Sunday, March 30, 2008

School Board Members..What Were Thinking? Pilot Good To Go!

There were five members of the Knox County School Board that voted to hire James McIntyre. Brian's Blog has already reached out to him and he has responded back. Brian's Blog is looking forward to covering McIntyre and his leadership of the school district. Brian's Blog believes that McIntyre or Robert Thomas can handle the job.

However, an avid reader of Brian's Blog has discovered that the Boston Public School system has a 57% graduation rate, while McIntyre was not the Superintendent at the time, he was on the district payroll as a high level administrator for 10 years.

Sam Anderson, who proudly boast that he has survived as a board member under 4 superintendents. The same Sam Anderson that was Victor Ashe's boy and is now a director under Bill Haslam. The same Sam Anderson that some people in Knox County refer to as "Five Vote Sam" because he always ensures that he is voting with the majority on the school board.

Sam Anderson, Dr. Dan Murphy, Karen Carson, Thomas Deakins and Indya Kincannon have voted to hire someone that comes from a district that graduate 57% of its students. A budget that is $15 million in the hole this year and where the Boston Public Schools is currently working on a budget next year that is $30 million under budget.

So, Sam wants to reduce the graduation rate at Austin East from 62.6%. Indya Kincannon wants to raise Fulton's graduation rate from 55.5% to 57%. We are not quite sure the message from Karen Carson, where Bearden's graduation rate is 88.4% or Dr. Dan Murphy where West's graduation rate is 77.3% and Mr. Deakins where Farragut's graduation rate is 93.8%.

It begs to question, What were they thinking? Maybe Pilot had some coffee that they were smelling. You know their coffee is always "Good To Go". But then again Pilot also "Gets You There". So with Bingelli Pilot got him here and some say that Pilot through their CFO got McIntyre here.

We are fairly certain that the board members voting for Robert Thomas were wanting to improve their existing rates. Jim Williams where Carter's graduation rate is 77.7%, Robert Bratton where South Doyle's graduation rate is 68.5%, Cindy Buttry where Karn's graduation rate is 76.4% and Rex Stooksbury where Central's is 69.4%, Hall's is 84.1% and Powell is 91.0%.

To verify the graduation rates, go here.

In today's newspaper, ace Scripps reporter Lola Alapo has polled the board and reported so that the board does not have to go to Sonic to know that they all support a performance pay contract. That is a great way for Scripps to assist the legislative body in not violating the sunshine law. Lola call them all and then reports in the paper that all are in agreement. Nice move McElroy/Hartmann. The quote from Lola's story that is code word to the board members is "All concur"

Sam Anderson has decided to draw a red-line around the city and focus the Superintendent's time in the red-line area of the school district. Here from the article is what Sam said. "Anderson wants a focus on subgroups of students who typically have performed poorly academically, particularly those who receive free or reduced-price lunches." So to the communities of Farragut, Karns, Powell, Halls, Gibbs, Carter and South Doyle. Those communities do not typically have performed poorly academically, particularly those who receive free or reduced-price lunches than the Superintendent's time and energy will not be spent on you. Because his performance enhancement contract will not pay the BIG dollars to spend time with those communities.

Here is another troubling nugget from Lola's article. "Although board members voted for a salary of around $240,000, they have the freedom to negotiate above or below that figure."

Oh, boy aren't we in for some fun, NOW.

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