Oak Ridge Today

TSBA recognizes Tara Kneiser, Laura McLean

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Pictured above are Oak Ridge Board of Education members Ben Stephens, left; Keys Fillauer, second from left; Laura McLean, third from right; Angi Agle, second from right; Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, right; and Tara Kneiser. (Photo submitted by Oak Ridge Schools)

 

The Oak Ridge Board of Education recently nominated Tara Kneiser to qualify as the Tennessee School Board Association Volunteer of the Year. In the first round of qualification, Kneiser earned the East District School Volunteer of the Year award. She now is one of nine volunteers from across the state who qualifies to become the State School Volunteer of the Year. This state-level award will be presented to one of the nine finalists at the TSBA Convention in November, a press release said. [Read more…]

Guest column: What do ‘vouchers’ mean to Tennessee taxpayers?

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By Tammy Grissom

A school voucher is a publicly funded credit or certificate whereby a student may be enrolled in a private school and apply the credit to tuition.

So, why should Tennessee taxpayers care?

  1. Vouchers use your money to help pay for a student to go to a private school that answers to private administrators and not you, the taxpayer. Public schools must answer to the people and are held accountable for the use of local, state, and federal educational tax money.
  2. Article XI, Section 12 of the Tennessee Constitution specifically states, “The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance, support, and eligibility standards of a system of free public schools.” Nowhere in our Constitution is the General Assembly directed to take taxpayer money and use it for a voucher system so parents can use public money to send their children to private schools.
  3. Private schools are not public institutions, and without proper oversight, the “qualifications and standards” for students may fall short of expectations and undermine the fundamental idea of equality in education.  Vouchers require the public to supplement these standards even if they are contrary to state and federal education law.
  4. Vouchers force the public to support two drastically different educational systems, one over which the public has no oversight.

[Read more…]

Clinton school board member inducted into TSBA Quarter Century Club

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Jim Webster Retires

Longtime Clinton Board of Education member Jim Webster, center, was honored for his dedicated service to Clinton City Schools at a reception before the November school board meeting. Among those who gathered to honor Webster were past Board Chairman Don Elledge, third from right; Mayor Scott Burton, second from left; City Manager Roger Houck, right; Councilman Jerry Shattuck, left; other longtime friends, and four of his children. (Photo courtesy Clinton City Schools)

 

Longtime Clinton Board of Education member was inducted into the Tennessee School Board Association’s Quarter Century Club during a recent TSBA Annual Convention awards luncheon in Nashville.

The two school board members who were inducted have served 25 years on their local boards of education. Those individuals received honorary life membership in the Tennessee School Boards Association. The other 2014 inductee was Harold Garrett of Haywood County.

[Read more…]

Fillauer named East director for state school board group

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Keys Fillauer

Keys Fillauer

Oak Ridge Board of Education Chair Keys Fillauer has been named East director for the Tennessee School Board Association.

The TSBA announced its officers and directors for 2015 at the close of its recent annual convention in Nashville. [Read more…]

Eby, school board vice chair, receives TSBA award

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Bob Eby TSBA Award

Bob Eby, vice chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education, receives the TSBA Level IV Boardmanship Award during a recent district meeting in Newport, Tennessee. (Submitted photo)

Bob Eby, vice chair of the Oak Ridge Board of Education, was honored with a Boardmanship Award at a recent Tennessee School Boards Association meeting.

Eby received the Level IV Boardsmanship Award, which was presented by TSBA Executive Director Tammy Grissom during the Fall District meeting in Newport, Tennessee, a press release said.

To achieve the award, Bob accumulated more than 200 credits in various school board activities, including attending TSBA leadership conferences, policy workshops, summer law institutes, state and national conventions, and a TSBA “day on the Hill” in Nashville, and he met with state legislators, the release said. Eby also presented Oak Ridge school board activities at various conferences as well as to local civic groups.

The release said Eby has served as a judge for state school architectural competitions and as an evaluator of other school boards seeking to be recognized as Boards of Distinction as the Oak Ridge School Board is. Level IV also requires a self-evaluation of board activities completed by the candidate for the award.