Knox County Teacher realignment and Selling Out Our Kids

The Superintendent this evening addressed the Teacher realignment and how the student/teacher ratio breaks down and unveiled a three year plan for bringing the teacher/student ratio in line.

These middle schools will lose the following positions this school year. The teachers will not be terminated, they will be reassigned to additional teaching positions.

Bearden -2 foreign language teachers
Carter - 1 teacher
-.5 foreign language teacher
Cedar Bluff - 2 teachers
Farragut - 2 teachers
Gresham - 1 teacher
Halls - 1.5 teachers
Powell - .5 teacher foreign language
South Doyle - .75 teacher foreign language
Vine - 5 teachers
- .40 teacher foreign language
West Valley - 2 teachers

These high schools will lose the following positions this school year. The teachers will not be terminated, they will be reassigned to additional teaching positions.

Austin East - 2 teachers
- 1 drivers education teacher
Bearden - 3 drivers education teachers
Carter - 2 teachers
- 2 drivers education teachers
Central - 2 drivers education teacher
Farragut - 4 drivers education teachers
Fulton - 2 drivers education teachers
Gibbs - 2 teachers
- 2 drivers education teachers
Halls - 1 teacher
- 2 drivers education teachers
Karns - 3 drivers education teachers
Powell - 3 drivers education teachers
South Doyle - 2 drivers education teachers
West - 2 drivers education teachers

Should Drivers Education be eliminated? In my opinion. NO. Dr. Dan Murphy asked the question, what will it cost if the program were totally self sufficient. The answer $600.00 plus. The current fee is around $100.00. The fee was doubled last year, School Board Member Diane Dozier said "I didn't receive any calls last year when we increased the fees" Sam Anderson made an excellent point "What optional program or extra credit program/activity is self sufficient?" The answer is None. This program is a community safety program.

Debbie Monroe a parent of a 5th and 8th grade students advocated on Volunteer TV 8 tonight that the board seek corporate sponsorship for programs like Drivers Education and that the sponsor have the ability to display their name on the car. This is not a well thought out idea. Why would we sell out our schools and children? What price do we settle on to make our kids human billboards? I don't want kids should to the highest bidder. The problem in our society today, is the emphasis on brands and the brand culture. Why would we encourage a material world? Why would we emphasis stereo type branding?