I am a parent that will have a child in three separate schools next year. One in Hardin Valley Elementary, one in Farragutt Middle School, and one in Karns High School that most likely will be going to Hardin Valley High. So, I am very interested in this matter. However, I am concerned of the comments made by Karen Carson, the Fifth District and Knox County School Board Chair, that I have read from this blog. I realize that it may have been a quick, canned answer for BEP and other revenue enhancing questions. It was stated that you should begin contacting your legislator’s and becoming a proponent for the increase in the cigarette tax and asking that the dollars go to education. I am not a smoker, but to express her opinion in this manor is very irresponsible and judgmental. As an elected official please inform us of the option but keep personal and political opinions to your self. Then, to insult the parents by saying, “you, do not vote” is not winning my vote anytime soon. I hope that the future of our children’s education is not limited to just taxing another luxury. Spend some time and try to find some real answers. I hope this is not another wheel tax that I didn’t vote on.
A Community forum about the Hardin Valley High School Zoning was held this evening at 6:30 pm in the West Valley Middle School Lecture Hall. Nearly 80 citizens attended. Debbie Monroe, President of WVMS PTSA began the meeting by introducing Sallie Reynolds, current West High Principal and future Hardin Valley Principal and Karen Carson, the Fifth District and Knox County School Board Chair
Principal Reynolds first mentioned her 25 plus years in education. The past 3.5 at West and 2.5 at Central. Most of her time was spent at Catholic.
Reynolds believes in High Schools becoming small learning communities. She indicated that she would like to build a school that could be 2100 students into small learning communities. It takes getting to know the families and building partnerships. She also said that it takes all of us to raise kids and for us all to be truly engaged. She concluded her remarks by saying that she knows 3 things for certain. 1) It will be named Hardin Valley High School 2) It will open in 2008 and 3) They say that I am the Principal.
A parent asked How can it be a community school when you are pulling kids from Northshore Drive area?
Reynolds said that West High School is the most diverse community school in Knox County and she would work to make Hardin Valley just as diverse.
The parent said: Not for the current 8th graders, they attend a high school for one year 2007-2008 and then they are pulled into Hardin Valley.
Karen Carson then said that in two – three weeks everyone will know and the Board will vote on the proposal May 2, 2007. She said that everyone is living with the false assumption that the school system officials are working on and revising the old plan. She said they have wiped the slate clean and started completely over. She said that “it was absurd to take a peninsula of homes 12 miles away and move it into Hardin Valley High School.”
She said that the County Mayor’s study revealed that there are enough seats for bodies just that the bodies are not all living in the right area. They (school board) then realized that they are impacting 4 schools Hardin Valley High School, Karns High School, Farragut High School and Bearden High School.
Carson is advocating three positions. She indicated that she is 1 of 9 votes. But feels confident of two of the three having adequate support. 1) Look at natural borders like Pellissippi Parkway and the Interstate. There are 4 high schools in each quadrant and while doing this also look at middle schools. Like how West Valley Middle School is going three different high schools. If all of Cedar Bluff students were to all go to Hardin Valley High School that makes sense, then let’s do it. 2) Don’t move any kid currently at a school, grandfather them at that school. Assumptions are that Freshmen/Sophomores. will not be grandfathered, she is asking the staff to tell the board why and examples of why it would not work. 3) Sibling’s will be grandfathered.
She indicated that the Board is looking at all 12 high school zones for rezoning this year but the system wide rezoning will not be implemented until 2008. Next year the board will do a system wide rezoning of the elementary schools zone lines. The total march for the system wide rezoning of every school is three years.
The time line is that parents will receive letters with zone maps on or about April 9, 2007. The School Board Workshop will be held on April 18 for the plan to be presented to the School Board. On April 30 the School Board will have a School Board Workshop for Board Discussion and Public Forum and then on May 2, 2007 the School Board will meet and vote on the proposed plan.
A parent asked about the status of funding for the new school. She mentioned that it would have everything except a Softball field, baseball field and a field house. The School Board will be discussing their Capital funding plan on April 2 2007 with discussion and vote on April 4 2007. The Operational funds are those dollars that follow the students. She indicated that the School Board are putting off any other major buildings for a year. And that she could not support anything else until structural problems at Dogwood are fixed and Hardin Valley High School is complete.
A parent asked What are the percentage splits for West Valley Middle School with natural boundaries that she proposed and what will the population be for Farragut High School and Bearden High School. There was not an answer for that question.
A Parent asked about the idea of an open enrollment zone for Hardin Valley High School. Carson indicated that she is still pushing for that. She indicated that her 6th grader wants to go to Hardin Valley, however, she (Karen) will have to drive her there. Also, one of her older children that attends West High School will be driving next year and that will help.
Reynolds has indicated that she wants Hardin Valley to be a showcase high school.
A parent asked about the curriculum programming. Reynolds that will be my job when my contract expires at West High School this year. When visiting schools like one in Portland, Oregon it has small neighborhood learning communities but makes up one school. She said that she will have to meet with Central office staff, community and others to develop the programming.
A parent asked if Block scheduling will be utilized or not. Reynolds and Carson said that what every other school is doing in Knox County is what Hardin Valley High School will do. There are options with Block Scheduling that include combining studies in one class within a block for a 1 year program at West the classes of Foundations Math and Science are combined.
A parent indicated that she selected West Valley Middle School for the student clientele. She has a problem with Bearden High School because of the student clientele of Bearden Middle and Northwest Middle student clientele feeding into Bearden High School.
A parent asked about in a situation where you are zoned for Lotts, Farragut Middle School and Farragut High School but then are rezoned to Hardin Valley High School. Then there is a problem with going to Farragut Middle School. Carson said that she has talked with them about it and if they are being rezoned to Hardin Valley, then an available option will be to move them to West Valley Middle School.
Carson said in response to Farragut resident’s concerns about school buses traveling Watt Road near the truck stops that an available route is Everett Road that travels under the interstate and avoids the truck stops.
A parent asked if the proposal that will be presented will change much or be as fluid as the previous proposal. Carson indicated that she didn’t believe that the proposal will change much after it is presented, we (school board) had more input than ever before.
A parent asked about AP classes. Reynolds said that the college’s look at what was available at that school.
A parent said that we need to look at what we want to do instead of what we can do. There was discussion of ways to draw students to Hardin Valley with courses that are not offered elsewhere. But that was met with opposition by School Board Members Bratton and Anderson saying that we have to offer the same courses every where else. We need to get dollar issues on the table. Carson said there is a huge prejudice toward schools in West Knoxville. The bottom line is that it cost more to educate kids in lower economic conditions.
A question was asked about the way of selecting the teachers to go to Hardin Valley. Say that Bearden High School is losing 3 Math teachers but have 10 on staff. Will Principal Reynolds get to interview all 10 and select the 3 or would she be stuck with the notorious public education standard of “passing the trash” where the school will send her the three they want her to have. Reynolds indicated that she would like to believe that she can fill the vacancies with individuals that ask for transfers that she wants teachers there who want to be there.
A parent mentioned that a class her child takes at Bearden another student comes from West High School to take that one class. Will that be an option? Reynolds said that if there’s room, a student can transfer to a class that isn’t offered at their school to another school for a period each day. That will be an option.
A parent asked that with the zoning in place and open enrollment at Hardin Valley High School. Will open enrollment be available at other high schools? Carson said No. Reynolds said that as a Principal she looks at projected enrollment. Then the Principal will say that their school will take a certain number of student per grade Those transfers are then awarded by the date and time requested.
A parent asked about funding improvements. What can we do with BEP and other revenue enhancements. Carson said that you should begin contacting your legislator’s and becoming a proponent for the increase in the cigarette tax and asking that the dollars go to education.
Carson ended by saying the problem is that “You, Do Not Vote.” Special interest like Senior Citizens Vote, but not parents of students.
