The End of 8th Grade Algebra?

Not exactly, but Sumner County Schools is considering a change in the way it delivers math instruction that could impact the options for 8th grade students.

In this story, Jeremy Johnson, spokesperson for the School Board, notes that no final decision has been made and explains the potential change this way:

School officials have discussed changing the math learning structure and offering alternative classes for eighth-graders internally for about a year. Consideration of the change came after discussions with middle and high school principals that revealed some ninth-graders who took Algebra I in eighth grade were not ready for upper level math.

“The problem we’re finding is when those students get into high school, they show knowledge gaps because they did not have the basic eighth grade concepts they needed to prepare them for upper level math,” Johnson said.

“Math concepts are building blocks. It’s important to have the opportunity to master each piece to build a solid foundation for students as they move on to high school math concepts. What we’re proposing will allow students to better develop the skills they are missing.”

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Sumner County Budget Committee to Meet Monday

Subject to a special call, the Budget Committee of the Sumner County Commission will meet on Monday at 4:30 PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.

Here's the call:

A special called meeting of the Budget Committee is noticed for Monday, June 1st, 2015, at 4:30 P.M. (local time) at the Sumner County Administration Building, 355 North Belvedere Drive, Room 112, Gallatin, Tennessee. 

The purpose of the meeting is to discuss, consider, and possibly vote on the Sumner Schools Budget, the General Purpose Budget, the Debt Service Budget, the Highway Budget, and any other Sumner County budgetary matters being considered for the 2015-2016 fiscal year.

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Payne Retires from Chamber

Hendersonville Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Brenda Payne retires from her position this month.

The Hendersonville Star News has the story:

“To me, the accomplishment closest to my heart is putting the Hendersonville chamber on the map in the region,” Payne said. “Me being at places in Nashville. It’s critical. Businesses looking to relocate (to this area) don’t look at county boundaries. They look at who we are in Middle Tennessee.”

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School Board Adopts Revised Weapons Policy

The Sumner County School Board voted unanimously to revise and update its policy for weapons/dangerous instruments on campus, including fine-tuning the communication process that occurs when such an item is found on a school campus.

Here's the policy with updates:

WEAPONS & DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS

 

Students shall not possess, handle, transmit, use or attempt to use any dangerous weapon in school buildings or on school grounds at any time, or in school vehicles and/or buses or off the school grounds at a school-sponsored activity, function or event.¹

 

DEFINITIONS

 

Dangerous weapons for the purposes of this policy shall include, but are not limited to a firearm or anything manifestly designed, made or adapted for the purpose of inflicting death or serious bodily injury or anything that in the manner of its use or intended use is capable of causing death or serious bodily injury. ²

 

"Expelled" for the purposes of this policy means removed from the pupil's regular school program at the location where the violation occurred or removed from school attendance altogether, as determined by Disciplinary Hearing Authority. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the assignment of such students to an alternative school.

 

POLICY

 

Any student found to have brought a weapon to school or is found in possession of a weapon on school property shall be immediately removed from the general student population at the principal’s discretion and referred to Disciplinary Hearing Authority for disposition as determined by the committee.

 

In order to ensure a safe and secure learning environment, the following offenses will not be tolerated:

 

FIREARMS (as defined in 18 U.S.C. § 921)

 

In accordance with state law, any student who brings or possess a firearm on school property shall be expelled for a period of not less than one (1) calendar year. The director of schools shall have the authority to modify this expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis. ⁴

 

DRUGS

 

In accordance with state and federal law, any student who unlawfully possesses/distributes or is under the influence of any drug including any controlled substance, legend drug or prescription drug shall be expelled for a period of not less than one (1) calendar year. The director of schools shall have the authority to modify this expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis. ⁵

 

ASSAULT

 

In accordance with state law, any student who commits aggravated assault, as defined in 39-13-102, upon any teacher, principal administrator, any other employee of the school or school resource officer shall be expelled for a period of not less than one (1) calendar year. The director of schools shall have the authority to modify this expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis.⁵

 

VANDALISM OF SCHOOL PROPERTY OVER $500

 

Any student who commits vandalism of school property which results in the student being criminally charged with vandalism over $500 pursuant to T.C.A. § 39-14-408 shall be expelled for a period of not less than one (1) calendar year. The director of schools shall have the authority to modify this expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis.⁵

 

OTHER OFFENSES

 

Any student who makes bomb threats, commits sexual misconduct that results in the student being criminally charged with sexual battery, sexual assault, indecent exposure, rape or aggravated sexual battery, shall be expelled for a period of not less than one (1) calendar year. The director of schools shall have the authority to modify this expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis.⁵

 

THREATS

 

Any student who makes a threat of violence, whether written or verbal, which creates actual disruptive activity at the school that requires administrative intervention may be suspended and/or expelled as determined by the principal.  Students may be suspended and/or expelled for a time commensurate with age, maturity level, and intent as determined by the principal or other authorities. Depending on the circumstances, the principal may refer a student who make a threat of violence to the disciplinary hearing authority for disposition as determined by the committee.

 

ELECTRONIC THREATS

 

In accordance with state law, any student who transmits by an electronic device any communication containing a credible threat to cause bodily injury or death to another student or school employee and the transmission of such threat creates actual disruptive activity at the school that requires administrative intervention shall be expelled for a period of not less than one (1) calendar year. The director of schools shall have the authority to modify this expulsion requirement on a case-by-case basis.⁶

 

FACSIMILE WEAPONS

 

Toy weapons or facsimiles will not be permitted on school grounds.  Students who possess toy weapons or facsimiles of weapons including water guns may be suspended as determined by the principal.  Students may be suspended for a time commensurate with age, maturity level, and intent as determined by the principal. Depending on the circumstances, the principal may refer a student possessing a toy weapon or facsimile to the disciplinary hearing authority for disposition as determined by the committee.

 

The use of weapons and dangerous instruments in school plays, school bands, or any other school activity is prohibited unless sanctioned in advance and in writing by the Director of Schools.

 

NOTIFICATION

 

When it is determined that a student has violated this policy, the principal of the school shall notify the student’s parent or guardian and the criminal justice or juvenile delinquency system as required by law.⁷

 

It is the duty of a school principal who has reasonable suspicion to believe, either as a result of a search or otherwise, that any student is committing or has committed any violation of this policy to report such reasonable suspicion to the appropriate law enforcement officer. School personnel have the duty to report any reasonable suspicion that a student is committing or has committed a violation of this policy to the principal, or, if the principal is not available, to the principal's designee. If neither the principal nor the designee is available, school personnel may report violations of this policy to the appropriate authorities.

COMMUNICATION

 

Communication to the school board, parents, appropriate school staff, and the larger school community about specific incidents under this policy will be handled in on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the Director's Office determined by the following factors:

1.  Was the threat specific to an individual, group of individuals, or the larger school community

2.  Was the threat credible based on the assessment of law enforcement officials

3.  Is the threat potentially a criminal act that could impact the system’s ability to release information to parents and the general public

4.  The age, maturity, and intent of the student involved to commit an act inflicting death or serious bodily injury. ²

 

EMPLOYEES

 An employee found to possess a weapon on school property shall be disciplined up to and including dismissal.  Criminal charges may be filed.  Any other person in violation of this policy will be removed and appropriate criminal charges filed.  This includes anyone with a legal permit from Sumner County or the State of Tennessee to carry a gun. Constitutional and/or statutory exceptions to the provisions of this policy shall be recognized. 

 

_____________________ _______________________

Legal References: Cross References:

1. TCA 39-17-1309 Discipline Procedures 6.313

2. TCA 39-11-106(a)(5)(A)(B) Suspension/Expulsion/Remand 6.316

3. 18 U.S.C. 921

4. 20 U.S.C. § 8921; TCA 49-6-4216(b);TCA 49-6-3401(g)

5. TCA 49-6-3401(g);TCA 49-6-4216(b

6. TCA 49-6-4216(a)(2)(C)

7. TCA 49-6-4209; TCA 39-17-1312

 

 

 

 

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School Board Meets Tonight -- Budget on the Agenda

The Sumner County School Board meets tonight at 6:00 PM at the Board meeting room in Gallatin.
Among the agenda items is the proposed 2015-2016 budget for the school system.

The meeting will also feature discussion and a possible vote on a revised policy regarding weapons/dangerous instruments.

For more news from Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

County Commission Meets Tonight

The Sumner County Commission will meet tonight at 7:00 PM at the County Commission Chambers in Gallatin. The Commission's agenda includes recognition of Grace Oliver on her retirement from Sumner County Schools, Scott Wietecha on his Country Music Marathon win, and the Merrol Hyde Magnet School History Bowl team.


For more on news in Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Phillips Proposes Schools Budget

At a non-voting work session yesterday, the Sumner County School Board heard Dr. Del Phillips' proposal for the system's budget for 2015-16.

Here's what Phillips had to say about it in an email he sent to system employees today:

On Tuesday afternoon I presented the 2015/16 budget to our School Board.

 

This represents the earliest we’ve presented the budget to our School Board in many years.   It is my hope that our School Board will adopt this budget during the May 19th meeting.  If the budget is adopted by the Board of Education, I will present the approved budget at a joint work session of the County Education and Budget Committees on May 20^th.

 

I’m thrilled to say the budget is a balanced budget with funding priorities that positively impact our schools and classrooms in a number of ways.

 

First and foremost, this budget continues our efforts to increase funding for classroom technology by adding another $250,000. This brings the total amount we are spending annually on classroom technology to $750,000.  This is a dramatic improvement over the $20,000 per year we had budgeted for technology in the 2011/12 budget.  These funds go directly to each school based on student enrollment. The principal at each school decides how best to utilize these funds to increase the effectiveness of teaching and learning. 

 

This budget also continues our School Board’s efforts to eliminate our district’s dependence on voluntary fees paid by parents. We’re doing this by eliminating student fees in elementary and middle schools and by raising our district’s instructional allocation for classrooms. Over the past four years we have raised our district’s instructional allocation by  $1,125,000.  These funds go directly to the schools in four spending categories: Office, Instruction, Library, and Guidance.

 

Also included in the proposed budget are pay increases for all employees, which continues our Board’s commitment to try to provide a cost-of-living adjustment every year.  The budget also includes range increases for our district’s bus drivers and custodians that will amount to a $1.00 to $1.55 per hour raise for these employees. This increase represents the third year of our Board’s four-year plan to bring the wages of our classified employees more in line with the market wages paid by the private sector.

 

And finally, and maybe most importantly, the proposed budget includes a $1 million undesignated fund balance to help provide fiscal stability for future budget years.

 

 A copy of the presentation I made to the Board of Education, as well as a copy of our proposed budget, may be found on our BoardDocs site by following this link:

http://www.boarddocs.com/tn/scstn/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=9WCEEQ1B661A

 

And here's some analysis of the budget from local grassroots advocacy group Strong Schools:

 

Today, Director of Schools Del Phillips presented his balanced budget proposal to the School Board at a non-voting work session.

Here are some key highlights of the proposal:

• The elimination of school fees for grades K-8
• An increase in the instructional allocation for schools -- from $34 per student last year to $54 per student this year
• An approximately 2% raise for most teachers and school employees
• The addition of 50 new part-time interventionists -- certified teachers who will provided targeted instruction through the RTI2 framework
• The additional staffing needed for the opening of William Burrus Elementary
• The addition of school nurses to improve the nurse to student ratio from 1:1211 to 1:1054

This budget represents another step forward for Sumner County Schools. It eliminates K-8 school fees, gives employees a raise, adds key staff, and provides additional classroom resources.

In addition to the base raise for classified employees, the budget includes a range adjustment for bus drivers and custodians, who will see an increase of between $1.00 and $1.55 an hour. This is designed to keep our system competitive.

While there is much to applaud in this budget, the comparisons to other neighboring systems make clear we have more to do.  For example, while this budget proposes the addition of 50 part-time interventionists, Williamson, Wilson, and Rutherford counties have an average of 48 full-time interventionists.

When it comes to school nurses, the proposed budget would allow us to improve our ratio by a reduction of over 150 students, our ratio will still be one nurse for every 1054 students. Neighboring counties average one nurse for every 854 students.

Our School Board, in cooperation with the County Commission, is digging out of a deep hole. For too long, parent fees and budget cuts were the norm. School Board meetings were focused on where to cut and what purchases to delay in order to function at acceptable capacity.

It's worth noting that both the County Commission's Budget Committee Chair and Education Committee Chair attended the budget presentation at the School Board. That's a new and welcome level of engagement by our County Commission.

And it should be mentioned that in the budget crisis of 2012, Strong Schools called on the Board and Commission to start the budget process earlier in order to allow more time for feedback and adjustments. This budget, presented in May, will avoid the crisis budgeting and last minute cuts of the past.

Our School Board and Dr. Phillips are to be commended for carefully and methodically digging their way out and pushing our school system forward.

As budgets like this year's become the norm, Sumner County Schools will continue on the path to building the excellent schools our community deserves.

For more news on Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

 

School Board to Hold Budget Workshop

The Sumner County School Board will hold a budget presentation and workshop on Tuesday, May 12th, at 2:00 PM at the School Board Office located at 695 East Main Street in Gallatin.

The workshop is designed to give Board members a chance to review Director Del Phillips' budget proposal and request any changes before an anticipated vote on Tuesday, May 19th.

For more on news from Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

Isbell Faces Questions Over Using Tax Dollars for Politics

Hendersonville News first reported on this site in late January that Sumner County Tax Assessor John Isbell is using his publicly-funded official website for political purposes. Now, local TV station Fox 17 has picked up the story, asking Isbell to justify his actions.

Here's an excerpt from the Fox 17 story:

Log on to the Sumner County web page for Assessor of Property John Isbell and you'll find a link for more information about the recent property tax reappraisal.
That page is attracting criticism from Sumner County residents like Dan Wright who feel its content amounts to a political attack on the public's dime.
"Absolutely it's political yeah. From what I see it's political defense," said Wright.
The part Wright believes is political involves direct attacks towards County Executive Anthony Holt calling him a "Pro-Tax Increase Bureaucrat."
The page also accuses Holt of holding "secret meetings" and "wasting taxpayer dollars" and towards the end of the page accuses him of conduct that's akin to "the worst kind of public servant."

Isbell doesn't deny that the words are his. He only says he's posting what he sees as "the truth."

In 2014, Isbell came under fire for irregularities in the Sumner County Tax assessment. Rather than admit any mistakes, Isbell has chosen to attack those he perceives as political enemies, apparently even using a taxpayer-funded website to do so.

Since at least January of 2015, Isbell has posted explicitly political messages on his official, taxpayer-funded website. He's not taking them down - he's letting the taxpayers foot the bill.

As the 2016 election for Tax Assessor approaches, will Isbell continue to use taxpayer money for political gain?

For more on news in Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

School Board Meets Tonight

The Sumner County School Board will hold a study session tonight at 6PM at the Board Office in Gallatin.

Among the agenda items is a review of the weapons/dangerous instruments policy.

Here's the full agenda:

A. Presentation from Beech High School STEM program

Discussion

B. Discussion regarding a revision to Policy JCBF Weapons and Dangerous Instruments prior to second reading

Discussion

C. Discussion regarding a revision Policy J-6.411 Student Wellness prior to second reading

Discussion

D. Discussion regarding 2015-16 Board Meeting schedule

 

Discussion

E. Policy Maintenance Review, Policies IDF through IFAB

 

For more news on Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

JOB: Customer Service Rep

Verizon is hiring a Customer Service Rep in its Hendersonville storeResponsibilitiesAs a confident, professional individual with a rich understanding of VZW technology and services, you will: Deliver the ultimate Verizon Wireless customer experience in our retail stores Create a welcoming and exciting store environment Introduce customers to the store, direct customer traffic and promote store exploration Ensure customers needs are met in a timely manner Quickly and completely resolve customer issues Deliver the ultimate one-on-one coaching experience to customers as you demonstrate product and accessory functionality Facilitate wireless workshops where you will work with groups of customers to demonstrate and educate them on a variety of technology solutions, including the latest and greatest smartphones, tablets and smart accessories Sell solutions and process customer transactions Contribute to the overall health and performance of your retail store by supporting daily business operations, including selling technology solutions, stocking inventory, and processing customer transactions when needed Ensure that all interactive displays are operationalAs a Verizon Wireless Experience Specialist, you'll use your excellent customer service and communication skills to create powerful in-store experiences for our customers. You'll not only introduce our customers to Verizon Wireless and showcase our technologies you'll fuel customer loyalty by empowering them with technical knowledge that can improve the way they live, work and play.About Verizon Wireless We believe in the power of technology to solve just about anything. And we've put our sharpest minds to the task. Whatever your passion and expertise, when you join VZW, you'll find a sales team determined to change the world and empower our customers to do the same!. You'll tackle challenges that will continually spark your intellect, fuel your passion and drive your professional growth. And we'll provide you with robust training opportunities and outstanding benefits. So you're always supported to realize your goals.Join us, and create an inspiring career with the company that meets every day with one question: ""What do we want to build next?""

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