Oak Ridge Today

Yager presents Brown-Forman donation to Roane Alliance’s Education Matters!

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Brown-Forman Donation to Roane Alliance Education Matters

Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager, center, presents a donation from Brown-Forman to the Roane Alliance’s Education Matters. Also pictured are Rep. Kent Calfee, left, and Allen Lutz of The Roane Alliance. (Submitted photo)

Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager on Thursday announced a new partner for the continued funding of The Roane Alliance’s award-winning Education Matters! program. Yager presented a $5,000 check at the beginning of the Roane County Chamber of Commerce regular monthly board meeting.

Yager presented the check to Allen Lutz, education and workforce development specialist for the Roane Alliance, on behalf of Brown-Forman—the global, multi-billion dollar company that produces and markets Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey.

The Brown-Forman donation comes on the heels of the Alliance’s Education Matters! program receiving an international economic development award earlier this month. The Roane County program won a Gold Award for Excellence in Economic Development (category 25,000-200,000 population) from the International Economic Development Council at their annual conference in Philadelphia. [Read more…]

ORHS hopes to win top reform prize in Nashville on Oct. 28

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Oak Ridge High School

Representatives of Oak Ridge High School, selected as one of the best three public high schools in Tennessee for growth in student achievement, will be in Nashville on Oct. 28, when they hope the school wins top honors at the SCORE Prize event.

Leaders, teachers, parents, and students of Oak Ridge High School, selected as one of the best three public high schools in Tennessee for growth in student achievement, will be in Nashville on Oct. 28, when they hope to win top honors at the SCORE Prize event.

The SCORE Prize, sponsored by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE, is the hallmark award for Tennessee public schools and districts that have made the greatest gains in student achievement. The prize will be awarded during an event that begins at 6 p.m., Oct. 28, at Laura Turner Concert Hall, Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.

SCORE is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan education advocacy and research institution that works collaboratively to support Tennessee’s work to prepare students for college and the workforce and was founded by Bill Frist, former U.S. Senate majority leader. [Read more…]

Roane State receives Dollar General Literacy Foundation grant

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Roane State Community College Harriman Campus

Roane State Community College has received a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to offer more classes that help adults earn their high school equivalency diplomas. Pictured above is the college’s main campus in Harriman. (Photo courtesy RSCC)

Roane State Community College received a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to offer more classes that help adults earn their high school equivalency diplomas.

The $8,000 grant will be used to assist with the cost of instructors, supplies, and instructional materials.

“We very much appreciate the support of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation,” said Melissa Browder, Roane County Adult Education supervisor. “Their contribution allows us to offer adults a path to a high school diploma, an accomplishment which can lead to better career opportunities and open the door for adults to continue their education.” [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools reassigns middle school principals

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Oak Ridge Schools Principals

Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, center, announced reassignments of middle school principals on Wednesday, including James Hundertmark, right, who has been Robertsville Middle School principal. Also pictured is Christopher Scott, vice principal of curriculum and instruction at Oak Ridge High School.

Principals at Robertsville and Jefferson middle schools have been reassigned, education officials said Wednesday.

Robertsville Middle School Principal James Hundertmark is moving to the School Administration Building, where he will be the special projects administrator, Superintendent Bruce Borchers said.

Meanwhile, Jefferson Middle School Principal Bruce Lay has been reassigned as RMS principal, Borchers said. Philip Cox, who has been JMS vice principal, will become interim principal. [Read more…]

ORHS has 11 seniors named National Merit semifinalists

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Oak Ridge High School National Merit Semifinalists

Eleven seniors at Oak Ridge High School have been named National Merit semifinalists. Ten are pictured above. (Submitted photo)

Eleven seniors from the Class of 2014 at Oak Ridge High School have been named National Merit semifinalists.

Semifinalists are students who score in the top 1 percent in their state on the PSAT, or preliminary SAT test. The students took the test as juniors to qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, or NMSQT, a press release said.

The students are pictured at left. [Read more…]

ORHS students commended in 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program

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Oak Ridge High School Commended Students

Ten of the 11 Commended Students at Oak Ridge High School are pictured above. From left in the front row are ORHS Principal David Bryant and students Sydney Buckner, Maria Dazevedo, and Vicki Huang. In the second row are Natalie Cross, Jane Abernathy, and Andrew Skipper. In the top row are Warren LaForest, Ian Barclay, Riley Fitchpatrick, and Nicholas Goldstein. Not pictured is Dasha Morin.

Eleven Oak Ridge High School students have been named Commended Students in the 2014 National Merit Scholarship Program.

The students are Jane L. Abernathy, Ian A. Barclay, Sydney N. Buckner, Natalie R. Cross, Maria M. Dazevedo, Riley M. Fitchpatrick, Nicholas Goldstein, Dasha N. Gorin, Vicki Huang, Warren J. Laforest, and Andrew D Skipper.

ORHS Principal David Bryant will present a letter of commendation from the school and National Merit Scholarship Corporation, which conducts the program, to these scholastically talented seniors, a press release said. [Read more…]

Tennessee officials announce commitment to increase teacher pay

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

Tennessee officials on Thursday announced a goal of becoming the fastest-improving state in the nation when it comes to teacher salaries.

The announcement was made by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman.

“We’re asking our students to be the fastest improving in the nation in education achievement, and the data is showing that we’re making real progress,” Haslam said in a press release. “Teachers are the single most important factor in student achievement, and higher accountability for teachers and proven results should be met with better rewards.” [Read more…]

School board accepts extra $250K to avoid funding loss, school shutdown

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education in two separate meetings on Monday quickly approved a budget amendment that accepts an extra $250,000 from the city, avoiding a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and averting an Oct. 1 school shutdown.

The additional funding had been requested by the school board, and it was approved by the Oak Ridge City Council in a 4-1-1 vote during a special meeting last week. After the council approved the extra money, the school board then had to amend its budget in two separate votes, or readings. Education officials are now expected to send the amended school system budget to state officials by Sept. 30. [Read more…]

Education Foundation awards Lawler Scholarship

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Ben Gavin

Benjamin Gavin

Benjamin Gavin has a life goal of visiting every country in the world. His studies abroad during his junior year of college will allow him to check off several countries on his list.

The International Relations Club at Oak Ridge High School generated his interest in international affairs, and the Dr. Adrian R. Lawler Exchange Student Scholarship provided a $1,000 scholarship to assist him in his studies abroad.

Gavin is spending this semester in Ho Chi Minh City, where he will have opportunities to study economics, humanities, and Asian religions. His studies took him to Tunisia this summer, where he researched the effects of the Arab Spring. Next spring, Gavin will head to Tokyo, Japan, to explore the language, history, politics and culture of that country. [Read more…]

Schol board to hear about budget, capital improvements, Common Core

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The Oak Ridge Board of Education is scheduled to hear presentations on the budget process for next year, capital improvement plans, and Common Core standards during a six-hour retreat on Thursday.

The retreat, which also includes presentations on other topics, is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the School Administration Building Conference Room at 304 New York Ave. See the agenda here: School Board Retreat Agenda.

Historic preservation awards to be presented to bank, school Thursday

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CapitalMark Bank and Trust

CapitalMark Bank and Trust Oak Ridge President David Bradshaw is pictured at the original Hamilton National Bank vault. (Submitted photo)

A nonprofit organization will present this year’s historic preservation awards on Thursday, Oak Ridge’s birthday.

Two awards will be presented this year, one to CapitalMark Bank and Trust in Jackson Square and the other to the Oak Ridge School Administration Building, formerly the Pine Valley School.

The awards will be presented by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association in back-to-back ceremonies Thursday afternoon. The first ceremony at Pine Valley School starts at 3 p.m., and the second at CapitalMark Bank and Trust at 3:45 p.m. [Read more…]

Council gives schools $250,000, school shutdown avoided

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Bruce Borchers and Mark Watson

During a special meeting Tuesday, Oak Ridge municipal officials agreed to give the city school system an extra $250,000 to avoid a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avert a possible Oct. 1 school shutdown. Pictured above are Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, left, and City Manager Mark Watson, who recommended the extra funding on Tuesday. (File photo)

In a short special meeting Tuesday, the Oak Ridge City Council agreed to give the city’s schools $250,000 to allow the system to avoid a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avert a possible Oct. 1 shutdown.

The one-time transfer will come from higher-than-expected sales tax revenues in Roane County.

The vote was 4-1-1. Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller, and Council members Chuck Hope and Charlie Hensley voted in favor of the extra funding, which had been recommended by City Manager Mark Watson. [Read more…]