike Brown on Monday
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Brown, who represented South Knox County, opted not to seek re-election last year.
The event was held at Shoney's on Chapman Highway in South Knoxville.
There were a number of guest speakers and Brown will now need a trophy case to hold all the plaques and awards he received.
There's also a group photo and a picture of some of the glory Brown received.
Randy Boyd leaving state economic development commissioner post
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| Randy Boyd |
Boyd's time as commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development will end at the end of the month, according to a state announcement Monday afternoon.
Folks, this is the beginning. My guess is expect his gubernatorial announcement in February or March.
On Monday afternoon Boyd tweeted: "Sad to leave ECD, but we are all still Team Tennessee. It has been an honor to serve with so many amazing people. WE ARE TEAM TENNESSEE.
Boyd heads Radio Systems Corp., which he created, develops area real estate and also owns the Tennessee Smokies AA baseball team. He also chairs tnAchieves, the partner organization to Tennessee Promise.
More: Boyd buys Old City site
Haslam, former mayor of Knoxville, tapped Boyd in 2013 to serve as a special adviser in higher education, part of a strategy to boost post-secondary training of the state's workforce.
Boyd went on to become economic development commissioner, a post he held two years.
"The state of Tennessee has gained so much from Randy’s service. To put it simply: without Randy, there is no Tennessee Promise or Drive to 55 or a comprehensive approach to job growth via workforce development,” Haslam said in Monday's statement. “I will miss his energy, passion and deep commitment to bringing economic growth and success to every corner of the state, and I am grateful for everything he has done for Tennessee."
Boyd said in a statement that he was "thankful for the opportunity to serve the governor and the people of Tennessee."
"Now, I look forward to returning home to Knoxville to continue to find ways to best serve our state," he said.
City's 'Downtown Slides' contruction program starting in late January
Work will start in late January or in early February, according to Kathleen Gibi, Public Affairs Specialist with the city of Knoxville's Department of Parks and Recreation.
The first slide will be installed outside of the Civic Coliseum parking garage on Howard Baker Jr. Boulevard.
PREVIOUS: Knoxville announces plans for "Downtown Slides" program
The slide will cost around $15,000, but will be covered using a Play Everywhere Challenge grant from KaBOOM!, a national non-profit that promotes incorporating balanced and active play into kids' daily lives.
No other slides are planned yet, but the city is working to identify other locations for the slides. The city will later ask for public input on where to put additional slides.
One potential location could be Morningside Park, but engineers have not yet inspected the location, Gibi said.
Knox County Schools in middle of systemwide radon testing program
The system is testing dozens of buildings including more than 80 schools, according to system spokeswoman Carly Harrington.
Knox County Schools began the testing and mitigation project in June. Among the schools now under testing is Adrian Burnett Elementary School, 4521 Brown Gap Road in North Knox County.
"We will test all of our buildings over the next several years," Harrington told 10News. "Radon testing is just one of several environmental testing/maintenance initiatives in which we engage."
Radon is a radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Awareness and concern about its presence in homes and other structures have been growing in recent decades.
January, in fact, is National Radon Awareness Month.
The EPA now recognizes that high levels have been found in a number of schools across the country.
According to the agency: "A nationwide survey of radon levels in schools estimates that nearly one in five has at least one schoolroom with a short-term radon level above the action level of 4 pCi/L (picoCuries per liter) - the level at which EPA recommends that schools take action to reduce the level. EPA estimates that more than 70,000 schoolrooms in use today have high short-term radon levels."
A naturally occurring odorless gas, radon is ranked among the more serious environment health programs in the U.S.
It's thought to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in America. Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer. Cancer can occur after long-term exposure to radon.
EPA guidelines call for tests in all frequently used rooms at or below ground level. The agency also recommends testing during cooler months.
You can learn more about EPA guidelines on radon testing here.
Friday, January 6, 2017
Inside TN: State rep. says organized retail crime a problem in Knoxville
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| From left: becker, Zachary, Daniel |
Those are just a handful of the issues to be addressed
during Sunday’s edition of “Inside Tennessee” on WBIR 10News.
The discussion comes as the General Assembly plans to
convene again on Jan. 10.
At the top of the list for Zachary is passing an “organized
retail crime” bill, something he’s crafted with local law enforcement, Home
Depot and other lawmakers.
“Most people don’t realize that Knoxville is
the No. 1 city in the nation for gift card theft and abuse,” he said. “It’s truly
organized retail crime. You’ll have two people go to a Home Depot. One person
goes in and steals a blower and comes out, and the other person goes in and
returns it. So, the state loses tax dollars.”
The person who returns the item will get a
gift card from the store which can be sold on the secondary market.
Zachary noted that arrests authorities made
the week before Christmas netted roughly $50,000 in stolen merchandise.
He said most of the retail crime happens in
West Knox County, particularly the Turkey Creek shopping complex because of its
easy access to the interstate.
The National Retail Federation notes that
such crimes usually include a criminal enterprise employing individuals to
steal large quantities of merchandise from a number of stores, and then a
fencing operations coverts the items into cash. The items also can be sold
online, at flea markets or even to other retailers.
Zachary and Daniel also said keeping an eye
on the state’s $925 million budgetary surplus and whether to raise the state’s
gas tax also will be two key issues this year.
“Everything depends on the details but the
people of the district are telling me transportation is so important for
business, tourism and safety . . . and they’re telling me they’re OK for up to a
10 cent per gallon tax increase,” said Daniel, adding that cars that use diesel
fuel, batteries and hybrids “need to be brought in to pay their fair share.”
Zachary added that he recently polled his
district and that 55 percent of the residents were opposed to an increase.
The tax increase, proposed by Gov. Bill
Haslam, would help pay for some $6 billion in transportation infrastructure
backlog.
In addition, Martin said he wants to reduce
regulations “that impact individuals and businesses,” and he wants to call for
an “efficiency audit” for higher education across the state.
The 30-minute political and public
affairs program, which was taped Thursday, kicks off at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on
WBIR.
Panelists include attorney Don Bosch, governmental relations expert Susan
Williams and Theotis Robinson Jr., retired vice president
of equity and diversity of the University of Tennessee system.
WBIR Anchor John Becker serves as the
show’s moderator.
Ijams Nature names new director
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| Amber Parker |
Parker will join the organization Feb. 20.
Parker has more than 20 years of professional experience in the environmental education field, most recently serving as executive director for Chincoteague Bay Field Station in Wallops Island, Virginia, where she cultivated partnerships with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Park Service, NASA and other educational institutions and conservation agencies.
“Amber is going to make an outstanding leader for our organization,” said Kim Bumpas, board chair for Ijams Nature Center. “Through our extensive interview process, we found the perfect candidate.”
Ijams Nature Center is an award-winning urban greenspace located less than four miles from downtown Knoxville. The nonprofit organization ensures the preservation and maintenance of wildlife habitat, natural areas and facilities, as well as oversees and expands educational and recreational programming.
“I am proud and excited to join the Ijams Nature Center organization,” Parker said. “I look forward to working with such a passionate group of individuals as we all pursue the same mission of preservation and conservation. East Tennessee is one of the most beautiful regions in the country, and I look forward to making it my home.”
Parker succeeds Ijams’ previous executive director, Paul James, who resigned in September of 2016. Bo Townsend will continue to serve as interim director until Parker’s arrival in February.
“We are so grateful for Bo’s unwavering support of this organization,” Bumpas said. “We appreciate his willingness to return as interim director and stay with us until the transition is complete.”
Parker also has experience in East Tennessee. She served as special programs coordinator and education director at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont from 2001-08. Parker earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology from North Carolina State University in 1994, as well as a master’s degree in environmental studies from Prescott College in Arizona in 2007.
Dinner to honor Commish Mike Brown
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| Mike Brown |
Brown, who represented South Knox County, opted not to seek re-election last year.
The dinner is set for 6 p.m. at Shoney's on Chapman Highway in South Knoxville.
The event is open to the public but I don't suspect that it is free. Heh.
Monday, January 2, 2017
Five apply for KCS superintendent
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.
Looking at 2016 Inside Tenn. picks
So, here's some fun insight from Inside Tennessee, our Sunday morning political talk show. At the very end of 2015, the panelists were asked to predict their 2016 winners and losers. Dennis Francis, Billy Star, Mike Cohen, Mike Donila, Susan Williams and Don Bosch participated.
Below are the results. None of us, quite frankly, did all that well. I highlighted the spots were the prediction worked out.
I'll post our 2017 predictions later.
Below are the results. None of us, quite frankly, did all that well. I highlighted the spots were the prediction worked out.
I'll post our 2017 predictions later.
Local Winners
Dennis: Passed
Billy: University of Tennessee football
Cohen: Congressman Duncan and Tim Burchett
Mike D:
Republican party (predicted clean Republican sweep in local races)
Susan:
Tony Norman
Don: Randy Nichols and Sheriff Jones (predicted getting
safety center off the ground)
Local Losers
Dennis: Knox County citizens if we do not open the safety
center
Billy: Knox County BOE (based on all the sniping)
Cohen: Didn’t really answer. Talked about Tony Norman and
dissatisfaction with past administration
Mike D:
Jim McIntyre (based on board’s balance of power shift and the budget-limiting
MOU he signed)
Susan:
Jim McIntyre (based on Norman’s election)
Don:
Jeff Ownby
Quick thoughts: Hard
to give Cohen credit for Duncan and Burchett. Tim had little movement and
Duncan easily won a race. There were way bigger winners than Duncan in the
grand scheme. Also hard to give Dennis credit on his pick for loser. The county
failed to open the safety center but citizens weren’t a clear loser.
State Winners
Dennis: Ron Ramsey
Billy:
Sen. Randy McNally
Cohen: Randy Boyd
Mike D: Butch Jones (predicted player scandal that Butch
would smooth out and 8-4 season and bowl win)
Susan: Randy Boyd
Don: Justice Jeff Bivens (predicted he would be chief
justice of Supreme Court, said do all sorts of bad things)
State Losers
Dennis: All of us
Billy:
Derrick Schofield, Department of Correction Commissioner
Cohen:
Democratic party (state)
Mike D:
Rest of the top brass at UT is going to have a bad year (reason I picked Butch)
Susan: Anthony Haynes (lobbyist for UT)
Don:
250,000 people who did not get healthcare (said Gov. won’t get it back or won’t
get passed)
Thoughts: I blew the
Butch Jones pick but when I made my prediction on how the team would go (8-4)
everyone on the panel said they would do much better. Eat crow, people. (The bowl game doesn't count.) Ha.
But, I killed it on predicting the rest of the UT brass being losers – see ya
later, Cheek! See ya later, Hart! I can’t give credit for the Randy Boyd picks
– not after the embarrassment of the Smokies baseball team and the behind the
scene secrecy of the Regal deal that wasn’t popular with a lot of the public. Billy
nailed it on McNally and Schofield.
National winners:
Dennis: Hillary Clinton
Billy: Hillary Clinton
Cohen: Hillary Clinton
Mike D: Hillary Clinton
Susan: All of you media folks (24-7 news is having a field
day)
Don: Whoever Hillary Clinton pics as her vice presidential
candidate (“Someone’s about to get a ticket to the big show.”)
National losers:
Dennis: National Republican Party
Billy: National Republican Party
Cohen: Donald Trump (“He won’t be elected president of the
United States.”)
Mike D: National Republican Party
Susan: Donald Trump
Don: National Republican Party
Thoughts: We all blew
it on the winners. Going to disagree with Susan. It was a tough time for the
media with Trump, his crazies and the knuckleheads who change “fake news” for
everything they disagree with.” We also all blew it on the losers.
Politician of the
Year for 2016
Dennis: Hillary Clinton
Billy: Hillary Clinton
Cohen: Hillary Clinton
Mike D: Hillary Clinton
Susan:
Whoever the Republican nominee is
Don: Hillary Clinton
Biggest surprise
Dennis: Nothing comes to mind
Billy: One-in-three chance of a third candidate running for
president
Cohen: Whoever wins the 4th District commission
Republican seat
Mike D: One of those commissioners will do something silly
and might not be around
Susan: Bring the Lady Vols logo and name back
Don: Jimmy Duncan chooses to retire from Congress
Final thoughts: Dennis
was the big winner the previous year when we made his predictions. He didn’t do
as well this time around. In fact, he scored a goose egg. Mike D and Susan won
with three points. Don and Billy got two
points and Cohen got one. Personally, I think we all sucked. Ha. We blew it on
the national picks and politician of the year (except for Susan) and none of
possibly surprises rang true.
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