Oak Ridge Today

Former superintendent Smallridge could serve as interim school leader

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Former superintendent Bob Smallridge could temporarily lead the Oak Ridge school system starting in January.

On Wednesday, Oak Ridge Board of Education Chairman Keys Fillauer said he will recommend hiring Smallridge during a Jan. 7 meeting.

Tom Bailey, the current superintendent, is retiring at the end of the year, and the board hasn’t hired a replacement yet.

“We felt like we needed someone driving the ship,” Fillauer said of his proposal to recommend hiring Smallridge as interim superintendent until Bailey’s replacement is hired and starts working in Oak Ridge.

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Oak Ridge school superintendent search down to three finalists

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Two candidates have dropped out, and the five-month search for a new Oak Ridge schools superintendent is down to three finalists.

They are:

  • Dan Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn.;
  • Neyland Clark, superintendent of South Harrison Community Schools in Corydon, Ind.; and
  • Roger Collins, superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education had scheduled interviews with five finalists. Those interviews, which lasted a total of eight to 10 hours, began Friday and continued Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Interviews for five superintendent candidates start Friday

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The list of applicants for Oak Ridge superintendent has been narrowed down to five, and the Oak Ridge Board of Education will start interviewing candidates on Friday.

The five finalists are:

  • Raymond Bandlow, who was most recently the superintendent of Fort Lee Public Schools in Fort Lee, N.J.;
  • Dan Lawson, superintendent of Tullahoma City Schools in Tullahoma, Tenn.;
  • Kenneth Sorrick, former superintendent of North Palos School District in Palos Hills, Ill.;
  • Neyland Clark, superintendent of South Harrison Community Schools in Corydon, Ind.; and
  • Roger Collins, superintendent of Nelson County Public Schools in Lovingston, Va.

Reception for retiring superintendent on Monday

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A Monday evening reception will honor Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Tom Bailey, who is retiring at the end of the year.

The reception starts at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, in the School Administration Building at 304 New York Ave.

The Oak Ridge Board of Education is hunting for a replacement for Bailey, who has been superintendent since 2002, and could consider a replacement on Dec. 8. The search is being conducted with the help of Ray and Associates, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

School board punts on proposal to restrict disruptive cameras

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Oak Ridge school board members sidestepped a potentially controversial policy change on Monday that would have given them the right to restrict cameras and video recorders that are used disruptively.

The five-member Oak Ridge Board of Education had been scheduled to consider a policy change that said it “reserves the right to restrict the use of cameras, camcorders, or other photographic equipment that interferes or disrupts a board meeting.”

That was a watered-down version of a policy change recommended by the Tennessee School Boards Association. The original version said “No one shall bring a camera, camcorder, or other photographic equipment to board meetings without the consent of the board.”

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School board considers right to restrict, but not ban, cameras at meetings

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Note: This story was last updated at 3:39 p.m. Sept. 15.

As originally drafted, the proposed policy change would have required anyone who wanted to use a camera, camcorder, or other photographic equipment at an Oak Ridge school board meeting to first seek permission from the board.

But education officials suggested it went too far. While school board members approved it 4-0 on first reading last month, they asked Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Tom Bailey to revise it.

“I don’t think we want to ban it,” Bailey said, referring to the use of cameras. “I think we reserve the right to is the right language.”

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Public meetings this week on school superintendent search

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A series of meeting this week, including one on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, will allow the public to tell school officials and a Iowa-based search firm what qualities they think the city’s next superintendent should have.

Tom Bailey, the current superintendent, is retiring at the end of this year, and efforts are under way to find his replacement.

Search firm Ray and Associates will lead meetings on the search from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesday’s meeting will be held at Robertsville Middle School, while Wednesday’s will be held at Jefferson Middle School.