Thomas A. Deakins - Chairman, Knox County Board of Education

2012-01-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

Knox County Board of Education / Knox County Commission Retreat

Board members and Commissioners spent Friday evening and most of the day Saturday identifying ways to work better together. The retreat was utilized to allow members from both elected bodies to build relationships, understand the roles and responsibilities of each elected body, agree on goals and identify more productive ways to communicate between the two elected bodies.

My take on the retreat - I believe the retreat was a huge success on many fronts and open lines of communication have been established. This is the first time both elected bodies have ever met together in this type of setting, (both elected bodies were involved in a lawsuit back in 2001-2003 and this was not productive for the people of Knox County). Back in September 2011, when I took on the role as Chairman of the Knox County Board of Education, I noted that I wanted better communication and relationships between the School Board and County Commission. I believe this weekend's retreat is one big step toward this goal.

I want to thank Commission Chairman, Mike Hammond, for his leadership and his work in co-chairing the retreat. I also thank all Commissioners and School Board members for their willingness to attend, participate and make the retreat a success!

2011-04-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten Round-Up April 5, 2011 School Amherst 3:30-6:00 Ball Camp 3:00-6:00 Farragut Primary 3:30-5:30 Hardin Valley 3:00-6:00

2011-01-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Student Transfer - Dates

Student transfer window is February 7 - 21
The Knox County Schools general transfer window for the 2011-12 school year will be open February 7, 12:00 AM – February 21st, 11:59 PM. The transfer department will be accepting transfer requests for students seeking transfer (to a school other than their zoned school) for the 2011-2012 school year.

General Transfer Window Announced for 2011-12 school year
The Knox County Schools general transfer window for the 2011-12 school year will be open February 7, 12:00 AM – February 21st, 11:59 PM. The transfer department will be accepting transfer requests for students seeking transfer (to a school other than their zoned school) for the 2011-2012 school year.
Knox County Schools Transfer Department now uses a “lottery-style” process to determine transfer placements – this process increases equity of opportunity for all families in the transfer process. The lottery-style format eliminates the need to line up at schools early in the morning on the first day of the transfer window to receive a time-stamped transfer request.
In order provide increased convenience and be more family friendly, parents or legal guardians may now request a transfer online by logging into their Parent Portal account. Transfer applications in hard copy format are also available at all of the Knox County Schools, as well as the enrollment office located in the Andrew Johnson Building (912 S. Gay Street, Room 103).
Parents or legal guardians will be afforded the opportunity to identify three schools to which they would like to request a transfer for their child. Every effort will be made, based on space available, to offer a transfer to one of the three identified schools.
Transfers may be requested for the following reasons: 1. by teachers to transfer their child to the school in which they teach2. by employees3. for entry into a Magnet School or to continue in the Magnet School feeder program4. for continuation in the Project GRAD program5. for pursuit of an academic course of study 6. for students who have a sibling presently enrolled at the requested school who will continue to be enrolled in the year the requested transfer is effective. A sibling is defined as a brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or foster child living in the same household.7. for students not meeting any of the above criteria
Seats available are determined based on the Knox County Schools budget allocation model that includes enrollment projections for all schools and grades. All previously granted transfers are good through the terminal grade of the school to which the transfer was granted and there is no need to re-apply. Official notification of the status of a transfer request will be made in hard copy format through the U.S. mail, and notification will be made no later than four weeks after the transfer window closes with the exception of requests for transfer for students who will be in Kindergarten.
Summer Transfer Period, June 1, 2011 12AM - June 8, 2011 11:59PM
The summer transfer window will open and parents/legal guardians of Kindergarten students, students new to Knox County, students who have had change in family circumstances such as custody or guardianship or students who moved their residence since February 20, 2011 may apply for a transfer June 1, 2011, 12:00 AM through June 8, 2011, 11:59 PM.
Proof of one of the above circumstances MUST be provided with the transfer application with the exception of kindergarten students. Proof can be lease agreement, closing statements for purchase of new home, court documents, and end of year report cards (private school). Parent(s) will need to print the child’s name and birth date on the proof being supplied and submit with their application by mail, email, in person or by faxing to (865) 594-1504.

There are three ways parents may apply for a transfer: NOTE: To apply online, click the links given below.
1. by internet (students currently in KCS), using parent portal
2. by NCR transfer application form available at 912 S. Gay St., Room 103
3. by downloading an application form on the internet and mailing it to: Supervisor of Enrollment, P. O. Box 2188, Knoxville, TN 37901

Out of county transfer requests will only be considered after all Knox County students have been processed.

Knox County Schools will use a “lottery-style” process to determine transfer placements.

Transfer requests under the “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” will be accepted prior to the opening of school. School begins August 15, 2011 for one-half day.

For more information, log on to www.knoxschools.org and access the Transfer Department web page or Board Policy JBCD.

2010-09-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Strategies to Help Your Child Achieve More in School
Tennessee has moved to significantly higher academic standards to ensure that all of our children receive a high quality education. The resources below will help support parents and students as we expect more, and we achieve more!
TIPS FOR PARENTS
Ask your child’s teacher what support your child needs to be successful. Reinforce those concepts at home.
Expect homework nightly. Check their work. If you’re not seeing homework, check with your child’s teacher!
Contact the school principal or main office to inquire about extra supports within school.
Parents in the Knox County Schools should use Parent Portal (online tool where you can keep track of your child’s progress) so you know where your child is excelling and where they need extra help.
Go to www.knoxschools.org – the "Parent Portal" link is 4th down on the left.

Questions to ask teachers and principals

What can I do to stay more involved in my child's academic progress?
o Is my child working up to his/her ability?
o What steps are being taken by administration in our school to achieve the new standards?
o How do you accommodate differences in learning?
o What special help can the school offer my child to get him or her on track academically?
o If I need to reach you, what is the best way? (E-mail, phone, note, etc.)
For more ideas visit: http://www.parentsconnect.com/parenting-tips/parent_teacher_conference.jhtml

RESOURCES
Parents: A Valuable Resource for Academic Help
If there are a group of students in your school struggling with a specific concept, there may be parents who are willing to tutor. If your school is a PTA school, contact the Knox County Council PTA at pamtrainor@aol.com. The state PTA contact is (888) 782-5712 or ptaoffice@tnpta.org.
Businesses Surrounding Your School
Business professionals are often willing to take time during or after work to work with students on certain academic areas. Contact the Knoxville Chamber for guidance in connecting a business with your school. Contact Ahnna Estes at (865) 246-2658 or aestes@knoxvillechamber.com.
Is Your School a "Project GRAD" School?
In Knoxville, there are several high-need schools that offer extra tutoring and family engagement services during and after school (Beaumont, Belle Morris, Christenberry, Dogwood, Green, Lonsdale, Maynard, Sarah Moore Greene, South Knoxville, Spring Hill, Vine Magnet, Whittle Springs, Austin-East, and Fulton).
For more information on ProjectGRAD please call (865) 525-4030 or visit http://www.projectgradknoxville.org/.
Boys and Girls Clubs, Big Brothers Big Sisters, YMCA, YWCA, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Other After-School Providers

These after-school providers can help with homework assistance and tutoring in specific areas where your child is struggling.
Boys and Girls Club: (865) 248-1200; Big Brothers Big Sisters: (865) 523-2179; YWCA: (865) 523-6126; YMCA: (865) 522-9622; Girl Scouts: (865) 688-9440; Boy Scouts: (865) 588-6514; Wesley House: (865) 524-5494

Literacy
Knoxville Area Urban League – Read and Rise (Up to 3rd grade), (865) 524-5511
Friends of Literacy (Adult literacy assistance), (865) 594-1507
East Tennessee Technology Access Center (Ages vary), (865) 219-0130
Mathematics
Mathnasium, (865) 769-6944 (private); Vol Math, (865) 414-8005 (private)
Science and Technology
Knoxville Area Urban League, The Digital Academy (high tech careers for at-risk middle school students) , (865) 524-5511
Vols4STEM, Science / Technology / Engineering / Math tutoring, jpcarson@tds.net
Tutoring
Many teachers have after-school tutoring during the week, either BEFORE or AFTER school. Contact your school.
Academy Student Resources, (865) 584-0400
Club Z Tutoring, (865) 671-3322
First Class SES Tutoring for high priority/Title I schools, (865) 594-1755
Huntington Learning Center, (865) 691-6688
Sylvan Learning Center of Maryville (865) 681-0121; Sylvan at Cedar Bluff, (865) 690-0671; Sylvan of Knoxville, (865)690-0671
Tutor Connection, (865) 521-7101

Parenting

Parent Information Resource Center (TN Voices for Children), (865) 523-0701, SOwnby@TNVoices.org
Knox County Family Science, (865) 215-2340

Financial Literacy
UT Federal Credit Union (General financial literacy), (865) 971-1971 Ext. 115, tbranam@UTFCU.org
UT Extension (General Financial literacy), (865) 974-8198, aaberry@utk.edu
Knox Housing Partnership (Specifically with home-buying), (865) 637-1679
Knoxville TVA Employee’s Credit Union (General financial literacy), (865) 544-5673, kcanan@tvacreditunion.com
Tennessee Jump$tart, 865-441-1383, www.tnjumpstart.org
CredAbility (formerly Consumer Credit Counseling), (865) 329-8006, (800) 251.2227, Anna.Seale@CredAbility.org

Special Needs
Tennessee Voices for Children, (865) 523-0701
Under the Umbrella, (865) 249-7438 (private)
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Knoxville, (865) 602-7807

ORGANIZATIONS HELPING IN SCHOOLS
Kids Hope USA, http://www.missionamerica.org/Brix?pageID=21607 (Faith-based groups tutoring kids)
The Center for Literacy Studies (UT), (865) 974-4109, http://www.cls.utk.edu/
Full Service Community Schools (UT), (865) 974-8799, rkronick@utk.edu (Extra Services in Schools)
Partners in Education, Knox County Schools, (865) 594-1909, bacons@k12tn.net (Business Partnerships)
For more information, go to www.knoxschools.org.

2010-09-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

TCAP - Q&A

Q: What are the TCAPs?
A: TCAP stands for the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program. TCAPs measure a child’s knowledge in reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. These tests are administered each Spring for children in grades 3 through 8.

Q: Why did Tennessee move to higher academic standards?
A: In 2007, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – representing America’s top employers – gave Tennessee an "F" in the category of Truth in Advertising, comparing Tennessee proficiency (our state assessments) to National proficiency (NAEP). Simply put, Tennessee failed for lack of high standards in the classroom. Times have changed. Thirty-five years ago, just 28% of U.S. jobs required training or education after high school. Today, 80% of jobs require some kind of training beyond high school. That means focusing NOW to make sure students are ready to succeed in high school when they get there. It’s all about raising the bar so our students can go on to succeed in a career or college – and in life.
Raising the bar was absolutely necessary to keep Tennessee students on a level playing field with their peers nationally. The new achievement levels are a much more accurate picture of how students are performing. The State of Tennessee is being honest about what it actually takes to get students ready for the 21st Century.

Q: Why change Tennessee schools?
A: Work and college in today’s world require different skill sets than in the past. Tennessee updated its schools to help all students succeed after high school whether entering the workforce or continuing their education.

Q: My child scored significantly lower – is he or she learning less?
A: Because we have significantly raised the academic bar, the scores you see on the TCAP Achievement test are likely to be shocking. Many students who are used to scoring in the proficient and advanced ranges may now see scores that are identified as "basic" or even "below basic." This does not mean your child is learning less under the new standards. In fact, he or she is almost certainly learning more – we’ve just raised the academic bar…and it is absolutely the right thing to do to ensure our children have the opportunity to be academically successful, economically competitive, and personally fulfilled in today’s complex world.

Q: How come my child’s interim report card is good, but the TCAP scores are not?
A: A students report card measures progress throughout the year and is issued at each 9-week grading interval (total of 4 throughout a school year). TCAP tests are given once a year in the Spring in grades 3-8 and measure a student’s knowledge at that particular point in time.

Q: What can I do to help my child do better in school?
A: If your child’s test scores or grades are slipping, consider these three steps:
1. Don’t get discouraged. Test scores and grades sometimes dip when schools put in place higher standards. This doesn’t mean your child is going backward in knowledge. But it does mean he or she needs to work harder to meet the higher standards, which are more demanding. Reassure your child that she’s capable of doing the hard work that’s needed to succeed.
2. Ask for help. Call your child’s teacher or school and put together a plan for helping him improve. Parental involvement is critical to helping a child achieve more. Schedule a time to sit down with the teacher and talk through your options. Meeting higher standards probably means your child will need to work harder to reach the higher standards, which are more demanding and require a deeper cognitive understanding of the curriculum.
3. Know the facts. Understand why high standards are important to your child’s future. Life is no longer about competing with people in the same town. Tennessee students will be competing with their peers in countries like Japan, China, and India. Times have changed. Thirty-five years ago, just 28% of U.S. jobs required training or education after high school. Today, 80% of jobs require some kind of training beyond high school.

There are many activities and initiatives happening within the school, such as new formative assessments, professional learning communities (PLC) to support teachers, interventions and small group learning activities for students, and focused instructional work to meet the new standards.

Outside of school, there are a variety of parent/teacher/student organizations (PTA, PTO, PTST, etc.) that can serve as a valuable resource. Additionally, the business community, United Way, Project GRAD, Great Schools Partnership, Knox Area Urban League, etc. may be helpful – please work with your school principal or teacher to develop a shared plan of action to help your child succeed.

2010-09-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

TCAP Information

Next Tuesday, we will be releasing the results of the state assessments that our children took last spring (TCAP or End of Course). As you are aware, last year was the first year that students were subject to Tennessee’s new and more rigorous academic standards. Because we have significantly raised our educational expectations, scores on the state tests are likely to be lower than what parents may be used to seeing. Many students who are accustomed to scoring in the proficient and advanced ranges may now see scores that are identified as “basic” or even “below basic.”

Dr. McIntyre would like to invite you to join him at a Community Forum on Tuesday, September 28 at 6:00 p.m. at West High School to discuss these new, higher standards and address any concerns that parents or the community may have.

2010-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

Transfers - The Facts

A lot of bad information is floating around in e-mails and phone calls regarding potential transfers from HVA. I am posting on this topic to make sure everyone has the facts and nothing but the facts!

In early March, I asked Dr. McIntyre to look into the possibility of allowing transfers from HVA to FHS or Karns. HVA will be at full capacity for this coming school year and the possibility of allowing transfers would help HVA with enrollment numbers. This is a potential option to help enrollment at HVA, FHS and Karns.
The current transfer period is over and a special transfer window would have to be opened.
No rezoning, selective rezoning or any other term used with "zoning" is part of my request. Transfer applications only!
The Board of Education may discuss this issue at our April meeting if Dr. McIntyre feels this option is needed.
If the transfer window is opened we will provide more information.

If you are interested in a potential transfer please call the transfer office. They have been instructed to take your name and contact information. I would also like for you to e-mail me, TDeakins@gmail.com with the same information.

Thanks!

Thomas

2009-11-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

State Report Card - Results & Information

The results are in. I am sure many of you have questions regarding Knox County's report card and the criteria used to determine the scores. Instead of typing a very long explanation, I am providing links to give you this information. Please note the timeline as it relates to baseline and scoring methods.
In 2003, Tennessee set the state growth standards for each subject based on the progress rate of students in 1998. Since that time, all TCAP Criterion Reference Test (CRT) scale scores have been converted into state Normal Curve Equivalents (NCEs) consistent with the way calculations were preformed in the base year of 1998.
Since 2003, many districts and schools have regularly met the state’s growth standard (1998 base year). Calculations based on 1998 data show current levels Tennessee students would be considered passing state tests in all subjects and all grades.
In 2009 - 2010, the Tennessee Department of Education is implementing new curriculum, assessment standards and graduation requirements. To demonstrate student progress towards these higher expectations, it was necessary to revise the formula used for grades on the Report Card.
This year, the Tennessee Department of Education reset the growth standard to reflect the average student performance in 2009 providing a fixed transition point prior to the implementation of standards and assessments.

Please visit http://www.tsba.net/ At the top of the page you will see three links that are new and provide information on the following:

New State Report Card Information
Growth Standard for 2009
Tennessee Diploma Project PowerPoint Presentation

You can visit our website http://www.knoxschools.org/ and view the report card as well.

If you want to discuss this or other matters, please feel free to e-mail me TDeakins@gmail.com or call me at 865.966.1370.

Thomas

2009-09-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

School Coupon Campaign Starts Thursday

The coupon books cost $10.00 with $7.50 going to the school where the book is sold. Schools with a high number of economically disadvantaged students share $.90 from the sale of each book. Encyclopedia Britannica On-Line for all Knox County Schools’ libraries is funded by $.15 of the proceeds and another $.15 funds the “Schooled for Success” program, an eighth grade career awareness initiative in each Knox County middle school. The cost of printing is $.90 per book. Only $.40 of the book’s cost goes to cover administrative and student incentive cost.

The school coupon book contains money-saving offers worth more than $6000, providing discounts on fast food, fine dining, personal and professional services, as well as shopping and entertainment. Students sell the coupon books, which feature discount coupons for over 300 area merchants, in a two-week campaign conducted this year from Sept. 17 through Oct. 2.

“Fifteen cents from each book sale funds the Schooled for Success program,” said Bacon. “This is an eighth grade career awareness initiative in each Knox County middle school. It is a year-long program that culminates in an internship for many eight grade students. Students complete a portfolio focusing on self-assessment, career exploration, career planning, pre-employment skills development and employment skills development. They also have the opportunity to participate in a career fair that traditionally has exhibitors from over 100 local businesses and community organizations.”

“We understand that people have a lot of different views of the coupon book and school fundraising activities in general,” said Bacon. “But we feel that the book is a real value. It lets a buyer recoup his or her investment through the use of the coupons. There are not many $10.00 investments that can return up to $6,000.00 over the course of a year.”

2009-09-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

PERFECT ACT SCORES @ FHS

Farragut seniors, Kevin Ye and Shreyas Dahotre, both scored a perfect 36 on their ACT exams. Less than 1/10th of 1% of all students taking the ACT score a perfect score.

Farragut High School has had at least one student score a 36 on the ACT every year for the past 4 years.

We are very proud of these young men and their accomplishments!

2009-08-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Open House & Parent Info Night - Schedule

Amherst Elementary

Parent Info Night - All Times- 6:00-7:00

Kindergarten - September 3rd
1st Grade - August 31
2nd Grade - August 27th
3rd Grade - August 25th
4th & 5th Grades - Completed

Ball Camp Elementary

Kindergarten Parent Info Night - 8/25 - 6:00-7:00 pm
First grade Parent Info Night - 8/25 - 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Farragut Primary

Parent Night will begin at 6pm on each night and will end at 7pm.

Kindergarten=Tuesday, August 25th

1st Grade=Thursday, September 3

2nd Grade=Tuesday, September 1

Farragut Intermediate

Parent Info Night

4th Grade - August 25th - 6:30 pm

5th Grade - August 27th - 6:30 pm

PTA Open House All Grades - September 17th - 7:00 pm

Hardin Valley Elementary

Parent Night will begin at 6:00 and end at 7:15

August 25th - 2-3 grades

August 27th - 4-5 grades

September 10 - Kindergarten 6:00 - 7:00

Farragut Middle

6th Grade Open House will be Monday, August 31 at 6 P.M.

7th and 8th Grade Open House will be Tuesday, September 1 at 6 P.M.

Farragut High School

Open House - September 10th - 7:00 -9:00 pm

Hardin Valley Academy

Open House on August 27 - 6:15 - 8:15 p.m

Please make sure to check your school's website or newsletter for any date and time changes.

2009-03-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

Proposed High School Start Times - 9:30

Dr. McIntyre has proposed some of our high schools to start at 9:30 instead of 8:30 for the 2009-2010 school year. The change in start time would provide over $700K in transportation cost savings.

The only high school proposed for later start time in the 6th District - Hardin Valley Academy.

Other schools proposed for later start times - Bearden High, West High, Central High, Fulton High, South-Doyle High, Gibbs High and KAEC.

Please send your thoughts to me at TDeakins@gmail.com regarding the proposed high school start time of 9:30.

Thanks!

Thomas

2009-03-25T05:40:00.000-07:00

Pre-Kindergarten Roundup scheduled

Knox County Schools will hold a Pre-Kindergarten Round Up to receive applications for the Governor’s Voluntary Pre-K Program the week of April 27 at 13 sites around the county. To attend the Pre-K Program, students must be four years old on or before September 30, 2009 and reside in Knox County.

All applications will be accepted however, students who qualify for free or reduced price meals will be enrolled first. If space is available, other may be enrolled who meet any of the following criteria:

Receive special education services · Non-English speakers· Are in state custody· Have a history of abuse/neglect

Families are asked to bring proof of residency in Knox County (utility bill, rental agreement, etc.) and verification of income (W-2 form, verification of sibling’s free/reduced meal status, paycheck stub, AFDC, etc.)

Acceptance into the program and specific locations of programs for the 2009-10 school year will be determined following grant approval from the Tennessee State Department of Education.

Applications will be taken at the Pre-K school sites at the following times: Monday, April 27th 3:00-6:00 PM

Karns Elementary Preschool Mooreland Heights Elementary Pleasant Ridge Elementary Sunnyview Primary (3:00-5:00 PM)

Tuesday, April 28th 3:00-6:00 PM

Brickey-McCloud Elementary East Knox Elementary Gibbs Elementary Sarah Moore Greene Elementary South Knox Elementary West Hills Elementary West View Elementary

Thursday, April 30th 3:00-6:00 PM Ft. Sanders Center Ritta Elementary

For more information, contact the school or visit the Knox County Schools website at www.knoxschools.org.

2009-02-19T21:02:00.001-08:00

Meeting with Dr. McIntyre at FHS

Dr. McIntyre and I will be at FHS on Tuesday, March 3rd from 6:30-7:30pm in the FHS library. The purpose of the meeting is to provide FHS parents and Farragut community members accurate information relating to the budget and staffing formula. We will have a Q&A session.

See you on March 3rd.

Thomas

2009-01-25T13:49:00.000-08:00

BUDGET UPDATE

The media has reported our budget issues as well as potential cuts at FHS. Please know that the budget is still a work in progress. We are looking at all areas within the Knox County school system to improve efficiencies and eliminate spending. The Central Office is not exempt!

Dr. McIntyre presented the school board with a staffing formula that will be used to staff schools. I think the formula presented by Dr. McIntyre is a complete shift in how we operate as a school system. The formula allows us to be transparent as to how we staff schools and spend money. The downside to using this formula is one where some of our schools will see impacts as it relates to staffing.

Farragut and Karns High Schools will see a loss of teachers as we implement the staffing plan. Student enrollment plays a big factor into the staffing formula. The projected enrollment at FHS and Karns is projected to drop as we add the 9th grade class to Hardin Valley Academy. The enrollment at FHS is projected to drop as students move to BHS and HVA. The enrollment at KHS is projected to drop as students shift from KHS to HVA.

The projected enrollment at FHS is still a work in progress. I know that Dr. McIntyre and Mr. Reynolds are still working on projected enrollment numbers. I have asked Dr. McIntyre and his staff to double check the data sources and projections. We cannot make cuts based on bad data.

Please check back as I will keep this blog updated as I receive more information. You are more than welcome to contact me - TDeakins@gmail.com or 865-966-1370. Please note that I read every e-mail. I will return your e-mail / phone call when I have new information.

Thomas

2008-12-23T12:29:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE DEAKINS!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-10-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

Superintendent's Public Forum

The Superintendent of Knox County Schools will conduct a second public forum October 14th as part of his formal entry plan. The forum will be held at Bearden Middle School on October 14 and begins at 6:00 p.m. The forum is open to all residents across Knox County.

The forum is designed for the Superintendent to hear community input and gather information as he develops his vision for the school system. Attendees will be asked to share their ideas and comments about the future of the Knox County Schools.

Topics for discussion may include:

high quality instruction
student achievement
school district operations
school security
curriculum
high standards
or any educational areas which you wish to provide perspective.

I hope that you will be able to attend. Please note that we will be using information gathered from these forums to develop the vision for Knox County Schools.

See you there!

2008-07-28T09:39:00.000-07:00

NCLB data show both successes and challenges

The State of Tennessee released Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program results today based on No Child Left Behind benchmarks, and Knox County schools data show both successes and challenges to meet.

As a school district, Knox County Schools made adequate yearly progress toward meeting the NCLB benchmarks. Forty of Knox County’s 50 elementary schools and nine of the system’s 14 middle schools are in good standing based on the NCLB benchmarks. Only four of the county’s 13 high schools are in good standing. The full list of targeted and high priority schools is available at www.knoxschools.org.

A high priority school is one that has not made adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward the NCLB benchmarks for two consecutive years. Targeted schools are those that do not make AYP in a single year.

“The results from this year’s No Child Left behind assessments are certainly mixed,” said Dr. Jim McIntyre, superintendent of Knox County Schools. “As we look at our high schools, many are on the targeted list from the state solely for graduation rate. I expect to see some improvement in this area in coming years as we have restructured two high schools and have instituted freshman academies in several others. We have also implemented the first phase of a very promising literacy initiative across the county.”

“Literacy instruction at our middle schools and high schools is a weakness that we began to address last year,” said Dr. Donna Wright, Knox County Schools assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. “Everything we do hinges on student literacy, and we had reduced these programs at the middle and high school level over the years due to fiscal constraints. The infusion of new BEP money last year will help us begin to restore our literacy programs. We had to defer implementation of the second phase of the literacy initiative in this year’s economically constrained environment.”

Wright explains that the system has challenges with literacy at all student performance levels. “Literacy is not just reading,” she said. “It is much more. Our approach to restoring literacy to our middle and high school curriculum will benefit both our struggling and our high performing students.”

“What we have learned with our high school students is that we do not lose graduates as seniors. We lose them as freshmen,” said Wright. “If students do not earn enough credits their freshman year to academically become sophomores, the chance of them overcoming that deficit and graduating is remote. That is why we are working very closely with our freshmen to get them a helping hand before they get in a credit deficit situation. While we are still collecting data, our freshmen academies are showing promise with respect to increasing students’ success in the critical first year of high school.”

“A significant challenge with our high school graduation rates is that many of our schools lose seven or eight percent of their eligible students before the rates are even calculated,” said Wright. “Students who earn a GED and leave school early count as dropouts against the state standard. Also, special education students who have met the goals of their individual education plans but who have not met all standard requirements for graduation are counted against the total number.”

“Dogwood and Norwood Elementary Schools have improved to the level that they are no longer on the state’s high priority list,” McIntyre said. “Since these two schools have improved so greatly, school of choice transfers will no longer be offered. Students who transferred in previous years may remain at their new school through the school’s terminal grade, but the school system will not offer transportation.

“The vast majority of students in Knox County are doing well and moving on to meet success in either the workforce or post secondary education,” said McIntyre. “However, we want to make sure that every student achieves all that he or she has the desire to achieve. This is our challenge and commitment to the students of Knox County.”

2008-06-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

School Board to host budget overview for the public

The Knox County Board of Education will host an overview of school finance and the FY 2009 Budget request at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, June 12 in the West High School auditorium at 3300 Sutherland Ave.

The session is for interested citizens and is designed to provide a primer on school finance and an overview of the FY 2009 budget request and approval process.

2008-05-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

Congratulations To The Lady Admirals Softball - A Great Season!

A great season for the FHS Lady Admirals and coach David Moore! 3rd place in the 3A state tournament!

"There's not any die in this group. I'm proud as I can be. I don't think anyone expected us to go this far, except maybe us. It's been a great year. It's a great run," Farragut coach David Moore said.

2008-05-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

FHS ADMIRALS = STATE CHAMPIONS 3A BASEBALL

Congratulations to the Farragut High School Admirals and coach Tommy Pharr! This is the 5th State Title for FHS and a 4th State Title in 6 seasons.

2008-04-09T20:32:00.001-07:00

New Superintendent

The Knox County School Board voted (5-4) to hire Dr. James McIntrye and approve his contract. I voted for Dr. McIntyre as my finalist and tonight, I voted for his contract. I look forward to working with Dr. McIntyre and welcome him and his family to Knox County!

Thomas

2008-03-11T13:45:00.000-07:00

Community sessions set for superintendent finalists -

I hope you will attend a session!

The Knox county Board of Education has established the following schedule for the final three candidates for superintendent to meet with various groups within the community and the school system. The community meetings that are scheduled for each day will be broadcast live on Comcast CableChannel 10 and streamed live on the school system website at www.knoxschools.org.
Community members who wish to submit questions electronically for the candidates to address may do so by e-mailing the questions to the Knox County Schools PublicAffairs Office at oaksr@k12tn.net.

The Board of Education will also conduct a called meeting at 5:00 p.m. Monday, March 24, to select a candidate to fill the position of Superintendent of Schools. The meeting will take place in thefirst floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building located at 912 S. Gay St.

Wednesday, March 12 - meetings with Bob Thomas
7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast meeting with members of the Knoxville Chamber and the Great Schools Partnership at the Chamber offices located at 17 Market Square.
9:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Meeting with local elected officials in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building located at 912 S. Gay St.
11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Meeting with the interim superintendent and his full staff
1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Individual meetings with School Board members
4:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. Meeting with teachers and school system administrators in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building locatedat 912 S. Gay St.
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Dinner with the Board ofEducation at Calhoun's, Bearden Hill 6515 Kingston Pike

Thursday, March 13 - meetings with James McIntyre
7:30-8:30 a.m. Breakfast meeting with members ofthe Knoxville Chamber and the Great Schools Partnership at the Chamber offices located at 17 Market Square.
9:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m. Meeting with local electe dofficials in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building located at 912 S. Gay St.
11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Meeting with the interim superintendent and his full staff
1:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Individual meetings with School Board members
4:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. Meeting with teachers and school system administrators in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building locatedat 912 S. Gay St.
5:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. James McIntyre will meetwith interested members of the community in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew JohnsonBuilding located at 912 S. Gay St.
6:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Bob Thomas will meet with interested members of the community in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building located at 912 S. Gay St.
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Dinner with the Board ofEducation at Calhoun's, Bearden Hill 6515 KingstonPike

Friday, March 14 - meetings with Brian Binggeli
9:00-10:00 a.m. Breakfast meeting with members of the Knoxville Chamber and the Great Schools Partnership at the Chamber offices locatedat 17 Market Square.
10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Meeting with local elected officials in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building located at 912 S. Gay St.
11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. Meeting with the interim superintendent and his full staff
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Meeting with interested members of the community in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building locatedat 912 S. Gay St.
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Individual meetings with School Board members
4:00 p.m. -5:00 p.m. Meeting with teachers and school system administrators in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building locatedat 912 S. Gay St.
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Dinner with the Board ofEducation at Peerless, 320 N. Peters Rd.

2008-03-04T14:27:00.000-08:00

Interviews scheduled for superintendent candidates

The Knox County Board of Education has established the schedule below to conduct interviews with candidates for superintendent. The Board of Education will meet in called session immediately following the March 10 meeting to select finalists for the position and to establish a plan for site visits.

All interviews and the called meeting will be conducted in the first floor boardroom of the Andrew Johnson Building located at 912 S. Gay St.

Thursday, March 6
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Robert Thomas, Knox County Schools, Knoxville,Tennessee

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Eric Williams, Collier County Public Schools,Naples, Florida

Friday, March 7
9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. James McIntyre, Boston Public Schools, Boston,Massachusetts

Saturday, March 8
10:00 a.m. - Noon Brian Binggeli, Fairfax County Public Schools,Falls Church, Virginia

Monday, March 10
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Donna Wright, Knox County Schools, Knoxville,Tennessee

Please feel free to send me an e-mail tdeakins@gmail.com with your thoughts. I am happy to hear from you during this process but I may not respond until after all of the interviews.

Please Note - the interviews are not closed and are part of public record.

2008-02-20T14:41:00.001-08:00

KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS CLOSED Thursday andFriday, February 21 and 22.

Mr. Mullins has made the decision to close school for two days, Thursday andFriday, February 21 and 22 due to illness. He has been monitoring absentee rates, both student and staff, and has conferred with Dr. Buchanan at the Health Department.

2008-01-25T07:12:00.000-08:00

January 24, 2008

Knox County student transfer applications available January 28

Families that wish to send their children to aKnox County School outside their designated school zone may apply for student transfers from Jan. 28 until Feb. 22.

Transfer request forms are available at students'zoned schools. Forms are to be completed and left at the school for further processing.

Families living outside Knox County that wish to send a child to a Knox County school should fill out a form at the desired school.

Notification of approved and disapprovedapplications will be mailed in March.

For additional information regarding transfer dates and procedures, contact the Knox County Schools transfer office at 594-1503.

2007-12-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas From The Deakins

2007-11-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

KCS & Trane Partner To Save Energy & Save Money

Three students to win $1000 savings bonds

Knox County Schools and one of its newest Partners in Education, Trane, a leading global provider of indoor comfort systems and comprehensive facility solutions, have teamed to conduct a light switch plate design contest for Knox County Schools students.

With utilities costs exceeding $ 12 million dollars per year, the reduction of energy expenses in the Knox County School System is a top priority for the Maintenance and Operations Department, headed by Jim French. During the past several months, French has established an Energy Management Team within his department, and hired an Energy Manager - Zane Foraker, P.E., C.E.M. to head up the ongoing initiative.

One of the core goals of the Energy Management Team is the education of all facility users in the wise use of energy. Through a collaborative effort between Trane, and the KCS Energy Management Team an exciting contest is being conducted for all Knox County Schools students.
The contest is coordinated by the Knox County Schools Art Department, headed by Dr. Fred Patterson.

"The goal of this contest is to create an increased awareness of energy savings habits, foster student involvement in energy savings practices, recognize student achievement, and experience energy savings due to reduced lighting usage," said French.

This contest will involve students creating a design for a light switch plate sticker that reminds all facility users to turn off the lights in unoccupied areas. All of the students' entries will be required to be hand drawn, though the text can be computer generated, stenciled, or pressed on.

"The contest is sponsored by Trane as part of their commitment to community service within the Knox County School System and the Partners In Education Program," said Nancy McBee, business development manager for Tennessee Trane. "It is open to all students in the school system. There will be a preliminary round of judging at each individual school, which will produce one entry from each school. The one winning entry from each school will then be submitted to the Knox County Schools Maintenance and Operations Department to represent the school for the final judging."

Entries will be divided into three categories based on the level of school. There are 12 high schools, 14 middle schools and 50 elementary schools in the Knox County School System. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges who will review the entries and award points on four judging criteria: artistry, creativity and originality, overall impression, and communication of a clear and positive message to turn off the lights in unoccupied areas.

According to French, the final judging will take place on or about January 15, 2008. Each of the three students who create the winning entries will be receiving a $1,000 U.S. Savings Bond. In addition, the schools that these students attend will receive a plaque commemorating the contest winner.

"Most importantly, the winning design for each school level will be printed as a sticker to be used on light switch plates in all schools of the respective winning level. The grand prize winners will be announced at a Knox County School Board Meeting after they are selected," he said.

"If lights are turned off for one additional hour each school day in a classroom with 16 four-lamp light fixtures, the Knox County School System will avoid spending more than $25 per school year per classroom," said McBee. " This could result in a cost avoidance of over $100,000.00 a year. This is just one example of how small changes in habits regarding energy use can make a significant difference."

"I urge everyone to join us in the energy conservation fight - when you leave a room, turn out the light," said French.

For more information about the Knox County Schools Partners In Education program, please contact Scott Bacon @ 594-1909

2007-11-20T13:50:00.000-08:00

If you would like to participate in developing the profile for our new superintendent, please see the meeting schedule below. This is your opportunity to engage with the search firm and provide your input.

SCHEDULE
OF
GROUP MEETINGS
WITH
CONSULTANTS FROM RAY & ASSOCIATES SEARCH FIRM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2007 AND TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2007:

7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Community Forum – (north area) – Central High School Auditorium – 5321 Jacksboro Pike – 37918
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Community Forum – (south area) – South-Doyle High School Auditorium – 2020 Tipton Station Road – 37931

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2007:

7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Community Forum – (east area) – Austin-East High School Auditorium – 2800 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue – 37914
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Community Forum – (west area) – Bearden High School Auditorium – 8352 Kingston Pike - 37919

The meetings are for the public to provide input and school board members are not supposed to attend. This is your chance to be heard and I encourage you to participate!

Thomas

2007-08-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

First Day of School - Knox County - Welcome Back!

Today is the first day of school across Knox County. I have spoken to all of my schools in District 6 and we are off to a good start this morning. If you are experiencing any issues at your school please inform your Principal. Please feel free to drop me an e-mail or phone call as I am here to help.

PLEASE OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT IN OUR SCHOOL ZONES!

Let's have a great school year!

Thomas

2007-08-04T12:14:00.001-07:00

Article in the KNS this morning (8/4) - Clarification

I read the KNS this morning and noticed this article, http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2007/aug/04/knox-county-8212-one-circus/ by Brad Hill. Mr. Hill was right on the money until he pointed out an incorrect fact regarding the travel budget. Mr. Hill states, " No more inefficient globe-trotting (no joke — three school board members are flying to China to research our schools teaching Chinese)."
I do not know of three school board members that traveled to China. If three school board members traveled to China, the press would have screamed "Sunshine Law".

Karen Carson was the only school board member that made the trip to China. It should be noted that Karen contributed $1,000 of her own money to help cover expenses. The additional money required to cover expenses related to the trip was not funded by Knox County taxpayers. The trip was arranged through The Office of Chinese Language Council International, known as "Hanban" for short. The additional expenses related to the trip were covered through a grant from Hanban.

For more information on Hanban please visit http://www.hanban.edu.cn/en_hanban/gywm.php Direct from the website - The Chinese Language Council International is composed of members from 12 state ministries and commissions, namely, the General Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Overseas Chinese Affaires Office of the State Council, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Culture, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television (China Radio International), the State Press and Publications Administration, the State Council Information Office and the State Language Committee . President of the Council is State Councilor Chen Zhili.Governed by the Council is the Office of Chinese Language Council International, known as “Hanban” for short.

2007-07-31T16:21:00.000-07:00

Karen Carson named Tennessee PTA's Outstanding School Board Member

The Tennessee Congress of Parents and Teachers has recognized Knox County Board of Education Chair Karen Carson as the Tennessee PTA's Outstanding School Board Member for her dedication to the welfare and education of children."I thought it was a tremendous honor," Carson said. "Although it's an individual award, I see it as a reflection of the workings of the entire school board."During her 15-year involvement with PTA, Carson has held various offices on the local, council and state levels, including local president, council president and council health and safety chair. She is currently serving as the Tennessee PTA health and safety chairperson. According to the nomination letter provided by the Knox County Council PTA Carson has always exhibited poise, professionalism and grace under pressure. The group attributes this to her many years of PTA training and experience. In addition to holding offices, Carson has been an active participant at Knox County Council PTA events, as well as local unit events. She is also the school board representative to the Teacher Supply Depot, a joint venture between the Knox County Council PTA and Knox County Schools. "Parent involvement is essential in educating our children," Carson said. "PTA is a great vehicle to coordinate that involvement. "The Knox County Council PTA credits Carson with bringing the need for parental engagement back to the fore front of its agenda, and with being instrumental in helping the school system bring in experts in engaging families with the message to all families, parents and educators that parents need to be full partners in their children's academic career.
Carson, who represents Knox County's fifth district, was elected to her first term with the school board in Sept. 2004. Two years later, in2006, she was elected chair of the Board of Education.

Congratulations Karen!!

2007-07-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

BEP & BUDGET UPDATE

BEP

I am sure most of you have heard that Knox County Schools will receive more money from the State of Tennessee. The revised BEP or BEP 2.0 will provide Knox County roughly $19 million more dollars ($6M +$13M) than we received last year from the state. We are very fortunate to receive this money and the change to the BEP formula was not an easy task to accomplish. I would like to thank everyone that sent an e-mail, wrote a letter and made a telephone call to Nashville. I thank Mayor Ragsdale for his efforts. He continued to apply pressure to Governor Bredesen and the Legislature by reminding them Knox County was being short changed per the old BEP formula. Please send a "thank you" to the Governor, Senators (Senator Woodson chairs the Education Committee), State Representatives, and Knox County Mayor, Mike Ragsdale. I think the change to the BEP is a step in the right direction. The education of our children should be a key priority! Our children are the future of this county, state and country. We must make sure every high school graduate is prepared for the next level (work force and college).

Knox County Schools Budget

The 2007-2008 budget request sent over to the Mayor and County Commission - $368.08 million dollars. The School Board vote on 4/18/07 was unanimous in approving this budget request. The School Board will meet to discuss and vote on the final budget at the August 8 meeting.

The budget for 2006-2007 - $332.20 million

4/18/07 - requested budget for 2007-2008 - $368.08 million ($350.56M Base Budget + $17.52M Other Needs)

4/18/07 -Requested increase from 06-07 to 07-08- $35.88M

Fixed Increases for FY07-08 Base Budget - $18.36M

Other Needs - for FY07-08 Budget $17.52M

5/9/07 - Mayor Ragsdale recommended the school system receive $344.20M (Property Tax $99.67M, Sales Tax $105.97M, Other revenues $10.24M) and the additional $13.26M from the State of Tennessee (BEP) provides Knox County Schools $357.46M.

Updated Proposed Budget as of 7/19/07

The Superintendent and staff have worked very hard to present us a proposed total budget of $357.46M. The staff identified several key areas (textbooks for FY08-09 paid for out of fund balance and reduction in debt retirement monies) to reduce the original requested amount of $368.08M to $357.46M. The new proposed base budget - $346.52M.

As it stands right now, we are in a very good position. We have the money to fund the base budget ($346.52M) and an additional $10.94M to fund additional needs (literacy program, additional teachers, technology upgrades, emergency notification system and parent portal, raises for non-certified and certified staff, upgrade Administrative Assistant positions to Assistant Principals and additional money to the school security department (5 additional staff + pay increase for entry level officers). I am very cautious about spending our additional money. I do not want to implement programs or hire additional classroom support if we do not think we can absorb the costs in our future budgets. I will do my part to make sure we use your tax dollars to benefit our students.

I will provide the official budget numbers for FY07-08 after our meeting on August 8th.

2007-05-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

KCS seniors offered $44.6 million in scholarships

Students graduating this year from Knox County’s 12 public high schools have been offered approximately $44,616,194.00 in scholarship money to help fund their post secondary education goals.

The total is based on academic and athletic scholarships offered. It does not include State of Tennessee Hope Scholarships or any educational grants that students may receive based on economic need.

“This is the most money our graduates have been offered as a group since we began to keep these statistics a number of years ago,” said Laurie Driver, supervisor of guidance and testing coordinator for Knox County Schools. “This is over $6.7 million more than last year. Powell and Fulton High Schools led the way with the largest gains over last year. Powell had over a 150 percent increase and Fulton had over a 300 percent increase from 2006.”

“While Fulton and Powell had the largest percentage gains, Farragut High had the largest total dollar increase,” said Driver. “Farragut students were offered about $3 million more in scholarships this year than last year. That amounts to a total of about $14 million for the school as a whole.”

Knox County high schools reported that 1,138 students received scholarship offers. This represents about one-third of the school system’s 3,277 graduates for 2007.

According to Driver, 1,422 students qualified for Tennessee Hope Scholarships. This represents over $5.3 million in additional funding for post secondary study.

Congratulations seniors!

2007-05-14T19:37:00.000-07:00

Knox County Schools Superintendent Search

I would like your suggestions, thoughts and input regarding our next Superintendent of Knox County Schools. Please e-mail your comments to TDeakins@gmail.com and note the subject as "Superintendent Search".

SEARCH PROCESS

The search is open to internal and external candidates.
We will perform a nationwide search.
A search firm / consultant will be utilized.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Thomas

2007-05-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

BEP REFORM

Governor Bredesen Proposes Sweeping Changes to the BEP Funding Formula!

Knox County Schools could see up to $12 million increase for FY08,
with a total of over $26 million increase in annual state funding
as the new funding formula is completed.

How did this happen?

Governor Bredesen's recent "BEP 2.0" proposal is a bipartisan effort!

Led by bipartisan leadership in the legislative branch and the executive branch, Democrats and Republicans, we have been successful in convincing Governor Bredesen that the time for BEP funding formula reform is NOW.

Thanks to leadership from Senator Jamie Woodson, Senator Randy McNally, Senator Tim Burchett, County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, the Board of Education, and YOUR e-mails, notes, and phone calls demanding BEP funding reform, we ARE making a difference for the children of Knox County.

If you agree that the General Assembly should pass "BEP 2.0"
then e-mail or call with your thanks to our Knox County leaders
and to show your support for the following points:

- If approved, this will be the greatest increase in state funding that Knox County has seen since the BEP was enacted in 1992, and it will go a long way toward addressing students' needs, including implementation of an 'Excellence through Literacy' K-12 initiative.

- Momentum currently exists for improving education funding around the state and we must act while we have this momentum. The time to act is NOW.

- The new BEP funding model is clear, fair and easy to understand.

- We must support the funding mechanism for these changes whether it is through an increase in the tobacco tax or other sources.

- Our children deserve this investment in their future, and based on our economic history, our local economy immediately will benefit threefold for every dollar we invest in education today.

Please share this information with all PTA leaders and members, neighbors, and friends of education. Messages from concerned citizens in Knox County should make this BEP funding reform effort successful -
Send one more message TODAY, before the General Assembly takes action on this issue.

E-mail Addresses:

sen.jamie.woodson@legislature.state.tn.us sen.randy.mcnally@legislature.state.tn.us sen.tim.burchett@legislature.state.tn.us

rep.bill.dunn@legislature.state.tn.us

rep.harry.brooks@legislature.state.tn.us

rep.harry.tindell@legislature.state.tn.us rep.park.strader@legislature.state.tn.us

rep.joe.armstrong@legislature.state.tn.us

rep.frank.niceley@legislature.state.tn.us rep.stacey.campfield@legislature.state.tn.us

2007-04-11T18:17:00.000-07:00

HIGH SCHOOL REZONING PROPOSAL

The superintendent and his staff will present the high school rezoning proposal to the School Board on April 18th. The meeting will be located in the large assembly room at the city/county building. The meeting will start at 5:00 pm and will not include public forum.

The superintendent and staff will discuss the high school rezoning proposal with the School Board as a whole for the first time on April 18th. If you have specific questions you would like addressed please send them to me. I will do my best to get you an answer before the meeting or ask the questions during our meeting.

Please note that the proposed zones are not final. The School Board is scheduled to vote on the proposal during the May 2nd meeting.

Please use this url http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/index.htm#maps to access the zoning information as well as the maps. The letter sent to parents notifying them of a possible zoning change is located here http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/zoning/HS_Zoning_letter041007.pdf

Please feel free to contact me with your questions or comments.

Thomas

2007-03-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

Town of Farragut Election

UPDATE

John Williams wins! Congratulations to John and his supporters! John ran a great campaign and won the old fashioned way, knocking on doors. John received over 49% of the total votes cast in Ward 1.

Congratulations to John and his family!

The Alderman position - Ward I (north side) is the only contested race this year with three candidates vying for the position.

I endorse Dr. John Williams for Alderman - Ward I (north side).

John is the only candidate to provide his vision for the Town of Farragut and I applaud him for this effort. Please visit John's website http://www.jwilliamsforalderman.org/ to learn more.

The Alderman position - Ward II (south side) has the incumbent, Dot LaMarche running unopposed. I think Dot is an excellent representative for Farragut and deserves a vote of confidence!

2007-02-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

Sallee Reynolds Appointed as HVHS Principal.

I am very excited about this announcement and look forward to working with Mrs. Reynolds. The press release sent out this morning is located below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RELEASE NO: 07-016
February 14, 2007

Principal appointed for Hardin Valley High School

The Knox County Superintendent of Schools today officially appointed the principal for the new Hardin Valley High School in west Knox County.

Dr. Charles Lindsey named Sallee Reynolds, currently the West High School, to the position of principal for Hardin Valley High School. Reynolds will continue in her position at West High through the end of the school year.

“While we had some excellent candidates apply for the position at Hardin Valley, I am convinced that we need an experienced high school principal in that position,” said Lindsey. “The principal at Hardin Valley will have to hire staff, schedule classes, meet with many students, community members, and contractors as well as a multitude of other tasks in preparation for opening this school. It is a daunting undertaking even for the most experienced person. I know Sallee will meet every challenge.”

Reynolds has been an educator since 1981 when she joined the Knoxville Catholic High School faculty as a mathematics teacher. She joined Knox County Schools in 1989 as a math teacher at West High School. She was an assistant principal and Central High School from 2001 to 2003, and she became the principal at West High in 2004.

2006-11-18T04:55:00.000-08:00

Weekly Update

11/20/06 14:00 - The e-mail numbers continue to increase (1187) and I ask that you copy all School Board members on your correspondence, as a lot of the e-mail I am receiving is sent to me only.

Thanks,

Thomas

As of this morning, I have received 1,101 e-mails (455 are part of a thread or dialogue) regarding the HVHS school zone. I appreciate you taking the time to communicate your feelings, suggestions and thoughts regarding our zoning process. I apologize if you have not received a reply from me as I am trying to respond to you in the order received. Please make sure you send future e-mail to TDeakins@gmail.com as I rarely check my other account.

I know this may sound strange but I am looking forward to Monday night, November 20. I am ready for the Superintendent to present his proposal regarding the HVHS school zone. I know that a lot of you are ready for this process to move forward as well. Please note that the School Board will vote on the Superintendent's proposal at the December 6th meeting.

If you plan to attend the meeting on November 20th, please note the start time of 17:00. I suggest you arrive early as seating is limited. We will broadcast our meeting on live television as well. If you plan to speak during public forum please call the Board of Education office to have your name added to the list.

Rumors regarding the HVHS school zoning process continue to circulate all over our community.

R- The Town of Farragut owns the Farragut schools and all children residing in the Town of Farragut should attend Farragut schools.

A - False! The Town of Farragut does not own the schools. Knox County owns the schools located in the Town of Farragut. The Mayor of Farragut has stated several times that the Town of Farragut is not in the eduction business. The Town of Farragut builds and maintains the roads, sidewalks and parks in the town.

R- HVHS will not have athletic programs the first year it opens.

A- False! We will have athletics. The programs supported will be announced well before we open the school. We need to hire the Principal and staff before we can announce the exact programs.

R- HVHS will not have AP classes and a program that compares to FHS.

A- False! The classes offered will not be decided until we can hire the Principal. The Principal will have a very large role in determining the classes offered at HVHS. We have some great plans for this school and I am excited!

R- The community meetings back in October were "for show" and the zoning decision had already been made. The feedback and suggestions from the community will not be used.

A- False! The community meetings were for you to provide your input to the school system regarding zoning for HVHS. The Superintendent will present his proposed zone for HVHS at our November 20th meeting.

Please stay tuned for updates.

Thomas

2006-11-11T07:02:00.000-08:00

Speed humps have been installed at FHS to slow down traffic.

I received a couple of complaints regarding the installation of the speed humps with concern to damaging cars.

My answer - The lives of our children, administrators and visitors to our campus are more important than your car! If you drive the speed limit on our school campus and note the speed hump, your car will be fine. You might just save a life as well.

Please slow down and stay alert while driving in our school zones!

2006-11-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the Farragut Admirals with their win in the 2nd round of the state playoffs!

Farragut plays at Ooltewah on Friday, November 17.

GO ADMIRALS!

2006-10-31T10:44:00.000-08:00

FIS - Dr. Frazier Memorial Garden

I went over to FIS this morning to view the progress on the garden. The project is almost complete. The team of volunteers, teachers, PTA, students and the Frazier family have truly built a beautiful memorial to Dr. Frazier.

The DIY network is filming at the job site and will run this on a future show.

Thank you to everyone involved with this wonderful project. I could not think of a better way to have Dr. Frazier's legacy continue at FIS. I will post some pictures as soon as the project is complete.

2006-10-30T19:03:00.000-08:00

November 20th School Board Meeting

The proposed school zone for HVHS will be presented at this meeting. The meeting is our mid-month meeting and we normally do not have public forum at this meeting. I received several e-mails and phone calls requesting public forum at the November 20th meeting. I made the official request at our School Board meeting tonight and public forum will be available at the November 20th meeting.

In case you are not aware- The public forum is the last item on the agenda. You can register to speak by calling the BOE office or register in person right before the meeting on November 20th.

The meeting will be conducted at the Andrew Johnson Building. The seating capacity is limited and please arrive early if you wish to speak. We will broadcast this meeting on live television for those of you wishing to watch from home.

The December 4th meeting will not be at the A.J. Building. We moved this meeting to Fulton High School as we expect a large crowd. Fulton High School is the only alternative for us to broadcast the meeting on live television and accommodate a large crowd. This meeting will have public forum and we will listen to everyone that wishes to speak.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Thomas

2006-10-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

HVHS School Zones - Meeting Schedule

Just in case you thought you should be at the meeting this coming Monday, October 23.

The School Board will meet this coming Monday night for our middle of the month work session. We will receive a summary of comments and suggestions from our community meetings. The School Board will not be presented with the proposed zone for HVHS.

We will not discuss the proposed zone until our meeting on November 20.

I will keep you posted on upcoming meetings.

Thomas

2006-10-12T19:35:00.000-07:00

Karns Community Meeting - Update

Our meeting at KHS tonight was our final community meeting regarding the HVHS school zone. Several parents and students offered suggestions and voiced concerns regarding the re-zoning process.

I want to thank the students for giving their opinion and suggestions. I was very impressed with a 12th grader from FHS. This student had transferred from Arizona and wanted people to know that you can make new friends at a new school. She also noted that your school experience and education are what you make of it.

The main issues mentioned tonight consisted of; siblings attending 2 different high schools, comparable curriculum, varsity sports, voc/tech classes, safety (2 lane roads & traffic congestion), PTA, location of school (distance traveled) and ROTC programs.

All of the issues brought up tonight are very valid and concern me as well.

Thank you for attending the meetings, voicing your concerns and providing suggestions!

Stay tuned as I will update you as we move toward the proposal of the school zone.

Thomas

2006-10-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

Reminder - Community Meeting Tonight @ BHS - 6:00 PM

Reminder to attend the Community Meeting tonight at Bearden High School.

The school zone for HVHS has not been set and I urge you to attend this meeting.

It seems we have some people in our community that like to start rumors regarding the school zone for HVHS. We have not drawn the lines regarding the school zone for HVHS. The potential areas for re-zoning (not all of these areas will be re-zoned) have been identified and are noted in slides 11-22. Please see the presentation @ http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/index.htm.

Hope to see you tonight at Bearden High School or Thursday night at Karns High School.

Thomas

2006-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Update - Community Meeting @ FHS 10/3/06

I want to thank everyone that attended the community meeting regarding school zoning. Your participation, comments and suggestions were welcome and I can guarantee you that they were noted.

Thank you to the parents outside of Farragut for your participation. Your concerns are equally important!

I want to stress and emphasize that the School Board has not set the zone for Hardin Valley High School. The rumors are flying about areas being re-zoned and you should not pay attention to these rumors. We have not made a decision on which areas will go to HVHS. The School Board will be presented with a proposal from the KCS Central staff and the 9 members of the School Board will vote on this proposal in December.

The presentation from Tuesday night is available at http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/index.htm. Slides 11 - 22 list the areas in consideration for re-zoning. I want to remind everyone that we have not set the new zone for HVHS. In order to establish and set the school zone for HVHS, we must decide (School Board to vote in December) which areas will be re-zoned (slides 11-22).

I look forward to our community meetings at BHS and KHS. I hope we have the turnout and participation like we had at FHS.

Thank you again for your participation and comments. I want to thank the people that acknowledged our proactive planning / process. This is the first time the school system has provided the community 18 months notice regarding school zones.

Please check back next week as I will post more regarding this topic.

Thomas

2006-10-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

REMINDER - ZONING MEETING @ FHS - 10/3 @ 6:00 PM

The original meeting to be held on 10/10 has been moved to 10/3 @ 6:00 PM.

2006-09-26T08:56:00.000-07:00

County Commission Decision Regarding HVHS Funding

The Commission discussed the request from the School Board for the additional $6M. The Commissioners debated over three different motions but in the end, they voted to have the School Board fund the $6M from our Capital Plan.

I have posted the Q&A from e-mails and phone calls regarding HVHS.

Q - Why do we need $6M to finish the project?

A - The additional funds will allow us to have a fully equipped school for 2100, parking lots, baseball field, football field, track, softball field and field house.

Q- What can we get for $44M instead of $50M?

A - We could have a fully equipped school (everything noted above) for 1300 students.

A - We could build a school for 2100 students, some parking, and a football field and track only. We would not have FF&E or the other ball fields and parking.

Q- Is the school going to be built for 2100 students?

A - We are building a school for 2100 students.

Q-Where will the additional $6M come from since the County Commission told the School Board to use the money from their Capital Plan?

A - The School Board will meet to determine priorities regarding capital projects.

Q-Will HVHS open with no furniture, fixtures and equipment?

A- There is no way we can open and operate a school without this.

Q- Will the School Board meet to form a new Capital Plan?

A - We meet 3 times / month and I am sure we will discuss this but I want to wait and see the results from our facilities study. I think the data and conclusions from this study will guide us in the right direction. If the study was truly based on condition of facilities, population, projected growth and capacity then we have our answers.

Q- Will HVHS have 9th & 10th graders?

A - We will vote on this but I think we must open with 9th and 10th.

I hope the Q&A session was informative.

Thomas

2006-09-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

SIMS MARKET - STATUS UPDATE

Good News - The school system sent Mrs. Ray (Sims Market & Deli) and Mr. Hackworth (barbershop) certified letters stating that they do not have to vacate on October 4th, 2006. The sewer line connection from the buildings to the main line will be constructed by Mr. Bill Conner of Conner Excavating.

The work will start as soon as WKUD issues the permit and approval. The project should be completed by the middle of November.

Mr. Conner has donated the labor, machinery, and parts to save Sims and the barbershop. He has agreed to hook the Karns Volunteer Fire Department to the main line which saves the school system and taxpayers several thousands of dollars.

Mr. Conner's actions are truly amazing! Thank you Mr. Conner for your generosity and your willingness to give back to the community! I know the residents of Hardin Valley and Karns appreciate you.

If you would like to donate funds to help cover the materials required for this project, please contact me at tdeakins@gmail.com or ask at Sims Market.

Thomas

2006-09-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

County Commission Meeting - September 25, 2006 - 2:00 PM

The County Commission will discuss the School Board's request of an additional $6M for Hardin Valley High School. I urge you to contact your Commissioners as well as other Commissioners asking them to support the School Board in fully funding the school for 2100 students.

I am not sure what the Commission will come back with but I hope they allocate some funds from their side of the street. I truly hope that they do not ask the School Board to take the full amount ($6M) from the Capital Plan, Operating Budget or Fund Balance.

Thank you for your support!

Thomas

2006-09-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

COMMUNITY MEETING @ FHS REGARDING ZONING - RESCHEDULED

The original meeting to be held on 10/10 has been moved to 10/3 @ 6:00 PM. The meeting is still at FHS and had to be moved due to a conflict with another event at the school.

Thomas

2006-09-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

HARDIN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL - CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

The project is on schedule and we are "full speed ahead" for a 2100 student school. The footers in the gymnasium area are finished and the crews are working on the other areas of the school.

I attend the majority of the weekly meetings as I feel it is important that I understand the status of our project. The meetings are very informative and I am getting my education in "school construction 101".

I want to thank Steve Heatherly of Merit Construction, Doug Shover of The Lewis Group and Jeff Galyon of PBA. These gentlemen never get tired of answering my questions and always conduct themselves in a professional manner. I appreciate their efforts and commitment to the Hardin Valley High School.

2006-09-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

SCHOOL ZONES - SPEED

Please obey the speed limit in all school zones across Knox County.

Please slow down and be alert for students as you drive on our school campuses.

Our students are our #1 priority!

Thomas

2006-09-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

High School Re-Zoning Community Meetings

DATE TIME LOCATION AGENDA

October 3 6:00 PM FHS Community Meeting (Note the date change)

October 9 6:00 PM BHS Community Meeting

October 12 6:00 PM KHS Community Meeting

The Community meetings will provide information on the current situation at our schools as well as the proposed solutions to alleviate overcrowding. The feedback from the community is encouraged as we will provide a presentation of the proposed zones in late November. The meeting date (week of 11/27-11/30) will be announced soon.

Thomas

2006-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Cheryl "Cherry" Mashburn - Wal-Mart Tennessee Teacher of the Year!

Mrs. Mashburn is a 3rd grade teacher at FIS. I want to thank Mrs. Mashburn for her dedication and commitment. Thank you to Wal-Mart for this wonderful program as it is very important that we honor our great teachers!

Mrs. Mashburn will be entered into the National Teacher of the year contest and we hope she wins!

http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/events/Wal-martTOY/WalmartTOY.htm

Congratulations Mrs. Mashburn! We are proud of you!

Thomas

2006-09-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

The New High School - Hardin Valley High School - Update

We voted on Wednesday night to stay with the plans for the 2100 student school. The construction of the school will not be impacted due to funding as we have instructed the PBA team "full speed ahead".

We are projecting a $6M shortage which covers FF&E, baseball & softball fields, a field house and parking spaces. The request for the additional funding has been initiated to the County Commission and they will make a decision on September 25th.

Commissioner Griess voted back in August to delay the decision on funding for 30 days until the School Board could answer his questions. The School Board will provide Commissioner Griess and the County Commission with the answers requested. I hope the County Commission will take action and provide funding. The amount is yet to be determined but the request was for the full $6M. I feel confident the School Board and the County Commission can come to a compromise regarding the additional funding and both sides may have to provide the funds.

The School Board will not modify the school or cut classrooms as rumors have suggested. We intend for this school to provide overcrowding relief at FHS, KHS and Bearden. The school may have programs such as "Small Learning Communities" but it will not impact the capacity of the school. I do not want to provide the projected numbers on year 1 but we most certainly will not open this school with 9th graders only. If the plan stays the same, I can tell you that a school built for 1300 students will reach maximum capacity before the end of year 2.

Stay tuned for pictures and updates next week.

Thomas

2006-09-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

UPDATE

I apologize for not updating my blog sooner but I have been very busy the last 3 weeks.

EVENTS ATTENDED

August 22 - Meeting at Karns High School to discuss new Hardin Valley High School
August 24 - Meeting at Bearden High School to discuss new Hardin Valley High School
August 25 - Meeting with tenants from Sims Market, Dr. Lindsey and Roy Mullins from Knox County Schools, and Knox County Commissioner 6th District - Mark Cawood.
August 26 - Attended and spoke at the Sims Market Rally
August 28 - Knox County Commission Meeting
August 29 - Hardin Valley High School - Construction Update
September 1 - Swearing in ceremony
September 5 - School Board Workshop
September 6 - Farragut Intermediate School - Tennessee Teacher of the Year Presentation.
September 6 - School Board Meeting (honor 2 students from Farragut High School for their perfect scores on the ACT - 36)
September 7 - Farragut Middle School Meeting
September 7 - Farragut Primary PTA Reception at FSG Bank in Farragut
September 7 - Farragut High School - Open House
September 8 - Ball Camp Meeting
September 8 - Hardin Valley Elementary Hero Day

2006-08-25T04:58:00.000-07:00

HVHS PROJECT - WEEKLY UPDATE

I watched the crew pour the first footer for our new school. I was excited to see the crew moving on this project but quickly realized that the footers will only be poured to a certain point. I say this because they need to understand the size of the school to be built and that decision will not occur until after August 28th.

The County Commission will make a decision on the additional funding request and the BOE will decide the actual size of the school on September 6th.

The project is still on track and things look good. I will provide details of the project next week and the completion percentages. I will start loading weekly photos as soon as "blogger" provides a "bug fix".

Thomas

2006-08-25T04:24:00.000-07:00

FARRAGUT INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL TOUR

I met with Principal, Kay Wellons, Assistant Principal, Lisa Styles and representatives from Knox County Schools Maintenance and Security departments. We performed a maintenance and security assessment of the school as well as the campus.

I must admit that this was a learning experience and an eye-opener for sure. We have some great ideas for FIS and I will share them as soon as we know the cost involved.

I want to give a big thanks to Mrs. Wellons and Mrs. Styles for welcoming me to FIS. The team at FIS is doing a great job. I thank them for their dedication and service to our children and community.

2006-08-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

FARRAGUT HIGH SCHOOL - TOUR

This morning I met with FHS Principal Mike Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds and his staff are doing an excellent job and I commend them for their efforts. I toured the school and saw first hand the issues facing FHS. FHS was built to accommodate the "open" education learning style / concept and this is a major issue. I saw the classrooms first hand and we have issues with portable walls / petitions separating the classrooms.

Did someone say portable? We have several portables at FHS as well. The portables are not equipped with communication to the main building and the restrooms are not operational. The "skirts" around the portables could use a visit from the maintenance department. A family of skunks decided to take up residence under a portable (can we threaten eminent domain) and FHS paid for the skunk family to be relocated.

The Science Lab is a major issue and we really dodged a bullet last year. The students were using bottled propane and came very close to experiencing an explosion. The ventilation in this lab is poor and supported by 2 very small hoods. I am very surprised the Fire Marshall did not shut us down years ago. We do have good news to report as the Natural Gas lines were hooked into the lab and we will have an operational lab very soon. The Bunsen burners are in the process of being converted to accept Natural Gas. The ventilation issue did not go away and must be addressed.

I will post more about the "issues" soon but I want to end this post on a good note.

The students and staff at FHS deserve to be commended for their performance and ability to cope in this environment. I observed several "full" classrooms as well as the changing of classes. The students have 9 minutes to change classes and I was very impressed with the "traffic" flow of 2100+ students. Kudos to the staff and students at FHS!

I will post more on FHS as we have some exciting news coming soon!

Thomas

2006-08-16T19:38:00.000-07:00

HARDIN VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL - CONSTRUCTION UPDATE 8/15/06

I attended my first weekly update /meeting at the HVHS job site. I did not go into this meeting blind as I read all of the previous meeting notes before the Tuesday meeting. I want to "hit the ground running" on September 1st (Official Day) and start making an impact ASAP.

The HVHS project is a big undertaking and managed by The Public Building Authority (PBA). The job site itself is very large as the grading and excavation work are almost complete. You can distinguish the locations of the school, athletic fields, and parking areas. The actual site for the school is ready and PBA is awaiting the final decision from the County Commission and School Board regarding the actual building size. The funding decision from the County Commission will be critical as the School Board will have to make a choice on what to build if the additional money is not appropriated.
The Heating and Air system will be a geo-thermal system and 400+ wells are scheduled to be drilled. The cost of this system is $4M but the pay back /ROI study compared to traditional gas, electric and hybrid models provides justification for the geo-thermal system. I plan to report more on this topic in the near future.

Please note that I will provide a status update on this project every week. I feel a true sense of ownership as this project is right in the middle of my district and will impact many people across Knox County.

Thanks for reading and look for an update next week.

Thomas

2006-08-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

Guest Speaker @ The Farragut - Concord Republican Club

I was invited to speak at the Farragut - Concord Republican Club on Thursday, August 10.

I had a chance to chat with County Commission Chairman, Scott Moore. I am glad that I met the Chairman and look forward to working with him over the next 4 years.

I was glad to see County Commissioner Mike Hammond from the 5th District in attendance as well as County Commissioner Elect - Greg "Lumpy" Lambert from the 6th District. Karen Carson, 5th District School Board Member was in attendance and I appreciate Karen taking the time to come and support me.

I provided a post election update as well as a "to-do" list over the next 60 -90 days. I take office on September 1 but I made it clear that I will not sit quietly on the sidelines until then.

I discussed my first task - educating everyone on the status of the Hardin Valley High School. I noted the need for all concerned citizens, taxpayers and parents to call, e-mail or write their County Commissioners regarding the proposed additional funding. The School Board voted unanimously to ask the County Commission for an additional $6M. The additional $6M will allow KCS to build a "fully equipped" school accommodating 2000 students. I must note that the original plans back in 2005 called for a school equal to Farragut, Bearden and Karns. The original estimated price was $40M but the project was delayed and the cost of materials went up after Hurricane Katrina. I do not want to look back and try to point fingers as I think we need to look forward and achieve our goal, a new school that will provide overcrowding relief at Karns and Farragut High Schools. Commissioner Hammond pointed out that this school will be a $50M school as the BOE added an additional $4M for a heating and air unit (geo-thermal).

The need for the funding is real and no matter how you look at it, the ROI on this school will start the day we open the doors. The ROI can be categorized as overcrowding relief and educating our children.

We also discussed the "Academy" concept as well as "small learning communities". I think we need to do a better job informing the public on these ideas and concepts. I hope we have additional workshops in the near future to inform the public and community regarding these ideas.

I look forward to hearing your ideas, comments and feedback.

Thomas