Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Schools staff, students donate almost $14K to United Way

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Oak Ridge Schools and United Way Mike Haygood

Picture above, from left to right are Jefferson Middle School Principal Phil Cox; Rick Morrow, executive director of United Way of Anderson County; JMS Assistant Principal Mike Haygood; and Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Schools staff and students once again stepped up in a big way and donated nearly $14,000 to the United Way of Anderson County’s 2014 campaign, a press release said.

All donors were eligible to win a “Week End Getaway” donated by Tim and Becky Hooks, and this year’s winner was Mike Haygood, assistant principal at Jefferson Middle School.

The press release said the donated funds will go to support 32 agencies and 50 different programs that provide services here in Anderson County. Donations like these helped provide 149 families the supplies to grow their own garden this year, and each garden is expected to produce more than $450 of fresh food. That is more than $67,000 of fresh produce created from the $4,000 invested by UWAC donors.

For more information about UWAC services and to donate to provide this type of assistance to our neighbors, visit www.uwayac.org or call the United Way at (865) 483-8431.

Oak Ridge Schools offers tours Dec. 16; 30 slots available

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Oak Ridge Schools is offering tours of elementary, middle and high school classrooms on December 16. Only 30 slots are available.

The community tour is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. December 16.

“See how Oak Ridge teachers and students are teaching and learning while school is in session,” a press release said. [Read more…]

Second Technology Town Hall at ORHS on Nov. 25

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Oak Ridge Schools Logo

Oak Ridge Schools will have its second Technology Town Hall presentation and question-and-answer forum on Tuesday, November 25.

The presentation and forum are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. November 25 in the Oak Ridge High School Auditorium. Residents, parents, and students are all invited.

Superintendent Bruce Borchers will have a brief presentation talking about the benefits of Oak Ridge Schools launching an innovative learning platform that integrates technology, a press release said. Borchers’ presentation will be followed by a live classroom-based technology demonstration by teacher Chris Layton and his students at Jefferson Middle School. [Read more…]

2014 Election: Interest in mayor position, mall redevelopment, better ties with BOE

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Oak Ridge City Council Candidate Forum

Nine of the 10 Oak Ridge City Council candidates are pictured above. From right, they are Kelly Callison, Rick Chinn, incumbent Anne Garcia Garland, Warren Gooch, Gary Love, incumbent David Mosby, Pedro Otaduy, former Council member Ellen Smith, and Eric Tobler. Not pictured is Aditya “Doc” Savara.

 

A majority of the Oak Ridge City Council candidates said they would consider running for mayor or vice mayor if elected on Tuesday, and almost all supported the incentives recommended for the proposed redevelopers of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

The candidates were mixed on whether to bring back red-light cameras, and most seemed to think the city’s property tax rate is about right, in light of current budget needs.

Asked to grade the current Council as leaders, the candidates handed out grades ranging from “A” to “F.”

In a series of recent forums, the candidates generally advocated for better communication between the City Council and Oak Ridge Board of Education and, for the most part, seemed to be in favor of taking over Clark Center Park in south Oak Ridge, although their approvals would hinge on factors such as cost and property restrictions.

There are 10 candidates running for four seats on the seven-member Council in Tuesday’s election. Two of the incumbents—Anne Garcia Garland and David Mosby—are seeking re-election—and two others—Mayor Tom Beehan and Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller—are not.

Many consider it a critical election, with a business boom under way and major projects on the horizon, including the proposed redevelopment of the mall and the planned $6.5 billion Uranium Processing Facility at Y-12 National Security Complex.

The new Council is expected to elect a new mayor and mayor pro tem (like a vice mayor) during its next meeting after Tuesday’s election.

Here is a look at some of what the candidates said during the recent forums. [Read more…]

Letter: Eby a valuable resource to schools, community

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To the Editor:

Bob Eby has served as both a member and chairman of the Oak Ridge Board of Education. During most of his time on the Board, I was employed as superintendent of the Oak Ridge Schools, which gave me the opportunity to work closely with Bob on many school-related issues.

Bob was a tremendous help in responding to problems and decisions facing the Oak Ridge Schools at the time. His leadership and guidance were invaluable to the Board and certainly to me as superintendent of schools.

Bob has strong private-sector experience including excellent organizational skills which were, and continue to be, very helpful in analyzing and deciding issues facing the schools. [Read more…]

Repairs needed, school system considers three options for Preschool

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Oak Ridge Preschool and School Administration Building

The Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider three options for the Oak Ridge Schools Preschool on New York Avenue during a Monday night meeting. The building—which has lead paint that needs to be repaired, replaced, and painted, among other things—has to be renovated or vacated for the Head Start program to receive funding in the 2015-2016 school year.

 

It’s 70 years old and in need of repairs. Federal officials want it renovated or vacated by next year in order for the school system to continue to receive Head Start funding.

So, on Monday, the Oak Ridge Board of Education will consider what to do about the Oak Ridge Preschool, a building on New York Avenue that’s been on the repair wish list for years.

The school board will consider three options:

  • stay in the building and renovate it;
  • move the Preschool and its roughly 200 students to a different site, possibly by leasing space;
  • move the Preschool classes and split them up among the elementary schools.

There is one option that is not on the table, school officials said Thursday.

“We have no intention…of shutting down the Preschool in any form or fashion,” said Chris Marczak, Oak Ridge Schools assistant superintendent. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools ‘STEMposium’ convenes educators from across country

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Bruce Borchers

Bruce Borchers

Discovery Education and Oak Ridge Schools will host a STEMposium on Thursday. It will be an interactive discussion focused on best practices for providing students with the critical thinking and problem-solving skills they need to succeed in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers, a press release said.

The release said the event will convene educators from some of the most innovative school districts across the country, including Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Houston Independent School District, Grand Prairie Independent School District in Texas, Baldwin County Public Schools in Alabama, Richland School District Two in South Carolina, and the New York City Department of Education.

They will discuss best practices for building a culture around STEM education, the release said. That includes exploring how to implement innovative STEM instructional strategies, and the use of digital content and curricula to drive student achievement. [Read more…]

Guest column: Running for BOE to give hope, a voice to the 47 percent

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Laurie Paine

Laurie Paine

By Laurie Paine

47 percent.

What do you think of when you hear that number? As a parent, I can tell you that if that was my child’s grade I would be heartbroken, concerned.

“How can I help?” would be my next thought.

Well…

47 percent is roughly how many Oak Ridge students are economically disadvantaged. This is one of the most frequently quoted statistics recently, and sadly, it is often used to justify spending for less-than-stellar results. Rarely, the children behind this number are even given a face or a name…

So who are the 47 percent? [Read more…]

Guest column: The road to excellence

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Mike Mahathy

Mike Mahathy

By Mike Mahathy

“Thus we began. With a sense of adventure, with a determination to make the most of a situation, we started out…looking forward to giving the children of Oak Ridge the best system we could develop.”

So said Dr. A.H. Blankenship years after accepting the role of starting the Oak Ridge school system.

From the very beginnings in 1943, Oak Ridge leaders wanted the best for their children. They choose a road less traveled by in this area.

Decades have passed, but there has remained one constant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee: a great school system where students have excelled in academics, the arts, music, athletics, and have gone on to be productive Americans. [Read more…]

Letter: Paine the right candidate for school board

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To the Editor:

We are writing this letter in support of Laurie Paine, who is running for the Oak Ridge Board of Education. We have two children who attended Oak Ridge schools and are now pursuing college educations. We feel Ms. Paine has many excellent qualities that she can offer to the community by serving on the Board of Education.

Among those qualities would be her educational and work background. Ms. Paine has experience in both accounting and project management. As a project manager for several companies, Ms. Paine has worked with large budgets. She was the senior project manager for one company. We know personally that Ms. Paine is familiar with the Oak Ridge Schools budget as she has done research and has attended BOE budget meetings in the past. The tools she has gained with her business experience will prove to be invaluable in the budget deliberation process and other financial decisions the BOE must vote on. If elected, Ms. Paine will see to it that ORS and the BOE have financial accountability and transparency.

Secondly, Ms. Paine cares about Oak Ridge children and wants to make them a priority. Ms. Paine states that currently 47 percent of Oak Ridge students come from financially disadvantaged families. She wants to ensure that these students and all Oak Ridge students are given equal opportunities in our school system. She will work to fairly allocate resources to benefit all students, and she especially wants to give hope and a voice to those children with limited financial resources. [Read more…]

Schools notify parents of solicitation scam

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Christopher J. Marczak

Christopher J. Marczak

Oak Ridge school officials have notified parents of fraudulent school solicitations.

School officials have been told that unknown people are driving around town and soliciting donations for the Parent-Teacher Organization at the schools, Assistant Superintendent Chris Marczak told parents in a Skylert call on Thursday.

“We do not send parents or employees door-to-door to collect money,” Marczak said. “These people are not collecting for any of our schools. If you are asked for money, please do not donate and immediately contact the police department.”

Family Resource director to discuss ‘Breaking the Cycle of Violence’

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Jo Bruce

Jo Bruce

Jo Bruce, director of the Family Resource Center at Oak Ridge Schools, will discuss “Breaking the Cycle of Violence” during a Monday morning forum in Oak Ridge.

The community forum starts at 11 a.m. Monday, October 6, in the fellowship Hall of Grace Covenant Church, Trinity Center, at 320 Robertsville Road. It’s presented by the Women’s Interfaith Dialogue of Oak Ridge.

Bruce has held the director’s position at the Resource Center since its inception, a press release said. The local center, housed in Willow Brook Elementary School, is one of the original family resource centers established by the state of Tennessee in the fall of 1993.

In a summary of her presentation, Bruce said she will discuss the services she provides to families and students of the Oak Ridge school system in an effort to build trust and resilience. [Read more…]