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| Director of schools: OC system ‘very solid’ |
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Posted: Wednesday, September 5, 2012 10:00 pm
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By CHRIS MENEES
Staff Reporter
The results are in and the Obion County School System is “very solid,” according to Director of Schools David Huss.
He told Obion County School Board members at their session Tuesday night at Black Oak Elementary in Hornbeak that they will discuss school test scores at next month’s meeting — but he whet their appetites with a positive synopsis which drew applause.
Those results will include the 2012 TCAP and end-of-course test scores, as well as the value-added report.
Huss said the county’s school system is an Intermediate system and has no schools listed on the Focus list, which is the 10 percent of schools in the state with the largest achievement gaps between groups of students, and he characterized the system as “a very solid school system.”
He said the system is at the highest level which can be attained for the second consecutive year for value-added scores and all individual schools have very good evaluation composite scores.
One of the most notable achievements is Lake Road Elementary earning Reward School recognition for academic progress.
Reward Schools are the top 5 percent of schools in the state for performance — as measured by overall student achievement levels — and the top 5 percent for year-over-year progress — as measured by schoolwide value-added data. These 10 percent of schools receive recognition for their success under the accountability system.
In accordance with Ten-nessee’s new accountability system, designed through the state’s waiver from No Child Left Behind, the Tennessee Department of Education names Reward, Priority and Focus schools.
Graduation rates are also up at both Obion County Central and South Fulton high schools, according to Huss, and the system can now boast a 91 percent total overall graduation rate — up from a rate of about 75 percent just five or six years ago.
Huss commended all of the system’s teachers and principals for their efforts.
School board member Tim Partin echoed Huss’ comment and said all teachers are to be commended — especially those who were at Lake Road last year.
A number of teachers were transferred from Lake Road to other schools prior to the start of the current school year and the board had heard a passionate plea against the many transfers at its June session.
Partin said Tuesday night “maybe things weren’t quite as bad as some there were led to believe.”
Board member Willis Easley said he became concerned about some decisions and transfers recently made after he read The Messenger’s Aug. 28 story which noted Lake Road’s recognition as a Reward School.
“It bothered me,” he said, adding that perhaps he should have made himself more informed and looked at every aspect to evaluate the whole situation which left people “scattered.”
Huss told board members his door is always open to field any of their questions and Easley added he also believes the Obion County School System is “a great system.”
In other action during Tuesday night’s 70-minute meeting, which was opened with prayer led by board member David Lamb, the school board:
• Re-elected Brian Rainey as chairman, Diane Sanderson as vice chairman and Lamb as chair pro tem of the seven-member panel.
At the start of the meeting, a swearing-in ceremony was held for Rainey, Ms. Sanderson, Lamb and newcomer Scott Northam, who were administered their oaths of office by Obion County General Sessions Judge Jimmy Smith, a former school board member. The four board members were elected in the Aug. 2 county general election. (See related photo, Page 2.)
• Heard an update on a problem with cracks in some floors and walls at Hillcrest Elementary, a problem brought to light at the end of June. A structural engineer’s report indicated the problem is caused by soil shrinkage due to a lack of moisture, resulting in some exterior brick falling, some gaps and some door frames being squeezed. The report recommended shoring up brick, pouring concrete to secure brick and installing piers.
It was noted the building is considered safe and is not in significant danger of collapse, but the repairs need to be made.
The board voted to get a second opinion from another structural engineer before taking action.
• Approved a request from Obion County Central High School’s boys’ and girls’ basketball school support organizations to attach fixtures and make other improvements to the school gymnasium as part of a sponsorship program which will offer various levels of sponsorship to local businesses or individuals which provide monetary support.
• Approved monthly personnel, substitute teacher and financial reports, as well as technology declared surplus.
The personnel report listed the resignations of teacher Dana Shelton, tech support employee Ryan Matheny, custodian Andrew Cagle and educational assistant Morgan Norris; leaves of absence for teachers Matt and Antoinette Waites, Bethany Ellegood, Demanda Whitmore and Lynn Jones and educational assistant Jaime Johnson; and the hirings of teachers Mary Ann Burress, Ellen Crum, Robin Long and Ashley Wilbanks, nurse Vickie Crenshaw, custodians Thomas Stanford, Charles Kemp and Mike True, educational assistant Jasmin Stevenson, girls’ soccer coach Emily Belote and paraprofessionals Corey Stewart, Brian Wilder and Brodie Parrish.
The substitute teachers added to the list included Nick Piazza, Jasmin Stevenson and Marjorie Parsons.
• Reappointed Lamb and Easley, as well as assistant director of schools Nancy Hamilton, to the board’s ethics committee.
• Approved the certification of compliance with state code for the furnishing of required textbooks.
• Recognized school support organizations that are in compliance with state statutes.
• Approved the Tennessee School Nutrition Standards Act certification of compliance for the current school year.
• Approved on first readings several amendments to board policies, including those relating to the conducting of school board meetings, charter schools, separation practices for tenured teachers and non-tenured teachers, evaluation of the director of schools, suspension/expulsion/remand and student wellness.
• Approved on first reading a proposed board policy on the safe relocation of students. The system has never had such a policy, but it was required by law by school districts effective April 11.
• Declared old vocational textbooks as surplus and approved their disposition by the most economical method, sealed bids. If no bids are received, disposition will be through recycling.
• Approved four overnight student trips for OCCHS’ FFA chapter, including those for state livestock judging competition in Murfreesboro, a leadership retreat in Lavinia, national livestock judging competition in Harrisburg, Pa., and the national convention next month in Indianapolis.
• Heard a brief report from three OCCHS FFA students who attended a national FFA leadership conference in Washington, D.C., over the summer. Published in The Messenger 9.5.12 |
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