Live updates: Community sounds off on what it wants in new Knox County Schools superintendent
Thursday was a big day in the months-long process of selecting a new Knox County Schools superintendent.
The Tennessee School Boards Association hosted meetings for various groups like Knox County Schools employees, elected officials and community members (see times below). The school board has hired the organization to conduct the search for a replacement for Bob Thomas. Thomas will retire at the end of June.
The meetings were broken up by job category but anyone was allowed to attend any event. All meetings took place at the Andrew Johnson Building, 912 S. Gay St., except the luncheon.
Here is the schedule:
10 a.m.: Classified employees (this group includes people who do not have teaching licenses such as cafeteria workers and custodians)
11:30 a.m.: City and county elected officials; community and business leaders; Knox Education Foundation leaders; school board members. This meeting will be at the Crowne Plaza, 401 W. Summit Hill Drive.
1:30 p.m.: Classified employees
3 p.m.: Central office staffers, supervisors and principals
4:30 p.m.: Teachers
6 p.m.: Parents and community stakeholders
Here are updates from our reporters about the meetings. This story will be updated throughout the day.
6 p.m. Advocates call for a superintendent who is deeply committed to reducing inequities
About 25 people from Justice Knox, the NAACP and the Knox County Education Coalition attended the evening session. They want a superintendent with experience in public schools, a culturally responsive environment for all students and a superintendent who isn't afraid to ask for more funding.
They said it's important that the next superintendent understands what commitments current Superintendent Bob Thomas has already made when it comes to eliminating disparities.
“This is not a one year fix or a two year fix, this is a long-term issue," Courtney Shea said.
They also want more implementation of restorative practices where students work on altering their behavior rather than just being disciplined or suspended.
Several of the people said they have been working on how to solve the inequities for years but said they want the superintendent to really listen to them.
“We would definitely recommend that the superintendent is out of his or her office and out into the community," Jacquelyn Vanden Dorpel said.
4:30 p.m. Teachers share challenges with technology and teacher morale
Two teachers attended the 4:30 p.m. superintendent input meeting.
One of the main themes from the afternoon meeting was how to continue to support improvements in technology and teacher morale.
"As these technology items are purchased through one-time funding, they're harder to replace when that funding source is no longer there," Carter High School teacher Michael O'Malley said.
Farragut High School teacher Kelly Loveday said the district is suffering from really low teacher morale following the pandemic and increased responsibilities on teachers.
"I've been teaching for 21 years, these have been the two hardest years of my career, hands down," Loveday said. "I think beyond it being teacher morale, I think you have a staff that is completely demoralized, like beyond the point of burnout."
O'Malley and Loveday said they want a superintendent who is willing to listen and seek out other voices. They are also looking for someone who is focused on students as people, not just as numbers or data.
"(Students are) people who have needs beyond test performance," Loveday said. "We're seeing that so deeply right now."
3:00 p.m. Principals push for a visible and equitable superintendent
About 15 principals, supervisors and central office staffers spoke up about what they want to see in Knox County's new superintendent.
Several principals and staff praised Knox County's alternative school programs and community outreach programs, but the main challenges they see for the incoming superintendent are issues with equity.
"I think one of the issues still facing us, although we're making great strides, and I think we're working in the direction, is providing equitable opportunities for every student across Knox County," Central High School Principal Andrew Brown said. "We're such a diverse population from East to West and North to South. ... I think equity is a big issue that someone is going to have to tackle."
Other challenges the new superintendent might face that these staff members mentioned were employee morale, recruitment (specifically for staff of color) and facilities.
Several personal characteristics were mentioned, but principals and central office staffers said they want a superintendent with strong leadership skills and a passion for teaching and learning, as well as someone who is relatable and innovative.
— Becca Wright
1:30 p.m. meeting canceled after no one shows
Only reporters and Tennessee School Boards Association staff showed up for the second meeting for classified employees, so the meeting was canceled.
11:30 a.m. government, business and community leaders attend luncheon
Around 80 people attended a luncheon for elected officials and invited guests. They praised the district's initiatives including the Elevate program, which supports students who are recovering from substance abuse. They also praised the district's current set up that allows some flexibility for schools to operate differently depending what the community wants.
But attendees also highlighted the need for recruiting and retaining educators of color, more vocational programs, a culture of high expectations and increased parent involvement. Several attendees stressed the need for better equity.
Girl Talk Inc. executive director and founder Denetria Moore said she wants "somebody who is passionate about leveling the playing field for our children."
Attendees differed on what personal characteristics they wanted to see. But common themes included someone who will make data-driven decisions, an engaged person who isn't afraid to fight for the school system and a person who understands the difference between different schools and the neighborhoods they serve.
10 a.m. meeting starts with staffers who aren't teachers
The first meeting of the day was held for classified employees, who work in the school system but don't have a teaching certificate. There was only one attendee, Cindy Buttry.
Buttry, a restorative interventionist at Karns High School, said she wants to see a more visible superintendent.
"I'm pleased with where we are and where we are headed. I think Knox County Schools are doing some phenomenal things. I think the restorative practices are good throughout the district. But I would like to see our new superintendent be more visible. If we are truly a school system that is about kids, it's important to get their feedback too," said Buttry.
"The same needs to happen with classified employees. We recognize teachers but we don’t do enough for our classified employees. We've got good hard-working people that are poverty level income that are doing some phenomenal things and that needs to be celebrated more. There needs to be more emphasis on what they are doing. I also think the salary level of our classified employees needs to be looked at. Our schools overall make them feel appreciated, but I don’t feel it's enough. The superintendent and board should be in convos about strategic planning and what's coming next. They should have an equal voice," she added.
Student meetings were held earlier this week
Before today, three meetings were held to gather student input. They were hosted by Knox County Board of Education Student Representative Raymond Jin and Knox Education Foundation Community Engagement Manager Kori Lautner.
Three people attended a meeting at Farragut High School on Monday, about 15 students attended a meeting at Fulton High School on Tuesday and eight students attended a virtual meeting Tuesday evening.
At the Fulton meeting, students listed several things they'd like to continue, including the ability for principals to make decisions over block schedules; access to school therapists and multiple clubs; ability for students to share views through protests; and a general sense that the district is "trying" to be inclusive.
They want the school system to improve the quality of cafeteria food, training of technology for teachers and time window of the transfer window. Students also want gender-inclusive bathrooms, menstruation products in bathrooms and better support for students struggling with vaping or drug addiction.
In a large district with close to 60,000 students, they said it's important a superintendent understands the cultural differences between each school.
The students listed preferred characteristics in a new superintendent including a person of color, a person who attended KCS or had a child in KCS, a person with teaching experience. They also said a person in their forties or fifties might be able to relate to what students are going through better.
— Isabel Lohman
Isabel Lohman reports on children's education, health, welfare and opportunities in East Tennessee
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Becca Wright: Higher education reporter at Knox News
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Live updates: Knox County Schools gathers feedback on superintendent
