Grassroots advocacy group Strong Schools will host a forum on Thursday, January 7th from 6PM to 8PM at the Hendersonville Public Library with State Senator Ferrell Haile and State Representative William Lamberth. Both represent Hendersonville in the Tennessee General Assembly.
The forum will focus on key education issues coming up in this year's legislative session. Those issues include vouchers, school funding, testing, and teacher evaluation.
The event is billed as a roundtable with time for public input and direct questions to the legislators.
For more on news impacting Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews
Showing posts with label Strong Schools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strong Schools. Show all posts
Monday, January 4, 2016
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
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.
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 20th.
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:
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:
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
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
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
Friday, April 10, 2015
Strong Schools to Host RTI2 Forum
Grassroots advocacy group Strong Schools will host a forum on RTI2 - Response to Intervention and Instruction -- on Tuesday, April 14th at 6:00 PM at Merrol Hyde Magnet School in Hendersonville.
The event will include a presentation from Assistant Director of Schools for Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Brown on RTI2 and its implementation in Sumner County.
Audience members are encouraged to ask questions as the event is intended to be a dialogue around the RTI2 issue.
For more Hendersonville, TN news follow @HvilleNews
The event will include a presentation from Assistant Director of Schools for Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Brown on RTI2 and its implementation in Sumner County.
Audience members are encouraged to ask questions as the event is intended to be a dialogue around the RTI2 issue.
For more Hendersonville, TN news follow @HvilleNews
Friday, February 20, 2015
Common Core Forums Next Week
Following up on last month's forums on standards, Station Camp High Teacher and America Achieves fellow James Dittes in conjunction with Strong Schools will host two forums on Common Core next week.
The first will be held Monday, February 23rd at 6:00 PM at the Hendersonville Public Library.
The second will be held Tuesday, February 24th at 6:30 PM at Union Elementary in Gallatin.
These events are open to the public.
The forums are an opportunity for a guided discussion on Common Core and what it means for Sumner County Schools.
For more news about what's happening in Hendersonville, TN follow @HvilleNews
The first will be held Monday, February 23rd at 6:00 PM at the Hendersonville Public Library.
The second will be held Tuesday, February 24th at 6:30 PM at Union Elementary in Gallatin.
These events are open to the public.
The forums are an opportunity for a guided discussion on Common Core and what it means for Sumner County Schools.
For more news about what's happening in Hendersonville, TN follow @HvilleNews
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
What are We Paying Them For?
Wes Duenkel, a Goodlettsville resident who chairs the Strong Schools PAC, made the following remarks at the County Commission meeting on Monday night. His basic premise: Those County Commissioners (like Jim Vaughn) who are claiming they didn't know there would be a tax increase vote in November should have been paying attention. Otherwise, what are we paying them for?
Here are Duenkel's comments as delivered:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the commission for having the courage to put Sumner County in a better financial position for our children. By voting to return our tax rate to what we paid 13 years ago, they put community before politics. In the face of mounting financial challenges, they made an unpopular vote; not because it was easy, but because kicking the can down the road is not how a responsible government behaves.
Here are Duenkel's comments as delivered:
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the commission for having the courage to put Sumner County in a better financial position for our children. By voting to return our tax rate to what we paid 13 years ago, they put community before politics. In the face of mounting financial challenges, they made an unpopular vote; not because it was easy, but because kicking the can down the road is not how a responsible government behaves.
I understand some of my fellow citizens are angry.
They're angry that those commissioners "raised our taxes" (albeit to a rate we paid a little over a decade ago).
But I think they're angry at the wrong commissioners.
You see, I was at the November budget committee meeting, and the specially called commission meeting on November 3rd. I saw several commissioners gathered in the lobby, outside the budget committee meeting while the County Finance Director delivered a presentation on the dire financial future our county faced, and why he recommended returning the tax rate to $2.50.
Then, I saw the finance director deliver the same presentation to the full commission.
But was flabbergasted with what I heard next: some of the same commissioners who gathered outside those open doors claimed that they were surprised the commission was considering a tax increase!
Those commissioners, after they were notified of the meeting that was called with the “INTENT TO EXCEED THE CERTIFIED TAX RATE” claimed . . . they didn’t know what the meeting was about!
Those commissioners, who were elected, and are paid $500 a month, didn’t know what the meeting was about?
Those commissioners didn’t offer any alternative proposals. Instead, they complained about how long the meeting was lasting!
You bet I’d be angry. I’d be really angry if commissioners I elected, and I paid $500 a month, didn’t take the first step to understand what a meeting was about, and then complained about how long the meeting was lasting.
Rather than be angry with the commissioners that had the courage make this tough decision, I’d be angry with those commissioners who didn’t want to do the most simple aspect of their jobs: KNOW THE PURPOSE OF A MEETING.
Those looking to reduce government waste need to look no further than the salaries paid to commissioners who don't put the slightest effort toward what they were elected...and are paid...to do.
For more on news impacting Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews
They're angry that those commissioners "raised our taxes" (albeit to a rate we paid a little over a decade ago).
But I think they're angry at the wrong commissioners.
You see, I was at the November budget committee meeting, and the specially called commission meeting on November 3rd. I saw several commissioners gathered in the lobby, outside the budget committee meeting while the County Finance Director delivered a presentation on the dire financial future our county faced, and why he recommended returning the tax rate to $2.50.
Then, I saw the finance director deliver the same presentation to the full commission.
But was flabbergasted with what I heard next: some of the same commissioners who gathered outside those open doors claimed that they were surprised the commission was considering a tax increase!
Those commissioners, after they were notified of the meeting that was called with the “INTENT TO EXCEED THE CERTIFIED TAX RATE” claimed . . . they didn’t know what the meeting was about!
Those commissioners, who were elected, and are paid $500 a month, didn’t know what the meeting was about?
Those commissioners didn’t offer any alternative proposals. Instead, they complained about how long the meeting was lasting!
You bet I’d be angry. I’d be really angry if commissioners I elected, and I paid $500 a month, didn’t take the first step to understand what a meeting was about, and then complained about how long the meeting was lasting.
Rather than be angry with the commissioners that had the courage make this tough decision, I’d be angry with those commissioners who didn’t want to do the most simple aspect of their jobs: KNOW THE PURPOSE OF A MEETING.
Those looking to reduce government waste need to look no further than the salaries paid to commissioners who don't put the slightest effort toward what they were elected...and are paid...to do.
For more on news impacting Hendersonville, follow @HvilleNews
Monday, December 8, 2014
The Unspoken Facts about Jim Vaughn's Facts
Over at the new Strong Schools blog there's a piece detailing point-by-point the issues raised by County Commissioner Jim Vaughn's recent article on taxes.
Here's that article:
Here's that article:
In a recent article for the Hendersonville Standard, County Commissioner Jim Vaughn raised questions about the budget for our schools, specifically on the need for new investment in schools. Vaughn makes three claims I'd like to address. Vaughn's three claims are: New investment in schools is not necessary, additional funds for personnel do not help students, and increasing support for schools will not result in improved test scores.
I'd like to begin by noting that Dr. Phillips and the School Board laid out budget plans starting July and in meetings in August. Jim Vaughn was not present at those meetings, even though they were open to the public. The budget was then voted on by the Education Committee of the Sumner County Commission on September 8th. The minutes of that meeting reflect that Vaughn was not present to raise the concerns he voiced on November 21 in a newspaper article. Finally, the School Board's budget was passed at the County Commission meeting of September 15th. At that meeting, Dr. Phillips took questions from Commissioners are the proposed expenditures. Jim Vaughn was not present at that meeting to ask questions, raise concerns, or vote against the budget. Now, more than two months after the budget passed, Jim Vaughn is complaining that he doesn't like parts of it. That's simply disingenuous.
Now, on to his first argument: Vaughn suggests we simply don't need new investment in schools. This is surprising as Vaughn represents the fastest-growing area in Sumner County. A tour of the schools in his district would demonstrate rapid growth. In fact, over the past 10 years, Sumner County has added around 350 students per year -- or, the equivalent of an entire new elementary or middle school every two years. Part of the planned spending on schools is a 5 year plan to proactively address this rapid growth. It's a plan that maximizes existing space and efficiently spends funds. That is, rather than build a new school every two years, Sumner County will be taking advantage of and improving the facilities it has to manage growth.
Next, Vaughn expresses concern that hiring new teachers means that the School Board is prioritizing personnel over students. Pitting teachers against students is one of the most cynical approaches used by those who don't understand how schools work. Strong teachers impact the lives of students every single day. A growing system needs to have adequate staff to meet the needs of current and future students. The alternative would be larger class sizes and less individual attention. Supporting personnel in the schools directly benefits the students those schools serve. Moreover, the new school system budget includes funds to improve teacher pay and adjust staff pay. This means Sumner County can both attract strong new teachers and keep the great teachers we already have. That's a win for students and their families.
Finally, Vaughn wonders if investing in schools will have an impact on test scores. While that hypothetical proposition will only be answered in time, it is clear that those systems who consistently perform at high levels also invest significantly in their schools. Of the 10 systems that have the highest 3-year ACT average, 9 of them spend more per student than Sumner County. On average, those systems spend $1500 more per student than our system. That is to say, at the very least, there's a correlation between investment in schools and results in terms of student achievement.
I'd like to begin by noting that Dr. Phillips and the School Board laid out budget plans starting July and in meetings in August. Jim Vaughn was not present at those meetings, even though they were open to the public. The budget was then voted on by the Education Committee of the Sumner County Commission on September 8th. The minutes of that meeting reflect that Vaughn was not present to raise the concerns he voiced on November 21 in a newspaper article. Finally, the School Board's budget was passed at the County Commission meeting of September 15th. At that meeting, Dr. Phillips took questions from Commissioners are the proposed expenditures. Jim Vaughn was not present at that meeting to ask questions, raise concerns, or vote against the budget. Now, more than two months after the budget passed, Jim Vaughn is complaining that he doesn't like parts of it. That's simply disingenuous.
Now, on to his first argument: Vaughn suggests we simply don't need new investment in schools. This is surprising as Vaughn represents the fastest-growing area in Sumner County. A tour of the schools in his district would demonstrate rapid growth. In fact, over the past 10 years, Sumner County has added around 350 students per year -- or, the equivalent of an entire new elementary or middle school every two years. Part of the planned spending on schools is a 5 year plan to proactively address this rapid growth. It's a plan that maximizes existing space and efficiently spends funds. That is, rather than build a new school every two years, Sumner County will be taking advantage of and improving the facilities it has to manage growth.
Next, Vaughn expresses concern that hiring new teachers means that the School Board is prioritizing personnel over students. Pitting teachers against students is one of the most cynical approaches used by those who don't understand how schools work. Strong teachers impact the lives of students every single day. A growing system needs to have adequate staff to meet the needs of current and future students. The alternative would be larger class sizes and less individual attention. Supporting personnel in the schools directly benefits the students those schools serve. Moreover, the new school system budget includes funds to improve teacher pay and adjust staff pay. This means Sumner County can both attract strong new teachers and keep the great teachers we already have. That's a win for students and their families.
Finally, Vaughn wonders if investing in schools will have an impact on test scores. While that hypothetical proposition will only be answered in time, it is clear that those systems who consistently perform at high levels also invest significantly in their schools. Of the 10 systems that have the highest 3-year ACT average, 9 of them spend more per student than Sumner County. On average, those systems spend $1500 more per student than our system. That is to say, at the very least, there's a correlation between investment in schools and results in terms of student achievement.
I regret that Commissioner Vaughn missed opportunities in September to more fully engage in the school budget process. I hope that going forward, he'll engage with the School Board, his fellow County Commissioners, and the parents and teachers in his district in order to gain a better understanding of the needs of our schools.
Monday, July 7, 2014
Local Parent Group Gets National Attention
Local education advocacy group Strong Schools has gained national attention for their use of Facebook to organize a campaign to change the Sumner County Commission.
A story appeared at Huffington Post detailing the group's effective use of social media in the 2014 elections.
The story noted:
Social media was also huge for getting out the vote. We made people care by showing them how much these issues mattered and making them believe things could change. In 2000, voter turnout was 4,000 citizens. This time, we had 13,000 come to the polls.
And the result? All 13 candidates endorsed by Strong Schools PAC won their races in the Republican Primary. We even beat three incumbents, and gave the "good ol' boy system" the boot. It's a whole new day in this county.
A story appeared at Huffington Post detailing the group's effective use of social media in the 2014 elections.
The story noted:
Social media was also huge for getting out the vote. We made people care by showing them how much these issues mattered and making them believe things could change. In 2000, voter turnout was 4,000 citizens. This time, we had 13,000 come to the polls.
And the result? All 13 candidates endorsed by Strong Schools PAC won their races in the Republican Primary. We even beat three incumbents, and gave the "good ol' boy system" the boot. It's a whole new day in this county.
Friday, May 30, 2014
School Board Candidate Forum on Monday
Parent-led advocacy group Strong Schools is hosting a forum for School Board candidates on Monday, June 2nd at 6:30 PM at the Hendersonville Public Library.
Candidates from all districts up for election have been invited to attend.
This year, seats in districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 are up for election.
The candidates are:
District 1: Vanessa Silkwood (incumbent) and Tammy Hayes
District 3: Don Long (incumbent) and Alice Bachman
District 5: Janet Arnold (incumbent) and Jeff Cordell
District 7: Andy Daniels (incumbent) and John Ruth
District 9: Patricia Brown
District 11: David Brown (incumbent) and Jeff Carter
Candidates from all districts up for election have been invited to attend.
This year, seats in districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and 11 are up for election.
The candidates are:
District 1: Vanessa Silkwood (incumbent) and Tammy Hayes
District 3: Don Long (incumbent) and Alice Bachman
District 5: Janet Arnold (incumbent) and Jeff Cordell
District 7: Andy Daniels (incumbent) and John Ruth
District 9: Patricia Brown
District 11: David Brown (incumbent) and Jeff Carter
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Malone Touts Strong Schools Endorsement
6th District County Commission candidate Yvonne Malone sent out an email yesterday touting her endorsement by the Political Action Committee (PAC) of local grassroots organization Strong Schools.
Here's the email:
"I am honored to know Strong Schools recognizes that I am a qualified and committed candidate for Sumner County Commission," said Malone. "I look forward to campaigning hard this summer and meeting the voters of the 6th Commission District."
A 30 year veteran of the Sumner County School system, Yvonne Malone knows the "ins and outs" of our school system and how the County Commission can best assist the School Board in making Sumner County Schools priority number one.
Yvonne has a proven track record from her time on the Gallatin City Council, and is ready to step up and serve her community once again.
Here's the email:
Did you see today's email from the Strong Schools PAC? Strong Schools has selected Yvonne Malone as one of its endorsed candidates for the 2014 August election! Click here to see their email.
"I am honored to know Strong Schools recognizes that I am a qualified and committed candidate for Sumner County Commission," said Malone. "I look forward to campaigning hard this summer and meeting the voters of the 6th Commission District."A 30 year veteran of the Sumner County School system, Yvonne Malone knows the "ins and outs" of our school system and how the County Commission can best assist the School Board in making Sumner County Schools priority number one.
Yvonne has a proven track record from her time on the Gallatin City Council, and is ready to step up and serve her community once again.
For more Hendersonville news, follow us @HvilleNews
Monday, May 19, 2014
Strong Schools PAC Announces August Endorsements
Strong Schools PAC, the political action
committee of local grassroots group Strong Schools, today released its list of
endorsed County Commission candidates for the August 2014 County General
Election.
“These candidates have committed to
being pro-schools voices on the County Commission,” said Strong Schools PAC
Chair Wes Duenkel. “We believe they
represent the best options for moving our schools and Sumner County forward.”
The endorsed candidates include:
District 2: Mike Meadows
District 3: Alan Driver
District 4: Leslie Schell and Jerry
Foster
District 5: Ben Harris and Baker Ring
District 6: Kevin Pomeroy and Yvonne
Malone
District 7: JoAnne Kemp and Trish
LeMarbre
District 8: Paul Decker
District 9: Jerry Becker and Chris
Taylor
District 10: Paul Goode and Caroline Krueger
District 11: Scott Langford and Bill
Taylor
Strong Schools PAC endorsed 13 winning
candidates in the May 6th Primary Election. As a result of their
efforts, three incumbents were defeated in May and will not be on the August
ballot.
“It’s time for new leadership that
embraces responsible management and puts our schools first,” Duenkel said.
“We’re pleased to have had some early wins in May and hopeful that we’ll see a
full slate of pro-schools candidates elected in August.”
For more Hendersonville news, follow us @HvilleNews
Monday, May 12, 2014
Sumner County Election Results
The May 6th Primary determined many of the 2014 Election outcomes.
At the County Commission level, candidates supported by local grassroots group Strong Schools won 13 races, including defeating three incumbents.
The Gallatin News had this to say:
They said they would make a difference and in the Republican County Primary Tuesday, a group nearly 4,000 strong swept the election polls with all 13 of their endorsed County Commission candidates; upsetting three longtime incumbent commissioners.
It was a victory night for the Strong Schools group, formed in 2012, following the shut-down of schools opening during a budget standoff of the County Commission and the School Board.
And the Hendersonville Star News added:
Tuesday was a big night for Strong Schools, a grassroots group formed in 2012 when a stalemate between the Sumner County School Board and Sumner County Commission caused an eight-day delay in the start of the school year.
Thirteen of the candidates the group endorsed won their primary races, with several facing no opposition in August. In addition, three incumbents vocally opposed to raising property taxes to give more funding to education were defeated.
Primary winners endorsed by the group included Leslie Schell and Jerry Foster in District 4; Trisha LeMarbre and Joanne Kemp in District 7; Jerry Becker and Chris Taylor in District 9; Paul Goode and Caroline Krueger in District 10; and Scott Langford and Bill Taylor in District 11.
Incumbents who lost included Jerry Stone in District 11; Kirk Moser in District 7 and Frank Freels in District 4.
In other elections, Joe Thompson narrowly won the primary for Circuit Court Judge, Louis Oliver III won the Chancellor's race, Barry Brown was re-elected General Sessions Judge, Sonny Weatherford easily won the Sheriff's race, and Kathryn Strong dominated in the race for Circuit Court Clerk.
The elections now move on to August, which will see the General Election for County Commission, School Board, and other county offices. There are contested County Commission races in district's 2, 3, 6, and 9.
For more Hendersonville news, follow @HvilleNews
At the County Commission level, candidates supported by local grassroots group Strong Schools won 13 races, including defeating three incumbents.
The Gallatin News had this to say:
They said they would make a difference and in the Republican County Primary Tuesday, a group nearly 4,000 strong swept the election polls with all 13 of their endorsed County Commission candidates; upsetting three longtime incumbent commissioners.
It was a victory night for the Strong Schools group, formed in 2012, following the shut-down of schools opening during a budget standoff of the County Commission and the School Board.
And the Hendersonville Star News added:
Tuesday was a big night for Strong Schools, a grassroots group formed in 2012 when a stalemate between the Sumner County School Board and Sumner County Commission caused an eight-day delay in the start of the school year.
Thirteen of the candidates the group endorsed won their primary races, with several facing no opposition in August. In addition, three incumbents vocally opposed to raising property taxes to give more funding to education were defeated.
Primary winners endorsed by the group included Leslie Schell and Jerry Foster in District 4; Trisha LeMarbre and Joanne Kemp in District 7; Jerry Becker and Chris Taylor in District 9; Paul Goode and Caroline Krueger in District 10; and Scott Langford and Bill Taylor in District 11.
Incumbents who lost included Jerry Stone in District 11; Kirk Moser in District 7 and Frank Freels in District 4.
In other elections, Joe Thompson narrowly won the primary for Circuit Court Judge, Louis Oliver III won the Chancellor's race, Barry Brown was re-elected General Sessions Judge, Sonny Weatherford easily won the Sheriff's race, and Kathryn Strong dominated in the race for Circuit Court Clerk.
The elections now move on to August, which will see the General Election for County Commission, School Board, and other county offices. There are contested County Commission races in district's 2, 3, 6, and 9.
For more Hendersonville news, follow @HvilleNews
Friday, May 2, 2014
Strong Schools Releases Video Ahead of Election Day
Local grassroots group Strong Schools has released a video ahead of the May 6th primary election reminding voters of the events of August 2012 when the opening of schools was delayed.
The video highlights how the organization was created from a group of concerned parents -- and how that energy has been sustained for two years heading into this year's elections.
Watch the video:
The video highlights how the organization was created from a group of concerned parents -- and how that energy has been sustained for two years heading into this year's elections.
Watch the video:
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Sumner County's Portable Schools
Local grassroots advocacy group Strong Schools has a new video out highlighting the proliferation of portable classrooms in the system.
The video points to the stark reality that thousands of kids every day attend class in portables -- supposedly temporary solutions to growth that have become permanent fixtures at schools across the county.
They also note that this is not a recent phenomenon - that some portables have been on campuses for ten years or more.
Here's the video:
The video points to the stark reality that thousands of kids every day attend class in portables -- supposedly temporary solutions to growth that have become permanent fixtures at schools across the county.
They also note that this is not a recent phenomenon - that some portables have been on campuses for ten years or more.
Here's the video:
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Pro-Schools County Commission Candidates
The Political Action Committee (PAC) of local grassroots education advocacy group Strong Schools released its list of pro-schools candidates for County Commission ahead of early voting, which starts today and runs through May 1st.
Strong Schools PAC made its initial round of endorsements for the May 6th Republican Primary and noted it will release a second round of endorsements for the August General Election.
The only contested races on May 6th are in the GOP primary.
"These are the candidates voters can count on to put schools first," said Strong Schools PAC Chair Wes Duenkel. "They've responded to surveys, attended public forums, and answered tough questions. It's time we had a County Commission that made schools a top priority and these candidates will do just that."
The Strong Schools PAC's Pro-Schools candidates for the Republican Primary include:
District 3: Alan Driver
District 4: Jerry Foster & Leslie Schell
District 5: Baker Ring
District 6: Kevin Pomeroy
District 7: JoAnne Kemp and Trisha LeMarbre
District 9: Chris Taylor, Jerry Becker, & Andy Griffin
District 10: Paul Goode and Caroline Krueger
District 11: Bill Taylor and Scott Langford
For more Hendersonville news, follow @HvilleNews
Strong Schools PAC made its initial round of endorsements for the May 6th Republican Primary and noted it will release a second round of endorsements for the August General Election.
The only contested races on May 6th are in the GOP primary.
"These are the candidates voters can count on to put schools first," said Strong Schools PAC Chair Wes Duenkel. "They've responded to surveys, attended public forums, and answered tough questions. It's time we had a County Commission that made schools a top priority and these candidates will do just that."
The Strong Schools PAC's Pro-Schools candidates for the Republican Primary include:
District 3: Alan Driver
District 4: Jerry Foster & Leslie Schell
District 5: Baker Ring
District 6: Kevin Pomeroy
District 7: JoAnne Kemp and Trisha LeMarbre
District 9: Chris Taylor, Jerry Becker, & Andy Griffin
District 10: Paul Goode and Caroline Krueger
District 11: Bill Taylor and Scott Langford
For more Hendersonville news, follow @HvilleNews
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Rhetoric vs. Reality: Frank Freels Edition
Parent-led advocacy group Strong Schools released results from a survey of County Commission candidates. The survey asked questions about where the candidates stand on issues related to Sumner County Schools.
A number of incumbent County Commissioners chose not to respond to the survey. However, 4th District incumbent Frank Freels did respond. Interestingly, his responses were at variance with some of his recent votes on the County Commission.
For example, on his list of priorities, he mentions that he wants to "continue to create safe school buildings that are a clean, nice environment for students and teachers to learn and work in."
This in spite of his votes against funding the school system budgets in 2011 and 2012.
Not only did he oppose the initial budgets, his vote in 2012 to reallocated capital dollars to the school system's general fund meant that additions at Hendersonville and Gallatin high schools were delayed. That means more kids were in portable classrooms instead of fixed school buildings.
On the issue of whether or not teachers and staff are paid appropriately, Freels notes he "Somewhat Disagrees" and calls for respectful compensation levels for teachers and support staff.
Here again, Freels' votes tell a different story. Freels repeatedly voted to provide raises for County employees while denying the School Board the funds to give their employees raises. He voted against initial school budgets in 2011 and 2012 that would have increased compensation for support staff. He voted to allow the County Insurance Trust to keep employee premiums artificially low while the insurance premiums for teachers continued to rise based on market rates.
Finally, Freels notes Dr. Phillips has done a great job communicating the needs of the school system.
And, while he may believe that, his County Commission votes have been consistently against funding the needs he is applauding Dr. Phillips for properly pointing out. Here's just one example.
If you're an incumbent with a voting record and you fill out a candidate survey, you should be sure your answers line up with the record.
A number of incumbent County Commissioners chose not to respond to the survey. However, 4th District incumbent Frank Freels did respond. Interestingly, his responses were at variance with some of his recent votes on the County Commission.
For example, on his list of priorities, he mentions that he wants to "continue to create safe school buildings that are a clean, nice environment for students and teachers to learn and work in."
This in spite of his votes against funding the school system budgets in 2011 and 2012.
Not only did he oppose the initial budgets, his vote in 2012 to reallocated capital dollars to the school system's general fund meant that additions at Hendersonville and Gallatin high schools were delayed. That means more kids were in portable classrooms instead of fixed school buildings.
On the issue of whether or not teachers and staff are paid appropriately, Freels notes he "Somewhat Disagrees" and calls for respectful compensation levels for teachers and support staff.
Here again, Freels' votes tell a different story. Freels repeatedly voted to provide raises for County employees while denying the School Board the funds to give their employees raises. He voted against initial school budgets in 2011 and 2012 that would have increased compensation for support staff. He voted to allow the County Insurance Trust to keep employee premiums artificially low while the insurance premiums for teachers continued to rise based on market rates.
Finally, Freels notes Dr. Phillips has done a great job communicating the needs of the school system.
And, while he may believe that, his County Commission votes have been consistently against funding the needs he is applauding Dr. Phillips for properly pointing out. Here's just one example.
If you're an incumbent with a voting record and you fill out a candidate survey, you should be sure your answers line up with the record.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Strong Schools vs. Portables
Parent-led advocacy group Strong Schools sent an email today decrying the over-reliance on Portable "classrooms" by Sumner County Schools.
The group noted that the system has 77 portables serving an estimated 3000 or so children each day.
During the recent cold temperatures, the group said, the system's use of portables meant kids in class in very cold conditions.
The organization suggested a lack of planning was the cause and that persistent under-funding of schools over the years is finally taking its toll.
The group is calling on the School Board to present and the County Commission to fund a budget that addresses growth and meets the needs of students.
The group noted that the system has 77 portables serving an estimated 3000 or so children each day.
During the recent cold temperatures, the group said, the system's use of portables meant kids in class in very cold conditions.
The organization suggested a lack of planning was the cause and that persistent under-funding of schools over the years is finally taking its toll.
The group is calling on the School Board to present and the County Commission to fund a budget that addresses growth and meets the needs of students.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Tena Lee's Wild Ride
Tena Lee writes in today's Hendersonville Star News about the 2014 County Commission and School Board races.
She suggests Sumner County is in for a "wild ride" between now and election day -- when voters will hear conflicting messages about the state of our schools.
One the one side, grassroots organization Strong Schools -- calling for more funding for schools and the election of County Commissioners who will support that funding, even if it means a small tax increase.
On the other, the Merrol Hyde-Jerry Stone faction of the County Commission -- a group locked down against any tax increase. That faction insists instead that the School Board should simply make do with what it has.
Lee's piece is compelling because while parents have packed the County Commission chambers on numerous occasions (including this past Monday for the Janet Arnold-Leslie Schell vote) historically, turnout has been terribly low for primary and general elections for County offices.
If parents whine and complain, but don't vote, there will have been 2+ years of intense conflict resulting in little actual policy change.
On the other hand, with turnout numbers so typically low, involving just 100-200 new voters in some districts may be enough to change the outcome and elect someone new to County Commission or School Board.
In either case, the next 9-12 months promise to be quite interesting and possibly even wild.
She suggests Sumner County is in for a "wild ride" between now and election day -- when voters will hear conflicting messages about the state of our schools.
One the one side, grassroots organization Strong Schools -- calling for more funding for schools and the election of County Commissioners who will support that funding, even if it means a small tax increase.
On the other, the Merrol Hyde-Jerry Stone faction of the County Commission -- a group locked down against any tax increase. That faction insists instead that the School Board should simply make do with what it has.
Lee's piece is compelling because while parents have packed the County Commission chambers on numerous occasions (including this past Monday for the Janet Arnold-Leslie Schell vote) historically, turnout has been terribly low for primary and general elections for County offices.
If parents whine and complain, but don't vote, there will have been 2+ years of intense conflict resulting in little actual policy change.
On the other hand, with turnout numbers so typically low, involving just 100-200 new voters in some districts may be enough to change the outcome and elect someone new to County Commission or School Board.
In either case, the next 9-12 months promise to be quite interesting and possibly even wild.
Monday, August 26, 2013
School Board Member Appointment Tonight
The Sumner County Commission is meeting at 6PM tonight in a special called meeting for the sole purpose of appointing someone to fill the vacant District 5 School Board seat.
The meeting will be held at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.
So far, only two candidates have submitted resumes -- Leslie Schell and Janet Arnold.
Schell currently has 4 children attending Beech Elementary.
Arnold's children, now adults, did not attend Sumner County Schools and Arnold has not attended recent public events designed to inform the public on the candidates. She skipped a candidate forum on August 12 and last week failed to attend a meet-and-greet hosted by the Mayor of Goodlettsville and two City Commissioners.
While Schell has answered survey questions from local grassroots group Strong Schools, Arnold has refused to do so.
On a related note, some suspect that certain members of the Commission may nominate a third, so far unknown, person to fill the vacancy.
The meeting will be held at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.
So far, only two candidates have submitted resumes -- Leslie Schell and Janet Arnold.
Schell currently has 4 children attending Beech Elementary.
Arnold's children, now adults, did not attend Sumner County Schools and Arnold has not attended recent public events designed to inform the public on the candidates. She skipped a candidate forum on August 12 and last week failed to attend a meet-and-greet hosted by the Mayor of Goodlettsville and two City Commissioners.
While Schell has answered survey questions from local grassroots group Strong Schools, Arnold has refused to do so.
On a related note, some suspect that certain members of the Commission may nominate a third, so far unknown, person to fill the vacancy.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Jerry Stone's Candidate List
So, the Star News has this story about the vacancy in School Board District 5 from Shannon Dunn's resignation. In the story, County Commissioner Jerry Stone indicates he has been compiling a list of candidates to run for School Board in 2014 -- ostensibly, candidates who line up with his views about schools.
In this case, he noted he'll be recommending Janet Arnold, because, "she shares his views, both fiscally and socially.."
The comments and the existence of Stone's List cause some to wonder who else Stone may be recruiting across the County to run for School Board or other office. What is the criteria for making Stone's List?
One thing is certain, Stone is no fan of the grassroots organization Strong Schools. Stone reportedly told one district voter that he wasn't interested in the views of Strong Schools in terms of who might be appointed to this seat.
Janet's Not Talking
The article noted that two individuals, Janet Arnold (Stone's hand-picked candidate) and Leslie Schell (a mom with 4 kids in Sumner County Schools) have expressed interest in the appointment. While Schell participated in a candidate forum held Monday in Hendersonville and has answered a list of 15 questions submitted by Strong Schools, Arnold did not attend the forum and said in the article (regarding the Strong Schools survey) that she "no plan to complete their questionnaire at the moment."
The County Commission has called the meeting to select the replacement Board member for August 26th at 6:00 PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.
In this case, he noted he'll be recommending Janet Arnold, because, "she shares his views, both fiscally and socially.."
The comments and the existence of Stone's List cause some to wonder who else Stone may be recruiting across the County to run for School Board or other office. What is the criteria for making Stone's List?
One thing is certain, Stone is no fan of the grassroots organization Strong Schools. Stone reportedly told one district voter that he wasn't interested in the views of Strong Schools in terms of who might be appointed to this seat.
Janet's Not Talking
The article noted that two individuals, Janet Arnold (Stone's hand-picked candidate) and Leslie Schell (a mom with 4 kids in Sumner County Schools) have expressed interest in the appointment. While Schell participated in a candidate forum held Monday in Hendersonville and has answered a list of 15 questions submitted by Strong Schools, Arnold did not attend the forum and said in the article (regarding the Strong Schools survey) that she "no plan to complete their questionnaire at the moment."
The County Commission has called the meeting to select the replacement Board member for August 26th at 6:00 PM at the County Administration Building in Gallatin.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Strong Schools Holds Candidate Forum
From the Press Release:
Last night, grassroots advocacy organization Strong Schools held a forum for candidates interested in the District 5 School Board seat recently vacated by the resignation of Shannon Dunn.
Both Janet Arnold and Leslie Schell indicated interest in the seat and both were invited to participate. Ms. Arnold declined the invitation citing a scheduling conflict.
Schell attended and was asked 15 questions that had been crafted by members of the Strong Schools community.
The replacement for Dunn will be voted on by the County Commission on August 19th and will fill the remainder of Dunn's terms, which expires in August, 2014.
Five County Commissioners attended the event, including David Kimbrough, Paul Decker, Paul Goode, Paige Brown Strong, and Michael Guthrie.
The event's organizers arranged for live-streaming of the event via the StrongSchools.org website and have also emailed and mailed the survey questions to allow both candidates the opportunity to submit written responses ahead of the Commission vote.
Strong Schools Director Andy Spears said, "We organized this event because we believe in transparency. We want every member of the community to have a chance to hear from those who wish to serve on the School Board. We're pleased that a number of County Commissioners came out to hear directly from the candidates. We'll also follow up with a written survey so the Commissioners and community members can see what these two interested individuals have to say about our schools."
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