Yesterday on WBIR’s Inside Tennessee Fourth District School Board Candidates Sally Absher, J. Scott Clark and Incumbent School Board Chair Lynne Fugate were guest. Absher made a statement that she had heard that Dr. James P. McIntyre, Jr. is a Ray and Associates candidate for a Superintendency somewhere near Denver, CO. Ray and Associates is the consulting firm that Knox County has used in past Superintendent searches.
In addition, Absher made a “prediction” that should McIntyre leave that “his friends on the school board” could buy him out. Fugate correctly challenged that. However, a few weeks ago the candidates for Knox County Commission at large Seat 11. One candidate made a statement about what Mayor Burchett was expected to do in regards to the budget. Becker did a follow up stating that he had talked to the Mayor and no details have been ironed out with regards to the county budget.
I wish Becker had done the same by contacting Ray and Associates and see if they are presenting McIntyre as a candidate and as a follow up if he asked or if they are just talking him up as a prospective candidate.
What folks like Absher do not understand is that Ray and Associates are head hunters. They throw out names, qualifications like spaghetti on the wall to see what sticks. Superintendent searches are a lot like a College Basketball search, you may want and have Rick Pitino on your list, but the likely hood of getting him away from Louisville is about the time hell freezes over.
Absher needs to understand that she is running in the fourth district, not in Korryton. McIntyre and his family are constituents in the fourth. Making careless statements like she did on Inside TN almost ensures Fugate a 50% plus 1 win on May 6.
You can read Dr. Jim McIntyre’s contract right here:
http://agenda.knoxschools.org/docs/2013/CALLMT/20131209_258/2167_McIntyre Contract 2014 draft 1_1_14M final draft clean law dept approval.pdf
The School Board did vote for a contract that allows them by a super-majority vote to pay out Dr. McIntyre’s contract to the end if they wish to. That will be hard to do now. I saw Lynne Fugate did not deny the contract loophole was there.