There’s not much local support for the governor’s idea of dropping the salary scale for teachers, but some educators see possible value in providing salary flexibility for school districts.
The governor’s proposal to increase class sizes in the elementary schools, and to base the state’s payments on those maximums, could mean a significant loss of revenue for teaching positions in Polk County.
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2010
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Candidates for school board were recently asked what they feel is the primary responsibility of the board, why they are running, how the school board can improve education, what they think would make them a good school board member, what the top priorities for education are, and why voters should choose them.
Candidates for school board were recently
asked what they feel is the primary responsibility of the board, why they are
running, how the school board can improve education, what they think would make
them a good school board member, what the top priorities for education are, and
why voters should choose them.
District 2
Harmon Harden, 37, PCHS graduate, has
been a school board member for 4 years, currently employed with Whirlpool.
The most important function of the school
board is to try to get the best education possible for the children. The better
the education the more it will help them later on in life.
I graduated from here and am proud to be
from here. I have a daughter who is in the 3rd grade at South Polk
Elementary and this is one way I can help make sure she gets the education she
needs. I think we have done a pretty good job. The test scores keep getting
better and I like to be a part of that. Being a school board member also helps
keep you up to date with what is going on.
The school board can help improve education
by trying to provide the best technology we can afford.We try to surround ourselves with the
teachers who can move children forward.
I think I get along with the other board
members which helps to get more done. I vote for what I feel is right. If it’s
not for the children and what I feel is the right thing then I don’t vote for
it.
I think top priorities in education are
graduation rates and having children go on to college and have the skills to do
well and prosper when they get there. This prep starts in kindergarten and goes
through 12th grade.
For the last 4 years I have done the best
job I can and I hope everyone can see that. I do vote for what I feel is right
and that makes me a good school board member. It is important to stand behind
your family virtues and I am proud to be from here. It makes me proud to see
our schools heads above other schools with not a lot of resources. Having a
child of my own in school pushes me even harder to make sure we do the best we
can.
Anthony Price, 40, GED, currently
employed with New Venture Realty.
The most important function of the school
board is to do what’s right for the children.
I want to be on the school because I have
sent 4 kids through school and I think I know what they need.
The school board can help improve education
by keeping with all the other states. There are a lot of areas to be covered
there.
I have sent 4 kids through school with 1
currently in high school. I am in touch with what they go through.
A top priority for education is making sure
that no student is left behind.
I will be fair. No matter who the kid is,
no matter how rich or poor, I will always be fair. I will treat each kid
equally.
Shawn Pritchett, 35, Ocoee, Bachelor’s
Degree in History and Political Science from Lee University, Bachelor’s Degree
in Business Management from Bryan College, Masters and Education Specialist
degrees from Tennessee Technological University in Educational Leadership,
currently a teacher at Murray County High School.
The most important functions of the school
board are to focus on the needs of the children and to serve the community for
the needs of the children.
I am running because I want children to be
first and I don’t think that happens.
By working with the community and teachers
we can improve education. I am a teacher so I see what happens first hand when
the school board makes a decision and it affects the classroom. Education is
about preparing our children to be future leaders, prepare them for industry,
college, and to be better leaders of tomorrow. We need to establish goals and
work with the parents and children to meet those goals.
The top priorities for education are to
meet the needs of the students. To get them prepared new industry likeVolkswagen. Education is the key and we
have to supply that key to success.
I’m experienced and know what’s happening
in the classroom. I am willing to travel around and listen to the concerns of
the community. I have the training and ability. I have a small child and like
any parent I want the best for my child.
Gary Silvers, 45, Polk County High
School graduate, self-employed as a contractor. Has served on the school board
for 14 years and is currently vice-chairman.
Currently there is an HVAC upgrade project
underway for the school system and Board members are awaiting word from Terry
Townsend and the state for financial approval. They won’t do it unless we can
afford it and that is a good thing.
The function of the school board is to plan
for education, to set policy and to promote the school system.
I want to help the school system where the
water meets the wheel, which is where the student meets the book. I want to
help make sure they have what they need to succeed. We have 3800 students in
our school system and an 18 million dollar budget--we have to plan and prepare
for them to get an education they want and not just one that is forced.
I want to help students get the education
they deserve and need. That begins with the learning atmosphere from the
building structure to the text book. In education, I feel it is important to
let the teacher teach the child—one on one teacher pupil education, not just
relying on testing.
Integrity is the key to being a successful
board member. To be a successful board member, or in anything you do, you
should make every decision to the best of your knowledge and to the side of
right. When I make a decision or a vote I am going to know what I am voting
for. I make sure to get the most information that is there before I make a
vote.
I will always do my best to serve the
community. I am proud to be a Polk County Citizen and taxpayer. I have had two
girls go through this school system, one is still in school, and I feel like
it’s not just my kids I am working for but it’s the whole 3800. Whether you are
from Copperhill or my district I want what is best for our kids.
The governor’s proposal to increase class sizes in the elementary schools, and to base the state’s payments on those maximums, could mean a significant loss of revenue for teaching positions in Polk County.
At the Jan. 19 meeting, commissioners were told that the Library Board would like to move the library from the lower level of the Courthouse to the building soon to be vacated by the Benton Family Health Care Center.
Teachers across the state, still reeling from last year’s loss of negotiating rights and a complicated evaluation system, now face a loss of a guaranteed salary schedule based on longevity and education.
The Library Board will be asking the County Commission for approval to move the library from the Courthouse to what is currently home to the Benton Family Health Care Center.
Video surveillance has been installed at the county’s convenience centers to identify people leaving garbage outside the fence at the convenience centers or throwing it over the fence when the centers are closed.
The collision happened around 6:45 a.m. Dec. 28 when a westbound truck carrying around 20 tons of calcine lost control coming around a curve on Hwy. 64 and flipped on its side.
Board members spent a majority of the meeting listening to a laundry list of ranging from mold issues to the proper wording on “no smoking” signs on the outside bleachers.
The IBMA Leadership Bluegrass, now in its 13th year, is an intensive three-day program that brings together the most progressive leaders to collaboratively challenge issues facing the professional music industry.
Lee University’s Encore Program, which offers people age 60 and over the opportunity to take university courses, has a new line up of specially-designed mini-courses for the spring.
Horse Trainer and owner of Double S. Stables, Randy Speegle of Benton took second place in the Legends division at the Mustang Challenge in Murphreesboro on October 21st – 23rd.
Local residents got their first look at potential routes for a Copperhill-McCaysville Bypass, at a public information open house held last Thursday by Project Engineers for the Georgia Department of Transportation.
Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Julius Johnson has authorized a statewide referendum for cattle producers to vote on a $0.50 per head increase in the assessment to fund the in-state promotion of beef.
While some students may be nervous about how the upcoming exams could affect their college options, the Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) has the tools they need to succeed.
Principal Mrs. Patricia Smith proudly announces the Copper Basin Elementary 1st and 2nd honor students. Students must have a 93 or higher average in all classes for the 1st honor roll.
Mrs. Deborah Swafford of Old Fort, was chosen by Northwest Elementary Faculty in Murray Co, Georgia to be Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 School year.
On Oct. 7, with the help of Vice Principal Turner, who kept her out of class for a few minutes to get it set-up, The Senior English 12 Class threw a Surprise party for Mrs. Ellen Carr.
Virginia Deloris Brown Trantham, affectionately known to family, friends and coworkers as “Sally”, age 77, of Copperhill, TN passed away Tuesday, January 24, 2012.
I just wanted to say a big “Thank You” to Cheryl Maxwell, Mayor Stephens, Linda Caldwell, and others who planned and carried out a very successful 2nd Annual Heritage Days festival in Benton.
There is an old saying, which many credit to Native Americans as advising, “You can’t really understand someone else, unless you live their life or walk in their shoes (so to speak).
Photo from 1910 provided by Bill Lillard shows the family of Calvin Higdon, who built the Higdon Hotel in Reliance. Calvin (1836-1919) and Amanda Linderman Higdon (1845-1926) were married in 1860.
From Polk County News, 9/13/34
Famous Monroe County Hotel Is Now No More
People from All Over South Visited the “Saratoga of the South” in the Good Old Days.
The Museum Center at 5ive Points will host a presentation on Learning to Care and Maintain Your Featherweight Sewing Machine by Stan Pegram on Saturday, February 11 from 10:00 - noon.
Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is offering a Cherokee language class in Vonore, TN on the following Mondays, January 9, 16, 23, 30, 2012 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Each day kids will create their own holiday spirit by making decorations, learning games and trying foods from the past. Campers are asked to bring a sack lunch.
“It was like seeing a freight train coming down the tracks 90 miles an hour and trying to stop it by stepping in front of it”, Coach Danny Rogers said.
The Copper Basin Medical Center’s District Board honored Dr. William E. Lee last week. Dr. Lee, 85, has spent a lifetime in service, not only to the community but to the world through his medical mission trips.
EPA is proposing actions to improve the water quality of the Ocoee from Copperhill to Dam No. 3, at Dam No. 3, and at the upper reach of Parksville Dam.
The Ocoee River Outfitters Association will conduct a stream cleanup with the help of approximately 130 volunteers on Friday, May 27, 2011 starting at 9:00 am.
Beginning in mid-January culverts will be replaced on Sina Branch Road where it crosses Sawmill Branch in the Ocoee Ranger District in Polk County, TN.
Drawdown is underway at Apalachia Lake, according to David Bowling with River Operations at TVA. He said the lake will drop 18-20 feet for routine maintenance work.
Trout stocking will be reduced about 20% in the coming fiscal year and could be reduced 85% after that, according to Frank Fiss, Assistant Chief of Fisheries at the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
TVA has created a smartphone app for those wanting to check on reservoir elevations, water release schedules and more. The information has been available online, but the new app will allow access by cell phone.
Unseasonably high temperatures -- in the 90s -- are sending folks to the water. The Ocoee Whitewater Center is a popular place when the river isn't flowing, and the Hiwassee and Ocoee are popular when it is.
People come from near and far to experience a variety of outdoor recreation activities including camping, picnicking, hiking, bike riding, water play, fishing and much more.
VEC was recently notified by a neighboring utility that they have been receiving complaints from customers who have been visited by scam artists posing as energy evaluators.
The Tennessee Historical Commission is now accepting nominations for its Certificate of Merit Awards to honor individuals or groups that have worked to preserve Tennessee’s cultural heritage during 2011.
The Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine offers personalized support for Tennessee residents who want to quit smoking by connecting them with trained quit coaches to guide them through the quitting process.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Consumer Affairs division is urging consumers to be wary of emails that request participation in a survey and that promise a gift card in return.
While many job placement firms may be legitimate and helpful, others may misrepresent their services, promote outdated or fictitious job offerings and charge high fees in advance for services that may not lead to a job.
The annual campaign has enrolled tens of thousands of children in the low-cost health insurance plan, which provides coverage for everything from physician visits to hospitalization to dental and vision care.
The Tennessee Department of State has launched a campaign to educate citizens about the new photo identification requirement that will go into effect for elections held in the state after Jan. 1, 2012.
All of the legislation approved this year, during the first session of the 107th General Assembly, is now available online at the Office of Secretary of State web site.
Applications for the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP) are available online at www.e-rebates.org/teearp or by phone at 1-877-741-4304 on a first-come, first-served basis.
Individuals who have received LIHEAP assistance since July 2010 must wait until October 1 for the new program year to begin before they can re-apply for benefits.
“Kids Fishing Day” event in Cherokee National Forest’s Ocoee/Hiwassee Ranger District is scheduled for May 21, 2011 at McCamy Lake. Anglers 15 years and under are invited to try their luck.
Ducktown resident Jack Suites and his partner Bitt Ledford of Murphy, N.C. took home the $700 second place prize at the Tri-County Community College Foundation Fishing for Scholarships Bass tournament on April 2.
More than four months after a spotted bass weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces was caught on the Ocoee River in Polk County, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has confirmed the fish as a new state record
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