Holy Shiite!
Clark's probably done gone to bed.
CANNOT WAIT for her to see this!

And, Mike, if you haven't returned my call before you read this, please do. It's totally about a different subject. Honest.

Nothing confusing about that, except maybe how one makes a one-day trip to Albuquerque from Knoxville?

You know, I can see why they were concerned.

Clark started this ball rolling when she gave teachers a voice -- about the time of this email, come to think of it. She invited them to come talk about their issues and promised to protect their identity. A bunch of them took her up on her offer, and, following Lauren Hopson's lead, later got up the courage to speak at the meetings.

And for those who don't know, Clark has been covering education longer and better than anybody in this county. She was a strong supporter of McIntyre for the longest time, and went to the mattresses for his humongous budget request. So losing her as an ally was a big, big deal. Even bigger than they knew.

Jim Clayton has his own plane. Pilots it himself, or used to.

More to come, possibly, about who is really running Knox Co. Schools.

But seriously, you do know this is yesterday's news, right?

From KNS, January 2009:

Taking the lead in development of a strategic plan that will spell out details of McIntyre’s vision is Jennifer Evans, the chamber’s director of workforce development & education. Her work follows the September release of a comprehensive report culminating the year-long Central Office Review for Results and Equity undertaken by Annenberg Institute for School reform, the school system and the Great Schools Partnership.

And Edwards and Evans are now writing the next Five-Year Strategic Plan.

I'd like to see the emails 'tween Edwards and McIntyre and SOS from th last big school budget battle.

You know, SOS used the KCS teachers' emails to promote attendance in favor of McIntyre's budget, then switched gears, asking for "teacher input" when some started to complain about the misuse of the email system to promote a political issue.

If Burchett or Jones had done it, many of the same ones with SOS and supporters of McIntyre would've raised hell. But SOS and their friends in Central Office just got away with it.

And I was wrong about focusing solely on firing McIntyre.

Fire both McIntyre and Edwards and find a new school board. That would be a good start.

Am I wrong, or shouldn't the fight be aimed toward Nashville? Isn't the Knox County School System doing what is directed because our STATE has adopted this method? Dr. McIntyre is our local head of education, and we should be putting pressure on him to effect change in our state's education policies. Doesn't Bill Haslam and his education commissioner Kevin Huffman hear from every school system's administrator? What it comes down to is that there are a LOT of federal dollars coming to our state for adopting the new standards. Isn't that true? So, that would tell me one thing...no changes will happen if it means loosing that money.

I guess the states teacher's union is in bed with the Common Core standards, and probably promoted it to be adopted in Tennessee. So, there will be no help for the teachers from the union.

Thanks for this information Randy. I find it incredible that a school superintendent and president of the Chamber would "talk to" a journalist in such a manner that clearly implies a threat. I find them to be simple bullies.

It's great that this information about our local news sources are being outed as pawns of the big players in town. Go Sandra! Go Mike! Let the sun shine.

How many teachers are in the Knox County School system? With that in mind, why aren't there thousands instead of hundreds at the board of education meetings wearing red?

I for one would love to hear how the “talk” went.

I’m sure she’s not the only one, and it could be insightful for the teachers and school board candidates.

I have no idea if Sandra Clark was "called on the carper" or not. She may have been, but you can hardly conclude that from this e-mail. The fact is if a columnist has been supportive and you see a change, making calls to that person isn't evil, it's intelligent. If, in fact, they berated her it would a bad move, but calling her is not.

The McIntyre trip sounds like part of the MUSE effort, so far privately funded, to bring a good children's museum to the city. Schools are generally among the biggest users of such a facility museum and involving the schools seems like a good idea to me. I'm sure he was digitally connected all day.

I understand the problems with teachers. The fabulous young woman who will soon be my daughter-in-law teaches 4th grade. Talk to her about it a lot. The many, many speakers at Board meetings have been intelligent, well spoken and made points well. I think they are making an impact.

But calling Sandra when she changes direction isn't bad on it's face. She can weigh in on how it was handled. If handled well, it was just the smart thing to do.

Feel free to jump me now as being a boot-licking toadie of the establishment.

Hey, gang. I prefer to keep private conversations private, but I'm pretty transparent in what I write. I met with Jim McIntyre at his request prior to the October board meeting and said essentially what's below -- this is from a "heads up" email I wrote to board members Carson and Kincannon on 9/22/13:

Indya and Karen -- I like you both and really appreciate the sacrifices you've made and are making to serve on the school board. After considerable reflection, I've concluded that it's time for Jim McIntyre to go.

My tipping point came with the demotion of Ken Dunlap (Powell High principal for 8 years). I stuck through the demotions of Jon Miller and Joel Helton at Central. I stuck through the witch hunt at Shannondale that got Arthur Spencer and Lisa Loftin. I talked directly with Jim about Miller, Spencer, Loftin and Dunlap.

His explanations are not satisfactory. I realize he's limited in what he can say about personnel, but I believe each school community should have input and buy-in on the chief administrative officer at its school. School staff should be treated with respect and not as interchangeable pieces of some cosmic puzzle.

Obviously, I continue to support you and funding for KCS. I support technology in every school, 1:1 ASAP.
I even support remediation for and removal of teachers who can't or won't pick up the pace.

But we're way too invested in testing ... Jim sees a community unhappy with KCS and expecting a remarkable surge in test scores. That's just not true. Most folks are happy with the system, support their local school and want their kids safe, respected and challenged. Don't mean to rant, but want you to know where I'm coming from. -- s.

The fact is if a columnist has been supportive and you see a change, making calls to that person isn't evil, it's intelligent. If, in fact, they berated her it would a bad move, but calling her is not.

I think you're missing the point, Mike, namely that McIntyre didn't phone Clark of his own volition.

McIntyre was advised to phone Clark by the local Chamber head.

Which is why Randy's title reads "How things work around here."

The pivotal question is, why should the local Chamber head be trying to manipulate our local media?

And since the disappearance of that WBIR story this week, another question has arisen as to just how often he's been trying to?

(Thanks for sharing, Sandra.)

Maybe it was so late at night that I was punchy, but the part of this that I found funny was Mac's advising Edwards that he'd already sicced school board members on Clark. I thought they were supposed to be his bosses, not the other way around.

...but the part of this that I found funny was Mac's advising Edwards that he'd already sicced school board members on Clark. I thought they were supposed to be his bosses, not the other way around.

I found that peculiar, too, Betty.

Mike, did you miss that, as well?

An expert on everything, proficient and capable of nothing.

He can't recruit or relocate business or industry to Knoxville or Knox County, so he points the finger and the blame at everything else from the terraine to the quality of our public education in Knox County. Doesn't seem to hold the recruitment of business and industry to Memphis or Nashville and does anyone actually think the Hamilton County School System is why Volkwagen and Amazon have laid claim to the northern part of Chattanooga and Hamilton County.

In my opinion, the problem is the man with the mouth full of rocks who continues to deflect attention, accountability, and concern over his failed tenure and inept ability at the Super Chamber to attract and relocate business, industry, jobs, and things necessary to build a local economy and what he has accomplished to justify $230,000 a year, plus perks, plus benefits, 401(k) for this baffonery from Chamber members and the public coffers is well beyond me.

Am I wrong, or shouldn't the fight be aimed toward Nashville? Isn't the Knox County School System doing what is directed because our STATE has adopted this method? Dr. McIntyre is our local head of education, and we should be putting pressure on him to effect change in our state's education policies. Doesn't Bill Haslam and his education commissioner Kevin Huffman hear from every school system's administrator? What it comes down to is that there are a LOT of federal dollars coming to our state for adopting the new standards. Isn't that true? So, that would tell me one thing...no changes will happen if it means loosing that money.

Alan, I meant to comment on this this morning...

Understand that the SAT-10 assessment being delivered to kindergarten students isn't mandated in any law.

Neither is that Tripod Survey students are being asked to complete on their teachers' performance.

Also, I've now spoken to two attorneys who believe there's plenty of wiggle room in the state law to adopt a teacher evaluation model not reliant on TVAAS--if the school system leadership were willing to support the change.

Furthermore, states all over the nation are now beginning to walk away from Race to the Top monies and develop alternative revenue streams. See Ohio and New York, in particular.

In short, board members' hand wringing is being overplayed.

There are several reasons for it, not the least of which is some of them don't read anything, anywhere.

I've spoken to one just today who has never subscribed to KNS, can't read it online, and hadn't heard of KnoxViews.

My guess, then, is that this board member would be even more unlikely to read any media outside Knoxville, either.

I'm more and more inclined to think they're people who get all their information from anonymous e-mails, forwarded umpteen times. Or from Jim and Mike.

I do think it starts with local dissent, Rachel.

When three of us met with the KNS Editorial Board about APEX in May 2012, nada.

When 300 teachers issued a press release indicating there'd be a pow-wow at the school board meeting, media coverage.

Recall that 63 (initially) supers signing that letter to Huffman generated media coverage, too.

Next, teachers and supers and school boards have to unite against first state officials, then federal officials.

I can tell you that I am already in communication with folks in Nashville and Memphis (and will soon attend a Nashville meeting of statewide attendees).

I thought you were a child of that era of "civil disobedience" (not that I'm planning any of that)?" That you went to Kent State, even?

It has seemed to me that you don't recall how to organize to effect change and I haven't understood that?

This is my very last post on local education matters. I agree with many (many, many, many) of your criticisms about what's going on in public education. But you guys are on a crusade, and I find crusades dangerous.

Tamara, I'm not arguing that local action is bad. Far from it. I'm just hoping people realize the complexity of the situation, and that local action isn't enough.

It's not an either or situtation. It's not a simple problem with a simple fix. It's a complex problem, which demands an understanding of all facets, and a bunch of different approaches - and an understanding that people can not agree 100% with your position or your rhetoric, but still not be the enemy.

The real issue is that we have a serious problem that needs fixing at the schools. And like it or not, communications is at the heart of it.

When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Well, let's team up, Mike. You focus on that "teacher/central office disconnect" and I'll spend some time and energy on...other stuff.

(Gotta run.)

One of the differences between a lot of us is this: some of us see value to what people from a different perspective say and bring to the discussion.

Others think there is no legitimate viewpoint other than theirs and reject and belittle anybody who expresses a different view.

"So others stepped in because the industry wasn't addressing the problems."

Somehow I never thought of public education as an industry.

What I am saying is that I believe if the Central Office and teachers had a better ongoing, regular, professional relationship there would be better policy by the administration and more support for policies at the school level.

I'm sure you're right if another administrator served as superintendent.

What I'm trying to focus attention on, though, is that the office is currently held by someone pretty keen on the ideology of Bill Gates, the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, the Broad Foundation, and the Aspen Institute.

His resume tells the story: He has actively sought involvement with and indoctrination from these groups his entire career.

It simply isn't realistic to expect that that relationship we both know needs to exist might exist with this administrator in office.

It's a very small gesture in the bigger scheme of things, but we can and should remove him and work to hold the line to preserve just a few public schools on just this little patch of dirt. I'm in.

I just got a robo survey asking if I knew the superintendent had only 1 year of teaching experience. Push 1 for yes and 2 for no. The only options. Just happens I just finished reading Screams from the Porch. I did not know that before. So I punched 1.

The spinners are spinning so fast and so hard they're getting dizzy and tripping foolishly around.

Cohen blames some vague "system" miscommunication for the troubles. And then praises one of the greatest schools (the Leadership Academy) where the loyal lieutenants are made to be political officers ala the USSR.

Rachel says it's some bigger, national, philosophical issue in what has to be the greatest attempt at re-direction and distraction away from her favored annointed ones.

If you only could realize how empty and desperate all your arguments sound.

Ahead of the called Monday School Board meeting (which will likely again feature a packed house or red-shirted teachers) in which McIntyre will again ask that his contract be extended an additional year, KCS principals are being rallied and urged - VIA THE KCS EMAIL SYSTEM - to attend the meeting IN SUPPORT of Dr. McIntyre. The email additionally states that a previously-scheduled meeting was being cancelled so as to allow principals who would have otherwise had a prior commitment to attend.

I have seen this email and can attest to it's existence with 100% certainty.

I think it's disgusting.

Can you imagine if one of the lowly TEACHERS (oops - Human Capital, sorry Dr. McIntyre) had used the KCS email system to urge OTHER teachers to attend in PROTEST of the contract extension? I think we all can imagine what would happen.

Got this in my Inbox a few minutes ago. It is ridiculously funny.

(link...)

Damn hippie blog indeed.

Speaking of the poll...are we not all now discussing the very same issues that the Focus has editorialized for the past 3 years?

External influences have been shown to account for close to 90% of a child's successes or failures, and a teacher and school have less than a 10% effect on a child's performance on these "MAGIC" tests.

I think reasonable people understand the degree to which a good teacher may or may not compensate for deficiencies of environment or nature.

Still, I agree that we need to be disseminating more tracts of a Marguerite Roza antithesis.

McIntyre wasn't hired as a teacher, or even to represent teachers. he was hired as a politician and he's performed just the way he was supposed to.

In this town everything from education to safety is compromised by politics, greed and corruption. I support the teachers.. the 50% of them that do their jobs. The other half got their jobs because they know somebody in schools administration. There are excellent qualified teachers with 20 years experience, the best scores on their students tests working at Wendy's or substituting for 67.50 a day while the very school that McIntyre sends his children to hires teachers with no experience who took six years to earn an education degree. did I mention that teacher's two parents are principals? How about a teacher 24 years old with no experience, poor academic performance in college, several DUIs and possession of marijuana on her record since she graduated? No problem, she was hired because her father is politically connected in Knox County

Knox County could improve the quality of education without spending a dime just by instituting nepotism policy and hiring the most qualified rather than the most connected teachers.