November 5, 2012

TENNESSEE ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS

  

Minutes

 

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

OPRYLAND HOTEL

LINCOLN B

7:00 A.M. TO 8:00 A.M.

  

The following TOSS Board Directors were present:

 

            Ms.Denise Brown

            Ms. Cathy Harvey

            Mr. Joey Hassell

            Ms. Sandra Harper

            Dr. Mary Reel

            Dr.Phillip Wallace

            Mr.Jimmy Long

            Dr. Mike Looney

            Dr. Bill Heath

            Dr. Wanda Shelton

            Mr. Johnny McDaniel

            Dr. Jackie Parton

            Dr. Dale Lynch

            Mr. Mike Willoughby

            Dr. James McIntyre

 

The following TOSS staff was present:

            Dr. Keith Brewer

            Ms. Susie Benefield

            Mr.Chuck Cagle

 

The following guests were present:

 

            Dr. Jesse Register, Metro-Nashville Schools Superintendent

            Mr. Wayne Miller

 

I.   TOSS President, Dr. Dale Lynch – Meeting Called to Order at 7:05 a.m. – Dr. Lynch introduced guest, Dr. Jesse Register, Metro-Nashville Schools Superintendent and Mr. Wayne Miller.

 

II.   Called for a motion to approve agenda.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  Looney

SECOND BY:  Hassell

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

 

III.  Called for a motion to approve Minutes from September 10, 2012 and September 26, 2012.

 MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  Looney

SECOND BY:  McDaniel

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

 

 IV.  Called for a motion to approve Financials for August 2012 and September 2012.

 MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  Long

SECOND BY:  Wallace

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

 

 V.   Dr. Lynch announced Dr. Jesse Register, Superintendent of Metro-Nashville Schools, would give an update in regards to the Great Hearts charter school application in Metro-Davidson County School District.  Dr. Register stated that Great Hearts wanted to establish a charter school in an upper class area of Nashville that is predominately white.  The charter school application did not include any type of transportation for students.  Dr. Register and the Metro-Davidson County School Board felt that these two particular components of the charter school application would take the school district in the wrong direction.  Great Hearts appealed to Metro-Davidson School Board and it was rejected.  At that time, Great Hearts appealed to the TN State Board of Education and the State Board sent the Charter back to Metro-Davidson County School Board on July 27th to approve the Charter with stipulations.  Those stipulations included transportation and teacher certification.  The directive from the state board required the school board to act at its next meeting.  At the next board meeting, Metro-Davidson County voted down the directive from the State Board and rejected the charter school.   Great Hearts withdrew its charter.  A short time after this the Commissioner of Education imposed the 3.4 million fine on Metro-Davidson County Schools for not approving Great Hearts application as directed by the State Board of Education.  Dr. Register stated that Metro schools has no desire to sue the state and they are in negotiations at this time to get the 3.4 million returned to the school district.

 

  VI.   Executive Director’s Report – Dr. Keith Brewer stated that he had entered into negotiations with a school district as director of schools.  The district is schedule to have a work session with the general public present the week of November 12th at which time they will discuss his contract and if it goes into place then Dr. Brewer will be scheduled to start on July 1, 2013.  He had discussed this with the TOSS President, Dr. Dale Lynch, and will keep Dr. Lynch informed of the situation as well as the officers of the TOSS board. 

 Dr. Brewer discussed the transition for the new executive director.  He stated his personal belongings would be out of the office beginning January 1, 2013 when the new executive director moves in.  Dr. Brewer will then work out of one of the vacant offices in the TOSS suite.  Dr. Brewer also discussed the role he would take when Mr. Miller took office in January.  He stated he would be glad to drop back and allow Mr. Miller to have total control as new executive director and that he would take a position as an associate director but would be available to give counsel to Mr. Miller. 

Dr. Brewer has changed AASA reservations and registration into Mr. Miller’s name, which will also include the Tennessee Breakfast during the convention in Los Angeles, CA. 

 Dr. Brewer also mentioned that he had reviewed the budget and the budget is in good shape as far as Mr. Miller’s salary, which will begin in January 2013.

 Dr. Brewer continued with the next agenda item, TOSS Policy and Procedures.  Dr. Brewer moved to accept policy and procedures on the first reading. 

Called for a motion to approve the TOSS Policies and Procedures on the first reading.

 MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  Looney

SECOND BY:  Reel

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

 Dr. Brewer presented for consideration the TOSS Legislative Agenda:

  1. Supports fully funding the BEP with the Inflationary Factor.
  2. Supports twelve month funding of teacher insurance.
  3. TOSS supports amendatory language to 49-6-3104 (Transfer Students).  A student that is currently enrolled prior or during the school year that wishes to transfer to a virtual school must receive approval from the sending director of schools and the receiving director of schools.
  4. Support continued funding of Pre-K.
  5. Supports appointed superintendents for school districts.
  6. Supports districts local control of school calendar.
  7. Opposes a Voucher System.
  8. Supports local school board approval of charter school applications.
  9. Supports legislation giving the local school board the authority to fill vacancies in its membership.
  10.  Supports establishing new BEP component for professional development for teachers to be funded at 1 percent of instructional salaries.
  11. Supports incorporating current SACS accreditation ratios in the method used to generate Assistant Principal positions in the BEP.
  12. Supports incorporating funding in the BEP formula for one Instructional Technology Coordinator per local education agency.
  13. Supports amending the public records act to make the system more manageable for school districts.
  14. Supports expanding the availability of, and simplifying the process for, purchasing electronic textbooks.
  15. Supports maintaining a minimum salary schedule for teachers.
  16. Supports making the BEP Review Committee report a mandatory guideline for use in the budget planning process.

 Dr. Brewer will send out a legislative survey to the TOSS membership which will include the proposed agenda and see if there is anything that the membership would like to add.  Dr. Brewer will notify the board of additional suggestions.

 

Called for a motion to approve the TOSS Legislative Agenda. 

MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  Long

SECOND BY:  Reel

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

 Called to Amend the motion that Dr. James McIntyre, Mr. Chuck Cagle and Mr. Johnny McDaniel will draft a resolution in support of the Metro-Davidson County Schools position in the Great Hearts application situation.

 MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  McIntyre

SECOND BY:  Reel

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

 

 VII.  Mr. Chuck Cagle read New Executive Director’s contract and recommended for approval.

 Called for a motion to approve New Executive Director’s contract.

 

MOTION TO APPROVE BY:  Looney

SECOND BY:  Reel

MOTION PASSED WITH NO OBJECTIONS OR CORRECTIONS.

Roll Call Vote:

 

Denise Brown– Aye

Sandra Harper – Aye

Cathy Harvey – Aye

Joey Hassell – Aye

Bill Heath –  Not present for vote

Jimmy Long– Aye

Mike Looney – Aye

Johnny McDaniel – Aye

James McIntyre – Not present for vote

Jackie Parton – Aye

Mary Reel – Aye

Wanda Shelton – Aye

Phillip Wallace– Aye

Mark Willoughby – Aye

Dale Lynch – Aye

 Motion Passed with a Majority Vote.

 

Dr. Lynch stated he would like to see the Past-President leading a committee to devise measurables for the executive director’s evaluation.

 Mr. Cagle stated that he would like to see the TOSS board set realistic goals in the evaluation for the executive director.

  VIII.  President Lynch stated that there was no New Business and moved on to next agenda item, Old Business.

  IX.      President Lynch called on Dr. Keith Brewer to report on the first three items under Old Business.

  Dr. Brewer reported that he would have Commissioners Huffman and Emkes at the next TOSS meeting in January 2013 to discuss the state education budget.  In regards to the superintendent evaluation, Dr. Brewer stated that he had a draft but had not convened the committee at this time but will have the draft completed for the committee to review very soon. 

 Dr. Brewer had met with Suntrust bank representative and has created a county government/non-profit account.  The new account is not an interest bearing account but the account is protected by the FDIC.  We will be able to move money between the new account and the investment account at Suntrust.  We have surplus of around $300,000 that has been placed in the Local Government Investment Pool through the state of Tennessee.

Dr. Lynch asked legal counsel if there was an update from the Tax Status Committee which Mr. Cagle stated there was not.

 Dr. Lynch announced that Johnny McDaniel would chair the committee for organizing the TOSS Legislative Conference and Dr. Wanda Shelton will chair the committee for the superintendent evaluation.

 Dr. Lynch asked everyone to mark their calendars with the dates from the annual TOSS calendar.  Dr. Lynch mentioned the invitation to the AASA TOSS-Niswonger Breakfast that was given to each board member at the beginning of the meeting. 

 

X.  District Reports:

1.  Southeast will be having their Legislative Lunch on December 14th.

2.  Mid-Cumberland will have their regular meeting and Legislative Lunch on November 16th.

 3.  Up