Education Commissioner Addresses Teachers

Answering pre-screened questions, Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman spoke with a handful of Sumner County teachers last week about the state's new evaluation system.

Huffman declined to offer specifics on a way forward despite a system that has administrators spending many more hours in schools filling out paperwork and has teachers fretting over achieving "desirable" rankings.

The Star News article above incorrectly notes that tenured teachers could lose seniority if their scores dip below a 4 or 5. The new law actually says that if they receive a 1 or 2 in consecutive years, that could create a cause for losing tenure. Receiving a 3 for the year means a teacher's status stays the same.

Likewise, the Star News gets it wrong when it says "Apprentice teachers must score that high (a 4 or 5) in the final two years of their five-year probation or else leave the profession."

The actual law says that in order to be tenured, a teacher must score a 4 or 5 in the final two years of probation - but it does NOT require the dismissal of a teacher who does not earn tenure after 5 years. In fact, a teacher could have 5 years of 1 ratings and still be allowed to be rehired for a 6th year.

The new system anticipates that few teachers will be able to attain the 4 or 5 ranking in the last two years of probation, so significantly less teachers will be tenured. But it seems likely that a significant number of 2 and 3 level teachers will be rehired for a 6th year of teaching on year-to-year contracts.

In other news from the Commissioner's visit, Huffman indicated that eventually, all subject areas will have tests to be used for teacher evaluation purposes. That means Related Arts, P.E., Band, etc.

I can see it now: Flyers going home with kids telling parents to come on in next week and pay $1 to watch not a chorus performance but a group of chorus kids taking a state-mandated test about their knowledge of how to conduct a chorus performance. And if Ms. Chorus teacher's students can't pass the test, she may never again get to put on one of those shows that the community has come to enjoy and that students remember for a lifetime.

Huffman failed to mention that developing this many tests requires a significant expenditure of tax dollars -- resources that won't be going to support teachers or to help children learn.

Since the questions were pre-screened, points like these could not be made in this "forum." Maybe on his next visit?

Board Defers Action on Retirement Benefits

Concerns about a gap in coverage raised.

312-Unit Glenbrook Apartments Get Initial Approval

A new, 312-unit Apartment Complex won initial approval at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen this week. Another hearing will be held on November 22nd. The move passed by a 7-4 vote.

Election Petitions Now Available

Want to run for office as a Democrat or Republican in the upcoming (March 6th) County Primary? Get your petition now!

Listen and Learn Rescheduled

For Hendersonville High School on November 29th.

City Revenue, Sales Taxes Up

They're moving in the right direction... Now, what will BOMA do with the $?

Phillips Hits 100 Days on Halloween

...but is hasn't been too scary despite a County Commission that has so far been unwilling to adequately fund schools.

School Calendar Shifts for Primary Election

The primary's in March instead of February --so, the school schedule will change.

Of course, the reality is that the GOP Presidential nominee will be decided before March, so, the election is irrelevant anyway.

The Star News, Halloween, and the ACLU...

...or, Mike Towle may be inventing ghosts...

Library Friends Hold Book Sale

The Hendersonville Library Friends book sale is scheduled to begin on Halloween, Monday, October 31 at the Hendersonville Public Library, 140 Saundersville Road. It will be open library hours: 10-8 Monday and Thursday, 10-6 Tuesday and Wednesday and noon - 4 on Saturday.

There are hard cover books and paperbacks, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, audio books for all ages. The fiction and non-fiction books are separated and non-fiction is further divided into categories to make it easier to browse. There is an excellent selection and everything is priced to sell with lots of great bargains.

Prices are $3 for hard cover books, $1 for paperbacks and 50 cents for children's books,VHS tapes and single cassettes. DVDs are $3, CD music and audio books are $1.

There is a huge variety and also a collection of specially priced books on the front kiosk that are suitable for gifts.

Proceeds from the book sale will go to fund special programs and projects as well as acquisitions for the Hendersonville Library.

County Commission Notes

Including new Commission and School Board District lines...

Apparently, you can access proposed maps here.

Education Commissioner to Visit Sumner

Tennessee Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman will be in Sumner County on Tuesday, October 25th at 4 PM at Station Camp High School to answer questions about the new teacher evaluation system. Huffman will answer only questions that have been pre-submitted and pre-screened, so it won't be an open forum in the traditional sense. That said, it is an opportunity for teachers, administrators and others to ask questions about all the changes in education in Tennessee.

Aldermen give preliminary approval to Ward boundaries

There's a map and everything.

Election Administrator Search Nears End

Meeting to be held November 15th to make decision.

School Custodians May Be Outsourced

...RFP scheduled to go out in January, could lead to outsourcing of custodians.

School Board Meets Tonight

and there's a fairly lengthy agenda -- mostly related to changes to policy for teachers.

Station Camp, Rucker-Stewart Projects Gain Approval

The expansion of Station Camp High School and new roof for Rucker-Stewart gained Board approval on Tuesday, one night after receiving endorsement from the County Commission's Education Committee.

Police Chief Claims Success

At the one year mark of his tenure as police chief, Mickey Miller is claiming success.

Prayer Controversy gets hearing at forum

more than 1200 people attended to hear an update on Board policy and to voice their concerns.

Schools Seek Adequate Funding

The Chair of the Sumner County School Board (Don Long) has indicated that a 41 cent property tax increase could provide needed funds to keep the school system on-track. In fact, according to Long, the funds would not only address immediate needs, they would allow the school system to meet future needs and address concerns like inadequate technology and a persistent disparity in which students in the wealthier parts of the county have access to resources not available to those in the rest of the county.

Some on the School Board have proposed eliminating student fees for courses -- but this would require additional revenue.

The recent clash between the County Commission and the School Board resulted in a temporary solution of using one-time money in the County's reserves to pay for ongoing expenses. This means that next year's budget will have an even larger hole - at least the $5 million we saw this year plus the additional expenses that come along with the 300-500 new students Sumner County has been adding on an annual basis.

While Long specifically mentions a property tax increase, others are suggesting a wheel tax increase. Commissioner Jerry Stone says he opposes any tax increase, but would be open to putting a referendum on the ballot in March of 2012.

School Board Meets Tonight

at 6:15 to discuss the Station Camp expansion and to hold a study session.

County Commission Ed Committee Meeting

Tonight at 6PM in Gallatin.

Here's an agenda.

Chairman Hyde and the Financial Management Act

He was opposed to it before he was for it:

This is not Sumner County’s first trip down the Private Act path. Records indicate the county adopted the 1981 Act in November 1991. Public controversy over compliance issues arose by April 1999. By Oct. 22, 2001, District Attorney General Ray Whitley was requested by at least eight commissioners to conduct an investigation.
Whitley concluded that the county was not in compliance as to the Board of Education’s not being administered by the county’s Finance Department. “It is not a secret that the Act is not being complied with in this area, nor has it ever been, apparently…The Commission has implicitly approved non-consolidation,” Whitley wrote in a Dec. 12, 2001, response.
“In fact, the will of the commission was memorialized in June 2001 by the commission’s voting to opt out of the Act and no longer be governed by its provisions, effective July 1, 2002. The entire question of Broad of Education compliance will be moot at that time…I see this question as a political matter, not a criminal one.”

The above clip from the Hendersonville Standard indicates that when Merrol Hyde was Director of Schools, he essentially did not comply with the Financial Management Act of 1981 in spite of its adoption by the County in 1991. Hyde was Director of Schools in 1999 and would have been the Director who failed to comply. He was also a County Commissioner and likely led efforts to "opt-out" of the Act in 2001 as indicated.

Now, Mr. Hyde is pushing for some version of the 1981 Act so that the School Finance department would come under control of the County Finance Director -- oddly, this is the very arrangement Hyde found objectionable when he was Director of Schools.

Special Called Board Meeting Tuesday

There will be a Special Called Board meeting on Tuesday, October 4th at 6:15 PM in the Board meeting room at the Central Office in Gallatin.

The meeting will be held to discuss the proposed expansion of Station Camp High School.