The Knoxville Chamber has sent letters to a number of Knoxville-area legislators urging them to vote against Rep. Niceley's amendment, which would have the superintendent voted by the public, rather than appointed by the school board. Here is a copy of the letter, sent from Mike Edwards, which states the Chamber's position:
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To sustain our economy and continue our economic prosperity substantial improvements are necessary in public education. We need to increase academic rigor and improve the skills of high school graduates so students are ready for the workplace or post-secondary training. These improvements will not come easy and will require the focused effort of a strong, professional school superintendent.
The current legislative effort to allow for an elected school superintendent (Amendment 3 to HB 3857) is bad public policy. The Knoxville Chamber is opposed to this legislation and would look at its passage as hostile to public education. I hope you will not allow such a vote to become part of your public record.
Knox County's superintendent of schools needs to have academic improvement and execution of strategies to increase the skills of graduates as his/her singular focus. That professional cannot be distracted by periodic elections.
The School Board is, and ought to continue to be, the place where public policy is set and the public's desires and the electorate's voice is heard. The Board should continue to formulate policies based on public input. But the implementation of those policies should
be left to the professional staff employed by the Board.
I urge you to vote against the amendment offered by Rep. Niceley.
Sincerely,
Michael Edwards
President & CEO, Knoxville Chamber
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Also, the Knoxville News Sentinel had an editorial on the proposed superintendent policy change, which was attached to Edwards' letter.
NOTE: This release was sent from the University of Tennessee communications department.
East Tennessee high school students will have a chance to explore the world of business and possible business careers during a new summer enrichment program sponsored by the College of Business Administration at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Called "Business Education for Talented Students" (BETS), this weeklong, residential program will run June 21-28. The program targets students from communities that have been historically underrepresented in business. There is no cost to participate.
BETS is designed to introduce 25 rising seniors from diverse backgrounds to the various business majors offered at UT -- accounting, finance, marketing, economics, human resource management, public administration, enterprise management, logistics and statistics.
Students must have a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. Complete eligibility requirements and application are available at http://bus.utk.edu/diversity . Applications are being accepted through May 16.
Program funding is provided by UT College of Business Administration alumnus Andy Taylor, a partner in the Memphis financial investment firm Gerber/Taylor Associates.
"One of Andy's goals is to ensure that the college's future students are prepared to enter the exciting world of business," said Sarah Gardial, associate dean of academic programs. "The BETS program will introduce students to the opportunities available in our college and give them the opportunity to become familiar with UT and life on campus."
Taylor said he wants high school students "to realize that they can achieve their dreams as long as they stay focused, work hard and get an education.
"My hurdles to success were many. I'd like to make it easier for our future leaders to achieve their goals."
Students will participate in professional development, real-world simulations, challenging team-building activities and business instruction led by the college's faculty. In addition to attending classes, students will interact with professionals from business and government during organizational visits, plant tours and guest lectures.
Knoxville Chamber CEO and president Mike Edwards recently participated in an education roundtable conversation with other community leaders, which was held by the Knoxville News Sentinel.
The group discussed issues facing East Tennessee public education and what steps need to be taken to ensure a bright future for the region.
Edwards said, "Well today … we can't write off 50 percent. So, whatever we've been doing that doesn't work has to end. And I think by the time we strip it all down we're going to have to get to individualized learning and individualized teaching. We've got to build a model that will do that."
Read an edited transcript from the News Sentinel's quarterly business roundtable.
The Schooled for Success program is looking for employers in the Innovation Valley to host students for a two-day internship this summer.
Eighth grade students would spend two days with the employer on May 28 and 29, learning more about the host company and what skills it takes to succeed in the specific careers of each employer.
The goal of the program is to jump start incoming high school students with the knowledge of how to position themselves to get the job that they want.
Click here to learn more about the program and download an application to be a host employer.
The News Sentinel, in its weekly series of community columnists on education, carried a piece from Mitch Steenrod, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Pilot Corp., who discussed raising the bar in academic preparedness for students.
He writes that the current market in East Tennessee hits the mark for some industries. But, he says that many of the higher wage providers are choosing other areas due to the available workforce. East Tennessee, he says, lacks an abundance of workers with the necessary skills to meet these companies' needs.
Steenrod finishes, "This retooling and re-engineering of the educational curriculum must begin and it must begin quickly. The bar must be raised in the educational high jump. We need to continually challenge our youth to set the next goal after accomplishing the immediate goal. We need to instill a learning environment that continually pushes for higher accomplishment."
The Greater Knoxville Business Journal this month had a column about how Roane State Community College, along with other academic, research and economic development groups, is proposing a center for nanotechnology workforce development.
The center would recruit and educate skilled workers who could assist the nanotechnology businesses in the Innovation Valley area. These workers would not necessarily need advanced degrees, but rather a knowledge of the processes being run at these companies.
A preliminary proposal for this project is due in April. Nanotechnology touches many businesses by way of everything from computer chips to cosmetics. Because of the wide variety of technologies, the prospects for jobs in this field are diverse.
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