Thursday, December 18, 2014

Thomas Announces Plans to Leave SAS in June

The Rev. John Taliaferro Thomas, head of school at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School, has accepted a position as head of school of Frederica Academy on St. Simon’s Island, Ga. Thomas joined St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School in 2008 and served as the second head in the 33 years since the school was formed by the merger of St. Andrew’s School and Sewanee Academy. He will continue in his current position through June 30, 2015.

In accepting Thomas’s resignation, Richard Westling, president of the board of trustees, said, “The Board of Trustees joins me in thanking Fr. Thomas and the Thomas family for their seven years of service to SAS. Under Fr. Thomas’s guidance, the school completed construction of McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts, Wade Hall for the Sciences, and the Chamberlain- Reishman Wing of Simmonds Hall. Fr. Thomas oversaw curricular changes, schedule changes, and many administrative and staff transitions. During his tenure the school conducted an important visioning process, developed a strategic plan, successfully achieved reaccreditation, and celebrated the centennial of St. Andrew’s Chapel.”

In tendering his resignation, Thomas wrote, “While my family and I will be leaving St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, we do so with gratitude for seven years of growing and changing together. I am ever grateful to the board, administration, faculty, staff, parents, and many friends for maintaining and enhancing the mission and ministry of this unique and special school.”

The SAS board has engaged Carney, Sandoe & Associates and CS&A search consultant Marguerite Lloyd to guide the school through the search for an interim head for 2015–16 and a new head of school to begin in July 2016. 


A celebration of Fr. Thomas’s tenure and his and his wife Janice’s many contributions to the Sewanee community will be announced later this spring.

Christmas Yard Display is Testament to Holiday Cheer, Love for Mom

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer


Rosebushes are woven into the sprawling Noel vista, which is speckled with hundreds of glowing lights, all essentially powered by love.

Mary Elizabeth “Tibby” Tucker decorated the yard of her Kennerly Road home in grand fashion at least as far back as the early 1980s. Santas, camels, reindeer, wise men and snowmen populate the grass and still brighten the Sewanee night off Highway 41A.

A puddle of inflatable Santa lies at the foot of the porch waiting for the breath of life, as a jolly man steps from the door of the house wearing shorts and a black pullover, a rust-colored Chihuahua in his arms. Freddy Tucker instantly feels like a friend, and his joy about his candy cane-dappled yard is infectious.

After Tibby died in 2011 at age 85, he continues the decorating tradition as a testament of love to his mom and a gift to the community he holds dear.

“I miss my mom,” he says, “not just at Christmas, but the whole year. She started all this, and I just kept it going.”

Freddy, 51, unpacked the decorations the day after Thanksgiving, and with some help from his girlfriend, Gail Parsons, finished the yard in about two weeks.

Friend Robin Gottfried, executive director of Sewanee’s Center for Religion and Environment, grew up in a rural area of Maryland not far from Washington, D.C., where people prided themselves on their Christmas displays.

“Freddy’s yard brings back memories from when I was a kid, and it brings a lot of happiness to people,” Gottfried says. “It’s a great tradition that he feels strongly about. Freddy has a strong sense of community, and of sharing and giving for the community.”

Beneath a plywood manger, Joseph is cloaked in a faded turquoise robe and stands alongside Mary, chips of paint missing from her face as she cradles a gleeful baby Jesus in her arms.

Freddy says the nativity scenes were some of his mom’s favorites. Tibby worked for the University of the South for more than 50 years. In 2011, a few months before she died, their house burned, but the Christmas and Halloween decorations survived; they were stored in the basement as Sewanee Housing Inc. helped rebuild the home. Dixon Myers, coordinator of Sewanee’s Outreach Ministries, was part of the rebuilding.

“Frankenstein and the Virgin Mary were actually living together in the basement of the house, and Frosty the Snowman was down there with the mummy,” Myers says laughing.

Like Gottfried, the yard art takes Myers back to his childhood.

“It’s a really beautiful place, and everybody drives by there,” he says.

As three Santas, an angel, and a host of other characters stand sentinel along the edge of the road, Freddy laments that more people don’t decorate at Christmas.

“I think each person ought to at least put out one ornament, a tree, a light or something. Don’t you? People say these decorations mean Christmas to them,” he says, “and if it snows on them, boy do they get excited.”

Freddy’s home is located near the corner of Kennerly Avenue and Highway 41-A.

SUD Board Approves 2.5 % Rate Increase

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer


At the Dec. 16 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties, the board voted on a number of issues critical to the future of the utility, including authorizing a 2.5 percent rate increase.

At the November meeting, SUD manager Ben Beavers suggested SUD defer some capital improvements to avoid a 10 percent rate increase in 2015. Beavers submitted the revised budget to SUD’s consulting firm Raftelis Financial, Inc. Raftelis recommended SUD increase rates 2–3 percent in 2015 to accommodate the revised budget.

The board considered various scenarios, weighing SUD’s capital improvement goals against the funds needed to accomplish these. A modest 1 percent rate increase in 2015 would require a 2 percent increase in 2016 in order for SUD to break even. SUD board president Cliff Huffman expressed concern about deferring necessary capital improvements and stressed the importance of SUD’s revenue sustaining SUD’s expenses.

The board voted to approve a 2.5 percent rate increase for 2015. They project a 1 percent increase in each of the subsequent four years.


Top among SUD’s capital improvement goals is detecting causes of unaccounted-for water loss—the difference between water produced and water registered as passing through customer meters. Beavers said that 8 percent of SUD’s water production cost is for unaccounted-for water: 22 million gallons in 2014, 23 percent of the water SUD produced.

To more accurately track water sales, SUD recently switched to monthly irrigation-customer billing instead of quarterly billing. A software error resulted in some irrigation customers being billed for sewer service. Beavers said the customers will be notified and their bills adjusted.

Beavers updated the board on the contract licensing use of SUD property for the trial wetlands slated for construction at the SUD wastewater treatment plant in conjunction with a research project undertaken jointly by the University of the South and the University of Georgia. 

The license gives the researchers the right to operate as if they owned the land, provided the use does not interfere with operation of the wastewater treatment plant. Because SUD receives federal funding, law forbids the utility from giving up property rights by granting an easement to the researchers. SUD’s attorney, Don Scholes, drafted the contract. Beavers provided project coordinators Deborah McGrath and Scott Torreano and University attorney Donna Pierce with a copy of the contract for review.

The board nominated Ronnie Hoosier to run for the office of SUD Marion County commissioner. Huffman’s term will expire in January; Huffman is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. The nominating process remains open until Jan. 13. Prospective candidates need to submit a nominating petition with the signatures of 10 SUD customers residing in Marion County. Petitions are available at the SUD office.

The board approved Beavers’ recommendation of the accounting firm Allen, McGee and Associates (AMA) to perform the 2015 audit. AMA received high marks from other utilities. The firm will save SUD $1,400 compared to the accounting firm SUD employed in 2014 and promised to complete the audit in two months. Last year SUD had to wait until September for a final draft.
The SUD board meets next on Jan. 27.

Festival of Trees at Heritage Center

The fifth annual Festival of Trees is now on display at the Grundy County Historical Society Heritage Center. There will be an open house and reception to celebrate the festival, noon–4 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 19. The display of 10 decorated Christmas trees will remain through the month of December. 

In addition to the trees, there are displays of a Victorian Dickens village and a Beersheba Springs village made of birdhouses by Bud Whitman. 

Several organizations have worked with the staff at the Heritage Center in developing the displays. Mountain Heritage Preservation Society, Myers Hill Methodist Church and Discover Together have provided trees that reflect their respective missions. 

A tree representing a snowman has been decorated by Janelle Taylor of Pelham. Neil Price of Foggy Mountain Liquors has provided a tree decorated with antique ornaments. The anchor tree of the display was decorated by Barbara Myers of the Heritage Center.

The displays extend from the Lulu Estelle Robbins and E.L. Hampton Assembly Hall to the Donald G. and Marian V. Savage Exhibit Hall. The Exhibit Hall includes a miniature Victorian Dickens village. There is also a display of birdhouses depicting historical buildings in Beersheba Springs designed and constructed by Whitman.

The Heritage Center is open 10 a.m.–4 p.m., weekdays, and 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Saturdays; it is located at 465 Railroad Ave., Tracy City. There is no admission fee for the festival.


The Festival of Trees has been organized by Barbara Myers, Heritage Center library staffer. For more information or to participate in the festival, contact Myers at (931) 592-6008. The Lulu Estelle Robbins and E.L. Hampton Assembly Hall is available for use by area organizations; contact the Heritage Center for scheduling and other information. 

Updated Deer Cull Map for 2014


Thursday, December 11, 2014

School Board Donates Land for Farmers’ Market

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer


The Franklin County Board of Education met on Dec. 8 and agreed to give property to the county for a new farmers’ market building.

The pavilion for the Southern Middle Tennessee Farmers Market of Franklin County will be on land primarily owned by the school system. The board agreed to let the county use 0.87 acres between the old Franklin County High School football stadium and Dinah Shore Boulevard for the 50-foot by 150-foot structure. 

The current open-air farmers’ market, which is also on school system property, will move just down the street to the pavilion, which is being funded by a $42,000 state grant that the county will match. Helen Stapleton, District 5 county commissioner, said she is excited about the farmers’ market expansion. 

“It’s a win-win for the county,” she said. “The food is fresher and healthier, and the profits will support our farmers right here and will get spent here. I’d love to see the school kids learn gardening and perhaps sell their produce to fund school projects. They’d learn a valuable lesson in science, survival and economics.”

John Ferrell, the Franklin County agent for the University of Tennessee Extension Service, said the goal is to have the pavilion completed before the market opens in April.

The land donation includes a stipulation that the property will revert back to the school system if the pavilion is not built or the market goes out of business. 

School board chairman Kevin Caroland said the contribution is a good faith gesture to benefit the community.

Responding to a request from the City of Winchester, the school board unanimously supported rezoning its property at the old Franklin County High School area from R-1 (low-density residential) to C-2 (commercial highway service district). The rezoning will clear the way for the farmers’ market, but the change is also needed if the state awards a proposed vocational-technical school to the county, which could be on that property. 

In other business at the Dec. 8 school board meeting:

Caroland announced that Jan. 19 is the final day that the Tennessee School Board Association will accept applications for the new Franklin County director of schools.

Rebecca Sharber, who is retiring as director this summer, gave an overview of how the school system uses state and locally mandated testing and assessments to develop improvement strategies. Testing data is used to create both district improvement plans and individual school improvement plans, which may include new learning programs and adjusting areas of focus, she said. 

In addition to planning based on annual tests, teachers meet weekly and use assessment data to share strategies and make action plans as part of Professional Learning Communities.

Board member Adam Tucker requested the presentation during the November board meeting and said he may have additional specific questions for Sharber on how testing data is utilized. Sharber said she will provide board members with individual school improvement plans and information about the “Study Island” software program used by students. 


During a Dec. 2 public forum with Tucker hosted by the Sewanee Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization, people in attendance heavily criticized the amount of required testing programs.

SUD Board Opening

The SUD board is seeking nominees to run for the office of SUD Marion County commissioner. SUD board president Cliff Huffman’s term will expire in January; Huffman is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Nominees must be SUD customers and must reside in Marion County; however, all SUD customers may vote in this election.

SUD is an independent government agency. It is governed by a five-person board of commissioners who are elected by the ratepayers. Any ratepayer can run for a seat. 

Water treatment and distribution and wastewater collection and treatment are the responsibilities of the board. They set the rates, set the budget, deal with regulatory agencies and plan for the future. 

Prospective nominees should contact the SUD office by calling 598-5611.

2014 Deer Cull Opens Thursday

The 2014 Sewanee Deer cull will begin on Thursday, Dec. 18. Hunting is allowed Thursday, Dec. 18–Sunday, Jan. 4. All zones will be open to archery hunting for approved hunters. There is no hunting on Wednesday, Dec. 24, or Thursday, Dec. 25.

Muzzle loaders and shotguns will be allowed in outer zones to approved hunters. All trails will remain open at all times. Bow hunters will maintain a 100-yard safety zone around trails and fire lanes.

Domain manager Nate Wilson said there are no changes to hunting locations or times from last year. A copy of the maps is on page 14; the map, hunting rules and a shared Google map of hunting times is available at <http://domainmgt.sewanee.edu/resources/2014-university-deer-hunt>.
Wilson said the results of the 2014 fall deer census were very encouraging. 

“The results indicate that the population is responding to our increased management and showed average density in deer per square mile to be half what it was in 2013,” Wilson said. The deer population is “25 percent of the population indicated during out first census in 2010. Our hope is to reach our target density of 25 animals per square mile by next year.”


For more information contact Wilson at 598-1268 or email <wnwilson@sewanee.edu>.

Jump Off Fire Hall Holiday Bake Sale

Enjoy cider and cookies with neighbors and the Jump Off volunteer firemen, 3–5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13. Festively wrapped holiday baked goods will be for sale, so come and check some names off your gift list and support our first responders at the same time.

Open Re-Enrollment Deadline Monday for Affordable Care Act

People who enrolled in the Affordable Care Act insurance plans last year need to re-enroll by Monday, Dec. 15, to keep their insurance. New enrollees have until Feb. 15 to participate in the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace. 

The South Cumberland Plateau Health Network, in partnership with the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga, is offering free assistance, 2–6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 15, in the Grundy County Heritage Center, 465 Railroad Ave., Tracy City. Certified plan navigators and application counselors will be onsite to help. 

Anyone interested in enrolling must bring the following information:  proof of identification, social security numbers and birth dates, pay stubs and W-2 forms, policy numbers for any current coverage and an  email address. For more information contact Nancy Ridge at (423) 622-2872.


Jim Peterman reports that it is also possible to get free assistance signing up by calling regional broker American Exchange, (888) 995-1674.. For more information contact Peterman at 598-1482 or email <jfpeterm@sewanee.edu>.

Holiday Music Offerings

Sewanee Chorale
The Sewanee Chorale will perform its Christmas concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14, in All Saints’ Chapel. The concert will feature the music of John Rutter, one of the most prolific 20th-century Christmas composers. The concert will be under the direction of Gary Sturgis, his fifth year as conductor for the Sewanee Chorale. Kathy Sturgis joins the chorale as piano accompanist. Also performing will be Jane Hawkins of Ft. Lauderdale, Fl., on the bowed psaltery. 
The concert is free and open to the public. For more information contact Gary Sturgis at (931) 636-5294 or email <gksturgis@gmail.com>

Classical and Big Band,
Vocal Students

The voice students of Susan Rupert will perform on Saturday, Dec. 13, in St. Luke’s Chapel. Two group performances will feature a variety of musical styles. At 5:30 p.m., classical students will present a selection of art songs, old English songs, and an aria or two. At 7 p.m., the Big Band/Broadway section will join with the Sewanee Jazz Trio (Noel Workman, Bob Burns and Garry Collins) to offer golden oldies and popular Christmas melodies. The event is free and open to the public.

Friday, December 5, 2014

Lighting Sewanee’s Christmas Trees

Today (Friday), Dec. 5

4 p.m. Snacks and music in the University Quad
4:30 p.m. Quad tree lighting
5 p.m. Cookies, cocoa and caroling at Angel Park
5:30 p.m. Angel Park tree lighting


Santa and the Grinch will be available for photos. Everyone is encouraged to bring food and/or unwrapped new toys. All donated items will go to the Community Action Committee or Operation Noel. In case of inclement weather, the Quad tree lighting will be cancelled; the Angel Park post-tree-lighting activities will move inside to the Blue Chair Bakery & Tavern.

The Visiting Squad • by John Shackelford and friends

THE VISITING SQUAD

by John Shackelford and the students in Claire Reishman’s Writing Workshop class at
St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School


Every time SAS student Isabelle Sutherland leaves the Mountain for her home in Michigan she is asked, “Where do you go to school?” She often responds, “The middle of nowhere.” 

It is difficult to explain St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School to those who don’t instantly recognize this hidden Tennessee gem, and Isabelle habitually finds herself resorting to a story to express the school’s unique charm. These anecdotes describe campus-wide events, classroom experiences, and personal interactions with students and faculty. It seems that only through descriptive imagery and first-hand accounts can one truly explain the individual nature of an SAS experience. 

In October veteran English teacher Claire Reishman returned home to Virginia to attend her mother’s funeral. Her Writing Workshop class gathered to compose and compile notes of personal gratitude in hopes of easing her grief. The students felt the need to give back to their mentor in the same way Claire gives to them, every class and every meeting. Her loyal group of 14 eclectic high school juniors and seniors collaborated to compose a book of poems, notes and creative letters that she could read upon her return.

The following week, when Claire received the book from the students, she paused for a moment. She then said to her class, with tears in her eyes, “You guys... you wrote!” The class may have written weekly assignments for Mrs. Reishman, but they wanted to say more: “We are more than a class, and you are more than our teacher. We are all family.”

When Margaret Wilson of Sewanee (with her mother, Elizabeth, and her older sister, Helen) took a trip around the world, Margaret received immense support from her teachers at SAS, who helped her plan her online courses, her schedule for the following year and made sure that she would have access to all the materials that she would need to complete her schoolwork. Margaret found that while she would be away from the school for an entire year, she was given extraordinary assistance and encouragement from SAS without hesitation. Although it can be incredibly difficult to live on a different continent while attempting to be a successful student, Margaret felt it would not have been possible without the patience and aid she received from the faculty at SAS. 

Vanessa Moss first heard of SAS from a brochure mailed to her by her grandmother Sarah Carlos, another longtime St. Andrew’s-Sewanee teaching legend. At the time the school seemed like a dream far out of Vanessa’s reach. When she felt dissatisfaction at her much larger and less personal school back home, she often resorted to visiting the SAS website and considering the opportunities that seemed impossible. After two years on the Mountain, she now insists that real life exceeds her expectations. The theater program has been welcoming, instructional and rewarding. What she found in Sewanee was not something hidden in the smiles of the photographs she yearned for two years ago. She found herself.

Isabelle is from Michigan, Margaret traveled the world, and Vanessa came at the invitation of her grandmother, but what students find at SAS is more than just variety. The school is a homespun quilt constantly being rewoven by the small but diverse student body and everybody gets to bring their own yarn. Students come from all over the United States, and indeed, from across the globe. This school that some might think is in the middle of nowhere actually attracts teenagers from Europe, Asia, South America and Africa. Within weeks of each school year, they somehow become a family. There is also variety in classes, afternoon programs and athletic teams.

Almost every student at SAS is involved in more than one or two afternoon programs. Matthew Baranco does swimming and mountain biking. Isabelle Sutherland is heavily involved in the theater program and is an SAS Ambassador. Tommy Oliver plays golf, soccer, runs cross country and wrestles. Fey Shen is committed to volleyball, basketball and tennis. 

Will Pratt came from a public school with more than 2,000 students and believes the small, tight community of St. Andrew’s-Sewanee makes it both easy and fun to learn. “At St. Andrew’s-Sewanee, I am not just another kid in the classroom of 20 to 30, I am Will Pratt who is trying to do his best to succeed, and the teachers know and care about what I am doing.” 

Mpilo Ngomane also came from a public school in Nashville and initially believed the small school setting was not for him. After a short time he realized how much he enjoyed being able to really know his teachers on a personal level. Mpilo calls some teachers by their first names and loves eating lunch or dinner with a faculty member. He says that his teachers are invested in his successes and also in the learning moments of his failures.


When SAS students are asked the question, “Where do you go to school?” the answer is different for each person. Some may even say, with a knowing smile, “It’s in the middle of nowhere.” But SAS is also a school in the middle of somewhere: a place where everyone is family. A place that you may not know now, but once you’re there, it will remain part of you for a lifetime.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Holiday Concerts in Sewanee

The Sewanee Symphony Orchestra will present its second concert of the 2014–15 season at 7:30 p.m., today (Friday), Dec. 5, in Guerry Auditorium. “Celebrate the Season” is the theme of the concert, an opportunity to hear favorite Christmas tunes. The program will include three dances from “The Nutcracker” by Tchaikovsky; “Sinfonia Pastorale” by Tartini; “Christmas Around the World,” a medley of Christmas melodies; and “Christmas Festival,” a medley of Christmas music arranged specially for the Boston Pops. 

The Sewanee Praise Gospel Choir will have a Christmas concert at 6:30 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, in St. Luke’s Chapel on campus. Come hear this amazing group of talented college students and community members sing praise and gospel music. 

The St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School Winter Concert will be at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 10, in McCrory Hall for the Performing Arts on the school’s campus. Join the middle and upper school choruses and the upper school chamber ensemble for an evening of seasonal music, classical, jazz and rock performances. 

The Sewanee Chorale will perform its holiday concert at 3 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 14, in All Saints’ Chapel. For more details see page 14.


All of these events are free and open to the public.

SUD Rate Increase Probable in 2015 • Nominees Needed for Marion County Seat

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer


At the Nov. 24 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of the Sewanee Utility District of Franklin and Marion Counties, SUD manager Ben Beavers proposed reducing the 2015 budget by $110,000 to avoid a sharp rate increase.

To comply with Tennessee Utility Management Review Board standards, SUD must show a net positive income in 2015, since SUD didn’t show a net positive income in 2014 due to the cost of installing automated meter reading technology. SUD’s consulting firm, Raftelis Financial Inc., recommended SUD increase rates 9–10 percent in 2015.

Beavers suggested putting off painting the water tank until 2016 and reducing by half the amount allocated for wastewater collection system repair in 2015; these two changes would reduce the proposed 2015 budget by $110,000.

On the recommendation of the board, Beavers will revise the budget and send it to Raftelis for review. Beavers estimates only a 3 percent rate increase will be necessary with the budget revision. In the past four years, SUD raised rates twice, in 2011 and in 2013.

Another possible savings in 2015 could come from a reduction in office staff. Currently, the office staff consists of Beavers and two office employees. One employee is leaving in mid-December. Beavers said a part-time employee might be sufficient to maintain the level of segregation of duties required by the comptroller to provide oversight for authorizing expenses and making deposits. Beavers will wait until February to make a decision about hiring to see how efficiently the office operates with a staff of two and what the needs are. Hiring a part-time employee instead of a full-time employee could save SUD $20,000 or more per year.

Beavers revisited the issue of ownership of the trial wetlands slated for construction at the SUD wastewater treatment plant in conjunction with a research project undertaken jointly by the University of the South and the University of Georgia. Beavers consulted with SUD attorney Don Scholes, who said a deed transferring ownership of the constructed wetlands to SUD upon completion is not necessary since SUD already owns the land. Scholes recommended a document licensing the University of the South to proceed with construction. Scholes will consult with University attorney Donna Pierce and draft a document for the board’s review.


In regard to the related question of project funds being set aside to decommission the wetlands site if the project did not continue, Beavers said the amount could not be determined until the design was finalized.

University forestry professor Scott Torreano, the wetlands project construction manager, said he planned to have a design for SUD to review by mid December. Torreano anticipates the wetlands will be ready for planting by graduation.

The SUD board is seeking nominees to run for the office of SUD Marion County commissioner. SUD President Cliff Huffman’s term will expire in January; Huffman is term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Nominees must be SUD customers and must reside in Marion County. Prospective nominees should contact the SUD office by calling 598-5611.

In December, the board will meet a week early, on Dec. 16.

SES Teachers & Parents Meet with Tucker • Many Concerned that Testing Has Gone Too Far

by Kevin Cummings, Messenger Staff Writer

“I’m feeling mandated to death,” said Rachel Reavis, a fourth-grade teacher at Sewanee Elementary School. During a Dec. 2 forum with Adam Tucker, Franklin County Board of Education District 5 representative, Reavis said it is a juggling act for teachers to give students a well-rounded education and meet the overwhelming testing requirements. About 30 attended the event, hosted  at the school by the SES Parent-Teacher Organization. The topic of greatest concern was the amount of mandated testing. 

Parent Janna McClain, a former academic interventionist in Murfreesboro, said her son will take nine mandated tests this year in pre-K. “Who thought that was a good idea? As a parent it would be helpful to know what it is our teachers are being forced to do,” McClain said. “I think the rationale is to prepare for these tests that are connected to dollars, so we have to do more and more tests,” she added. “I understand mandated testing, but I don’t want my child tested nonstop.”


Tucker, who lives in Sewanee and was elected to the school board in August, is an attorney for the city of Murfreesboro. Tucker said he welcomes ideas from the public and wants to see what can be done at a local level to reduce excessive or unnecessary testing. Reavis noted that even as a teacher it is difficult to understand what political body is requiring what testing program. 
Some of the tests are mandated by the local school district as part of reading and math programs, while other tests are state-mandated but co-opted by the federal government to determine allocation of funding and judge performance levels of schools, teachers and students, Tucker said.
“The pendulum has swung to excessive testing,” said SES principal Mike Maxon. “There needs to be a balance.” Certain programs that involve mandated testing also require additional interventions in specific areas, which can be detrimental because it draws students away from other core subjects and creative learning.
“With many of these kids the way to reach them is through art, through something that is the nontraditional classroom and [you can’t reach them if] you’re pulling them from that class,” Tucker said.
Not only are students pulled away for interventions, but teachers are spread thin, as well. The need for education interventionists at SES was a popular sentiment for many in attendance. 
“If this is the future of education with federal and state mandates, we’re going to need reading specialists, math specialists, interventionists, not calling on the music teacher, the art teacher, the guidance counselor to be offering these interventions,” Maxon noted. “You only have so many hours in the day.”

Erin Cassell, vice president of the Sewanee Elementary PTO, has four children in school and said over-testing impacts their self-esteem. It “makes some of my children feel less than others,” Cassell said. “That’s an issue for me, because they’re not less, they’re just different and have different strengths and weaknesses. Their value as a student is tied to a number on a test, and that’s not true.”
Tucker said there is valuable data generated that can help students and teachers improve, but there is more to a person than a test score.

“I would hate to see a student reduced to a number, with that number representing their value as a student, as a person, or their ability to achieve, to perform, to have a career, to be happy, and it shouldn’t come to that,” he said.

Other topics at the forum included:

Tucker briefly discussed the need for an increase in funding for schools from the Franklin County government. County Commissioner Helen Stapleton, who represents District 5, said she fully supports increasing funding. The county has not increased school funding for more than 10 years, and the school board does not have the authority to generate money through taxes or referendums. Tucker said Tennessee is one of only 11 states that does not allow school boards’ funding control.

One parent said there was too much waste of food during the Thanksgiving lunch at Sewanee Elementary last week and suggested using the leftover food for compost and implementing a program similar to Project Green Fork in Memphis.

Tucker talked about the state’s report card for Franklin County schools and said Sewanee Elementary outperforms the average school in Tennessee on the TCAP.

He also spoke about the search for a new director of schools. Current Director Rebecca Sharber is retiring this summer. The Tennessee School Board Association is conducting the search and had received 10 résumés prior to Thanksgiving. The school board will begin the interview process in late February or early March.

Grundy County Chosen for Local Foods, Local Places Program

The White House Rural Council announced on Dec. 3 that Grundy County/Tracy City was among 26 communities in the United States named to its Local Foods, Local Places initiative.

This effort is designed to help rural communities as they seek creative approaches to integrating entrepreneurship, environmental management, public health and other place-based considerations into successful economic planning. Local food development is often a key part of the strategy.
Local Food, Local Places will provide technical support to integrate local food systems into community economic action plans, help revitalize struggling downtowns and preserve farms and undeveloped land.

The local effort was developed and submitted under the auspices of the municipality of Tracy City and Grundy County, and builds on the work of South Cumberland Community Development Partnership, Grundy County Health Council and Diabetes Coalition, Tracy City Farmer’s Market, South Cumberland Food Hub, Downtown Sidewalk/Mountain Goat Trail Connector Project, Tennessee Main Street program, the University of the South’s program and the Chattanooga Area Regional Council of Governments-Southeast Tennessee Development District.

“This award means that in the coming months, a team of experts will visit and have workshops to help us design concrete steps to improve our community,” said Emily Partin of the Tracy City Business Club. Among the pieces of the project will be local food, tourism and travel, and health issues.

The 26 communities were chosen from among 316 applicants.


A team of agricultural, transportation, environmental, health and regional economic consultants will work directly with the communities to develop local food projects they proposed. 

Local Foods, Local Places is a federal initiative providing direct technical support and expertise to community partners integrating local food systems into regional economic action plans. Under this effort, a team of federal agricultural, transportation, environmental, public health and regional economic experts will work directly with communities to develop specific local food projects. These efforts will make a significant impact in the communities participating in the Local Foods, Local Places initiative. 

Local Foods, Local Places is a unique partnership among the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The initiative draws on the Administration’s Partnership for Sustainable Communities, USDA’s Seven Strategies for Economic Development, and other place-based strategies to address regional challenges. 

Local Foods, Local Places will provide direct technical support to selected communities to help them develop and implement action plans promoting local food and downtown revitalization. 

55th Festival of Lessons & Carols at All Saints’ Chapel

The 55th Annual Festival of Lessons and Carols will be at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 6, and at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 7, in All Saints’ Chapel.

Through the ticketing procedure introduced in 2013, seats are reserved in advance. Based on this year’s reservations, all three services are expected to be at or near capacity.

However, people who do not have reservations, but who would like to try to attend a service in the event that any seats are available, may have the opportunity to attend the service as a walk-up guest. 
Walk-up guests can register for the onsite wait list in Convocation Hall two hours prior to the start of each service. The seating of walk-up guests will begin 30 minutes prior to each service, and guests must be present to receive tickets. Tickets will be issued based on the number of no-shows and on a first-come, first-served basis. 


Seating is not guaranteed for walk-up guests. For walk-up guests not receiving seats, the service will be live-streamed in Guerry Auditorium.