Indya KINCANNON
2nd District School Board Representative

School Board Update

March 2007

Superintendent Buy-Out

Many folks have questions about the Board's unanimous decision to buy out Dr. Lindsey's contract with the school system.  I want to let you know my reasons for supporting the buy-out.

The Superintendent leads the entire school system, 53,000 students, and almost 8,000 employees.  He or she is responsible for partnering with parents, community members, business and government leaders, faculty and staff, and Board of Education members to establish a vision and a path towards high academic achievement for all students.  It's a daunting task that requires tenacity, passion, and the ability to motivate and inspire.  Eight years ago, when Dr. Lindsey was first hired, he demonstrated these qualities, but his performance has declined in recent years.

The Board of Education contract with Dr. Lindsay obligated us to pay him through the 2008 school year unless he violated a significant aspect of the contract. To put it into typical grading terms, we have to fulfill the financial obligation of the contract unless his performance falls to an "F" level.

Last year's Board evaluation of Dr. Lindsey's performance was a 3.19 on a scale of 5 (just barely a "C" on a rating scale of 1 to 5), and included recommendations for improvement. With no signs of change, the Board faced a very difficult decision: maintain a "C" level of leadership until the contract's end, or pay a one-time price and make a commitment to finding leadership at the "A" level our children deserve.

None of us took the decision lightly, and we're all too aware of the financial cost of buying out Dr. Lindsey's contract. Maintaining his position for another 15 months carried the risk of deteriorated leadership and morale, inaction, and continued delay in reaching our goal of a proactive, forward-moving system.

The outcome is less than ideal, that's for sure, but seemed the best available option.  When your leader's performance declines, it's time to get a new leader.  I expect it will take 6-9 months to hire a new superintendent.  We will appoint an interim superintendent next Wednesday.

Search for New Superintendent

I am committed to an open process with lots of community input.  I want to find the best-qualified person for the job, whether he or she is from somewhere else, or a home-grown talent.

I am eager to find someone who will keep us moving forward, who will give us new energy and focus on academics, and be someone who can garner community-wide support for public schools.  We need someone who has excellent administrative, political and leadership skills. 

The current School Board policy on recruiting and selecting a new superintendent can be seen at this link: http://www.kcs.k12tn.net/policy/c/ceab.pdf.  If you have any suggestions about criteria for a new superintendent, or the best way to conduct the search, I'd love to hear them.  

Parent and Community Meeting at Fulton , Tuesday March 13^th, 6:30pm
I’ve been invited to speak to the Fulton High School PTSO on Tuesday, March 13^th, 6:30pm in the Fulton Library. 

Fulton faces many challenges, such as a high proportion of students who read below grade level, and the highest student mobility in the county, which means students come and go a lot.  The school has not made Adequate Yearly Progress for four consecutive years under No Child Left Behind (NCLB).  The Fulton faculty and staff are ready to take creative and aggressive action to reach the kids who are not currently succeeding. 

At this meeting we will discuss, among other things:

• The implications of Fulton ’s NCLB status;

• Reform efforts, including academies;

• How to address the needs of struggling students while also making sure middle and high achieving students have ample opportunities and resources;

• How guidance counselors can help students during high school and prepare them for life afterwards.

North Knox Biz Group Meeting at Whittle Springs, Friday March 9^th, 8-9am

The kids we’re educating today will be the young adults you need to employ in the near future.  Schools need to connect to the business community and vice versa.  With that in mind, Whittle Springs Middle School is hosting the next meeting of the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association on Friday, March 9 at 8am.  The speaker will be Mark Field with the Chamber of Commerce. Benny Perry, principal of Whittle Springs, will be on hand to welcome everyone. I am sponsoring the breakfast.

If you know anyone in the business community that might be interested in attending, please pass this information along.

Thanks for taking the time to read this update.  As always, I appreciate your suggestions and feedback.

Very Truly Yours,

Indya Kincannon