Sewanee Community Chest Spotlight

The 2014–15 Sewanee Community Chest fund drive is underway. Since 1908, the Sewanee Community Chest has helped to serve its fellow community members and keep this community strong and vital. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the Community Chest raises money for local charitable organizations that work to educate and nurture children, aid the community, and improve the quality of life. In setting the goal for the Community Chest, the Sewanee Civic Association board and membership approved funding for 27 organizations and initiatives in Sewanee and surrounding communities, assuming the goal is met. 

This year’s goal is $101,000; about $36,000 has been raised to date. This year’s fund drive organizers, Marilyn and Tom Phelps, hope to complete the campaign by February 2015.

For the next few weeks, the Sewanee Mountain Messenger will focus on some of the organizations supported by the Community Chest. This week we look at three of the organizations selected by the Community Chest: the Sewanee Community Center, the Sewanee Elementary School and the Animal Alliance-South Cumberland.

Sewanee Community Center. The purpose of the Sewanee Community Center is to improve the quality of life in the community by providing space for community-initiated programs and projects. These programs include the online farmer’s market and the food buyers’ co-op, yoga, tai chi, gymnastics, Cub Scouts and community meetings. The Community Center board also sponsors an annual community-wide yard sale. Each month approximately 600–800 people use the Center.

The Community Center is requesting $4,500 to be used for the general operating costs of keeping the Center open, including utilities, insurance, maintenance, a mower and the manager’s salary. The Sewanee Community Chest provides for 44 percent of the Center’s operating expenses. The rest of the Center’s funding comes from rent and other donations.

Sewanee Elementary School. The community has always helped to maintain the public school in Sewanee, from building the school in 1927, to providing financial support for enrichment programs and supplies.

Sewanee Elementary School (SES) relies on yearly funding from the Community Chest to meet the school’s needs. The Sewanee Parent Organization (SPO, formerly known as the Parent-Teacher Organization), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, requests and disburses the Community Chest funds each year for SES. The SPO works with the SES teachers and staff to find solutions to specific educational needs of the school that are not met by the Franklin County School system’s funding or services. This includes professional development, technology purchases, library books and supplies for classrooms. The SPO supports 250 children and 30 faculty and staff members.

This year the SPO is requesting $20,000 on behalf of Sewanee Elementary. The Community Chest currently funds almost 90 percent of the SPO operating expenses for the school. The SPO also receives money through annual dues and small fund-raisers such as T-shirt sales. SES receives additional money from school pictures, two book fairs and the BoxTops program. 

Animal Alliance-South Cumberland. The mission of the Animal Alliance-South Cumberland (AASC) is to reduce the number of unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats in Grundy County and the areas of Marion and Franklin counties located on the South Cumberland Plateau by providing affordable and accessible spays and neuters. The group is committed to reducing the number of unintended litters, which can lead to neglect, cruelty and euthanasia. AASC also educates the public about the importance of animal sterilizations.

Since the program began in 2008, AASC has helped to spay and neuter more than 2,800 dogs and cats. The organization also funds the sterilization of strays before foster families rehome them. Last year, three of the volunteer foster homes took in 266 puppies and adult dogs. The organization helps to transport the animals to Wally’s Friends, Paul’s Clinic and Animal Care Center. They also work with Fido Fixers, which is a mobile clinic that periodically comes to the Plateau.

AASC is requesting $1,250, which will help to sterilize 25 dogs and/or cats. The pet owners are asked for a copayment of $14, which covers $12 for a rabies vaccination and a $2 fuel fee for the transport van. AASC pays for these charges if an owner cannot afford it. 

For low-income pet owners, AASC also pays for any other services deemed necessary by the veterinarian at the time of the surgery such as antibiotics, ear mite treatment, and pain and worm medications. The AASC is entirely volunteer-led. Its largest expense is paying for the spay and neuter program.

The goal of the Sewanee Community Chest is to help our community by funding our community programs. The Community Chest is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donations are tax-deductible. 

Send your donation to Sewanee Community Chest, P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. For more information, or to make a donation through PayPal, contact <sewaneecommunitychest@gmail.com> or go to <www.sewaneecivic.wordpress.com>.

Council Approves Speed Limit Changes in Sewanee

by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer

At the Dec. 2 meeting of the Sewanee Community Council, the Council approved a speed limit reduction on two streets and passed a resolution thanking the Sewanee Civic Association for its work to commemorate the desegregation of the Franklin County Public Schools. Domain Manager Nate Wilson reported on the success of the deer cull to date.

The Council passed a resolution of gratitude drafted by council member John Flynn thanking the Sewanee Civic Association for its work to commemorate the 1960s desegregation of the Franklin County Public Schools with a historical marker at Sewanee Elementary School. A lawsuit brought by a coalition of 16 local African-American and white citizens led to the realization of desegregation in the county. Council members plan to attend the Sunday, Jan. 19, commemoration ceremony at SES set to coincide with the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 20.

Police Chief Marie Eldridge proposed reducing the speed limit on Green’s View Road from 20 mph to 15 mph and lowering the Kentucky Avenue speed limit from 25 mph to 20 mph. Eldridge cited the absence of sidewalks and shoulders on these streets, making travel potentially perilous for pedestrians. The day-care facility on Kentucky added to the risk, Eldridge said.

Eldridge also recommended crosswalk markings on Georgia Ave. at Stirling’s to accommodate high pedestrian traffic due to the library. Crosswalk markings painted on a road indicate pedestrians have the right of way.

Vice Chancellor John McCardell recommended a trial period of four to six months to gauge the effect of the speed limit change. The Council approved the speed limit reduction on both streets and the addition of crosswalk markings on Georgia Ave. Eldridge said the next step was to seek approval from the County Commission and sheriff.

Plans call for speed limit signs at the beginning and end of both streets as well as “Pedestrians Present” and “Slow, Children at Play” postings.

Domain Manager Nate Wilson reported the pre-cull was highly successful, citing the addition of designated “in-town” hunting zones; 171 does had been harvested and 195 deer total, surpassing the goal, the largest harvest since the cull began. In addition to reducing the total number of deer, the goal is to reduce the buck-doe ratio to 2–3:1. Last summer’s assessment showed the ratio had decreased from 9:1 to 5.5:1.

Hunting has been called off until the main cull on Dec. 18–Jan. 5, Wilson said. Archery hunting will be allowed in all zones, but only approved hunters who have harvested at least two deer in “in-town” zones will be allowed to hunt with muzzleloaders and shotguns and only in the outer zones. Of the 65 approved hunters, only 15–16 hunt regularly, Wilson said. Hunting is not permitted in hiking trail areas.

Wilson predicted a decrease in the deer population next year, but cautioned that the challenge was to monitor migration from areas like Lost Cove, where the deer seek refuge.

The next meeting of the Sewanee Community Council is scheduled for Jan. 27.

Franklin Co. Schools Cited as “Needs Improvement”

by K.G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

The Tennessee Department of Education released district-level accountability statuses on Aug. 6, based on results from the standardized testing. Franklin County has been designated as a district that is “in need of subgroup improvement” in three areas: a students, students with disabilities and economically disadvantaged students.

School districts in Tennessee are held accountable on achievement and gap-closure between subgroups. According to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE), districts in need of subgroup improvement may have successfully attained their goals in achievement, gap closure or even both, while experiencing declines among particular groups of students. Ninety-six districts in the state were designated as in need of subgroup improvement. 

Districts can be designated by TDOE as exemplary for raising proficiency levels, narrowing achievement gaps and seeing growth within the subgroups. Five districts in the state achieved exemplary status for 2013–14.

Districts can have an intermediate status if they meet achievement goals but not gap closure, or met gap closure but not achievement. Thirty-two districts in the state were identified as intermediate.

Districts that do not meet their targets in achievement and gap closure are in need of improvement. Three districts were designated as in need of improvement, including Franklin County.

There are specific annual measurement objectives (AMOs) to achieve on testing each year because of the waiver Tennessee received from the federal No Child Left Behind. These AMOs include achievement benchmarks to be reached in third-grade math and reading/language arts, seventh-grade math and reading/language arts, and third- through eighth-grade aggregate scores in math and reading/language arts. Franklin County met its achievement goals except for grades 3–8 in both math and reading/language arts.

There are also specific benchmarks to reach in Algebra I, Algebra II, English II and English III. Franklin County declined in English II and English III. 

Achievement gaps between subgroups should also lessen in grades 3–8 math and in grades 3–8 reading/language arts, Algebra I and II, and English II and III.

Franklin County as a district closed the gap and met its black/Hispanic/native American (BHN) subgroup gap in all areas except for English III. For the economically disadvantaged (ED) subgroup, the gap was not closed in Algebra I or English II. 

As a district, Franklin County did not meet its ED subgroup target. For students with disabilities (SWD), the gap was closed in English II, English III and reading/language arts 3–8 aggregate. Franklin County met it SWD target in English II and English III.

For subgroup improvement, Franklin County improved for the white student subgroup in Algebra I and Algebra II. It declined in English II, English III, math in grades 3–8 and reading/language arts in grades 3–8. 

For ED students, Franklin County improved in Algebra I and Algebra II, but declined in the rest. For SWD, Franklin County improved in English II and English III, but declined in grades 3–8 math and grades 3–8 reading/language arts.

Those districts categorized as intermediate, need of improvement or in need of subgroup improvement have to have a strategic plan in place with TDOE by November. These plans include key strategies to achieve goals, implementation and desired outcomes.

For more information go to < www.tn.gov/education/>.

SES Open House Tuesday

Sewanee Elementary School and the SES Parent-Teacher Organization will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the newly renovated school at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 20. The event will be followed by an open house that will include tours of the building and grounds, opportunities to meet the teachers and staff, learn more about the PTO and see what’s new for the 2013–14 school year. There will also be refreshments.

School Board Looks at Budget, SES Renovation

By K. G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County school board met in a work session on Aug. 5 to hear the director of schools report, discuss the 2014–15 calendar and the superintendent evaluation.

Sewanee Elementary School volunteer Karen Keele was selected to receive the 2013 Tennessee School Boards Association South Central School Volunteer Recognition Award. In May, she was nominated for a school volunteer recognition award. Keele organizes a tutorial-enrichment program matching retired residents with students who need extra academic help at SES. As one of seven district award winners, Keele will be considered for the statewide award. The statewide award winner receives a $1,000 grant to the public school of their choice.

The end-of-year financial report “ended better than planned,” said Rebecca Sharber, Franklin County’s director of schools. The school board used approximately $618,000 of its fund balance to balance the budget, instead of the projected $2 million. 

“We don’t spend money just because it is there,” said Sharber. The school board is projecting a fund balance of approximately $2.6 million at the end of the 2014 fiscal year.

Sharber reported that the full county commission approved the Franklin County budget on Aug. 1. The budget did not include any tax increases.

SES principal Mike Maxon thanked the school board for approving the renovation project at the school. 

“We are in the process of wrapping a few things up such as the grass on the playground,” said Maxon. He said there would be an open house in the next couple of weeks, and all are invited to attend to see the renovated school.

Sharber reported on the standardized test scores for the district [see adjacent story]. The state looks at three main areas in testing: annual measurable objectives (AMOs) in achievement, gap closure and improvement between the subgroups.

Tennessee has specific AMOs to achieve on testing each year because of its waiver from No Child Left Behind. These AMOs include benchmarks to be reached in third-grade math and reading, seventh-grade math and reading, third- through eighth-grade aggregate scores in math and reading, and specific benchmarks in Algebra I and II, English II and III. Achievement gaps between subgroups should also lessen.

“There are places where we did well on the tests and some where we declined,” said Sharber. Overall, achievement scores declined on all four TCAP tests for grades 3–8. “Seventh grade was our bright spot, where we did better and improved on testing.”

At the high school level, there were gains in Algebra I, Algebra II and English I. The other four tests showed a decline.

For gap closure, Franklin County made improvement in the black/Hispanic/Native American subgroup. Franklin County did not meet a majority of gap closures or targets in economically disadvantaged or students with disabilities subgroups. Approximately 65 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, and 17 percent are students with disabilities in Franklin County.

In subgroup improvement, Franklin County only improved in nine areas.

“Overall we are not quite where we need to be,” said Sharber. “I would like to have higher achievement and grow every year.”

“Every year there has been something new from the state, including new expectations to meet,” said Chris McDonough, district five school board member.

“It is not surprising really that our scores have gone down when the government keeps introducing new standards and benchmarks to cause distractions,” McDonough said.

Sharber is implementing five new strategies this school year to help reach the AMOs. These include more focus on instruction, especially in math and reading. There will be a new reading program at the elementary schools, and 105 minutes of uninterrupted reading in all classes. The schools will be professional learning communities where teachers will plan, assess, talk and collaborate on what is working well and on which students are not learning. There will also be instructional coaches and more technology help.

The proposed 2014–15 school calendar will be changing. Since the PSAT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) is given when Franklin County is usually on fall break, the school board will vote on the request to move the break to Oct. 6–10 in their next meeting.

The superintendent evaluation was also discussed. The school board members rated Sharber on a scale of “1 to 5” (“5” being the highest) on six standards. Sharber received a “4” on most of the goals. 

The next school board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 12, at the board office, 215 S. College St., Winchester. The agenda will include policy updates, budget amendments and the Telemedicine program.

SCC Offers Bus Service for Schoolchildren at SES

The Sewanee Children’s Center (SCC) is now coordinating with Franklin County school bus service to provide transportation from Sewanee Elementary to the SCC for children ages 5–8 years old enrolled in SCC’s after-school program. 

While the Otey parish hall is being renovated, the SCC is in temporary quarters at Lower Cravens Hall.

SCC has openings available for morning and full-day attendance for both preschool and after-school programs. 

The SCC is inspired by a Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education that encourages a learning environment where a child can grow intellectually, emotionally, physically, and socially.

SCC maintains low teacher-student ratios (ranging from 1:4 for 2-year-olds to 1:8 for 4-year-olds and 1:12 in the school-age program) and welcome children of all faiths. 

Children are active throughout the day with teacher-directed activities that facilitate growth in motor, visual, auditory and language development, as they learn concepts and skills in science, social studies, mathematics, and reading readiness.

SRO Vote Passes in Franklin County

On Friday, Jan. 25, the Franklin County Commissions approved (14–0 vote) an amended budget resolution on funding eight additional school resource officers (SROs). The amount of the funding was lessened to $220,000.

The commissioners also approved in a vote of 13–1 the school board resolution to fund the SRO program for the remainder of this school year from the unassigned fund balance and Basic Education Program funds.

The full story will be in the Feb. 1 issue of the Messenger.

Meeting Location Changes for Friday Commissioners Vote

The Friday meeting of the Franklin County Commissioners will be at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 25,  in the General Sessions courtroom at the County Judicial Center, 360 Wilton Circle, Winchester.

School Board Reviews State Legislative Issues. Also Approves SES Contract, Considers Bus Ads

by K. G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County School Board met in a regular session on Dec. 3 to hear from State Representative David Alexander on upcoming educational legislative issues, advertising on school buses and an update on Sewanee Elementary renovations.

“I need some information from you as a school board in order to make informed and intelligent decisions regarding education issues,” Alexander said, and asked the school board to express its opinions in the form of resolutions before the next legislative session.

Alexander reported that in the upcoming legislative session, bills would be introduced about school vouchers, creating a board to approve charter schools and electing rather than appointing superintendents of schools.

“These are just the first steps in privatizing education,” said Lance Williams, third district member.

School vouchers would enable a parent to send their child to private or parochial schools with public taxpayer dollars paying for the student to attend those schools. Under consideration will be which students would qualify for the “opportunity scholarships,” evaluating student outcomes, and how these non-public schools would be held accountable. Alexander said he would “need a tremendous amount of information on the good side of school vouchers” before voting for such a program.

“I feel those I represent would want to put their dollars into educating the public and would be against school vouchers,” said Chris McDonough, fifth district member.

The state legislature is proposing to create a board that would have authority to approve charter schools. 

A charter school is a public school operated by independent, nonprofit governing bodies that must include parents. Currently, local school boards have that authority, ensuring that, according to the authorizing legislation, “those charter schools open and remain open that are meeting the needs of their students, district and community. Local boards do this through rigorous authorization processes, ongoing monitoring of the academic and financial performance of charter schools, and, when necessary, through the revocation or non-renewal of charters.”

Chris Guess, fourth district member, said, “By the time all these state laws are passed, there will not be a need for local school boards. Charter schools still come under local school board accountability, and we should be able to approve those.”

“These are just band-aids stemming from No Child Left Behind,” said Kevin Caroland, chairman of the school board. “Instead of getting rid of NCLB, these are just ways around that accountability.”

Alexander also discussed the proposal that would have county school superintendents (or school directors, as they are known in some counties) be elected rather than appointed by the school board. This idea “has never gotten out of committee” in the legislature, he said.

“I encourage you to contact those committee members and pass a resolution on elected versus appointed superintendents,” said Alexander.

Currently, the elected school board members hire the school superintendent. By doing this, “it takes away from politics and favoritism,” said Betty Jo Drummond, seventh district member. 

“I always thought we needed someone local to run the schools,” said Drummond. “I have changed my mind with Dr. [Rebecca] Sharber [director of Franklin County schools]. She is straight across the board with all of us. She knows how the state education system operates.”

“We are a 43 million dollar a year business,” said Williams. “We need the best person to run it, and this is not a job based on who wins a popularity contest.”

The school board requested resolutions be drafted to oppose these three legislative measures, and discussion will continue in the next school board meeting.

In other business, the school board has been researching the idea of placing advertisements on the school buses as a way to raise revenue. Direct Solutions, a marketing firm in Atlanta, sent a proposal that described how two advertisement signs on each of the 63 county school buses would generate approximately $42,000 a year. 

School board members raised concerns about safety and the lack of businesses in the area able to afford such advertising. Drummond said this was not the best deal, as Direct Solutions kept one-third of the profits. “I will keep looking for another alternative,” Drummond said.

“We just aren’t to the point that we need corporate sponsorship for our schools,” said Caroland. No motion or vote was taken on this issue.

Concerning the SES renovations, the Franklin County Commission voted 16-0 in a meeting on Dec. 3 to approve moving money from the school board fund balance to a capital outlay budget line. Pre-construction meetings will be held next week between SAIN Construction, director of schools Rebecca Sharber and SES principal Mike Maxon.

The next school board meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Jan. 14, at the board office, 215 S. College St., Winchester.

SES Misses Reward School Status In Spite of Scores

by K. G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

Sewanee Elementary School officials recently received a letter from Kevin Huffman, the Tennessee Commissioner of Education, describing why SES was not designated as a “reward school” based on performance in 2011–12.

Under the state’s new accountability system, schools must perform well in achievement measures and close achievement gaps between subgroups to be designated as a reward school. A reward school can be in the top 5 percent of overall performance in proficient and advanced achievement goals. A reward school can also be in the top 5 percent of schools where progress is achieved the quickest based on value-added scores, and growth in TCAP reading/language arts, math and science.

“We believe it is important to let directors and principals know if schools are close to achieving a high level of recognition,” the letter states. “Sewanee Elementary was on the cusp of being identified as a Reward School based on performance. In fact, your school performance was within the threshold of those schools identified as Reward but was excluded under our federal waiver rules because of achievement gaps larger than the state median in any subgroup area and achievement gaps that widened between 2010–11 and 2011–12.”

In 2012, Sewanee Elementary School had the highest scores in the county in achievement for grades 3–5 in math, reading/language arts, social studies, science and the fifth-grade writing assessment.

In 2012, SES had the highest TCAP scores in the county for all students scoring proficient and advanced in math, science and reading/language arts. Broadview Elementary had the highest TCAP score for all students in social studies. 

Between subgroups, SES had the highest percentage of proficient and advanced students, except for economically disadvantaged students. For African-American students in math and reading/language arts, Cowan Elementary had the highest percentage. Decherd Elementary had the highest percentage for Hispanic students in math and reading/language arts. 

“Even if you have a high score but decline in any area, that counts against you,” said Rebecca Sharber, director of schools for Franklin County. 

SES had a decline in two subgroup scores between 2011 and 2012 in reading/language arts. In 2011, 60.5 percent of economically disadvantaged students were proficient and advanced. In 2012, 55.3 percent were proficient and advanced. The state average was 37.5 percent; the county average, 40.10 percent. In 2011, 81.8 percent of SES students with disabilities scored proficient and advanced in reading/language arts. In 2012, 78.5 percent scored proficient and advanced in reading/language arts. The state average was 32.8 percent; the county average, 32.7 percent.

"Turkey Protection" project at SES

Sewanee Elementary School first-grade students created disguises for their turkey friends to help them survive the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday and avoid being turned into the main course for dinner. Many of their imaginative creations are scattered throughout this week’s paper. 

Community Chest Spotlight: Sewanee Elementary School

The 2012–13 Sewanee Community Chest Fund Drive is underway. The power of people helping people makes a difference in the life of the community. Sponsored by the Sewanee Civic Association, the Community Chest raises money yearly for local charitable organizations serving the area. This year’s goal is $90,000.

Since 1867 there has been a long-standing relationship between the community and the public school. For years this voluntary community commitment maintained the educational system, such as St. Paul’s on the Mountain school and the school on Billy Goat Hill.

When the Sewanee Civitan Club (now the Sewanee Civic Association) was first organized, its objective of good citizenship included “a comprehensive program for the betterment and improvement of every phase of community activity.” This included providing school facilities. 

The Sewanee Public School was completed in 1927 through volunteer efforts and community funds. At that time, the Franklin County Board of Education agreed to pay the salaries of teachers in Sewanee, but did not provide a building because they were concerned about placing a public building on leasehold land. The University was unable to help at that time. The school building would be on a University lease, owned by the Sewanee Civitan Club, and operated by the Franklin County School Board.

In 1933, the community built the Roosevelt Addition. In 1943, more than half of the town’s Community Chest budget went to maintain the school, and pay for enrichment programs and school supplies. The county took over the maintenance of the school in 1955, when the building and land were turned over to the county as long as a school remained on that site. For a complete history of the public schools, see “Sewanee Sampler” by Arthur Ben and Elizabeth N. Chitty, 1978.

Now, the Sewanee Elementary School (SES) continues to rely on yearly funding from the Community Chest to meet the school’s needs. Money from the Community Chest is used for technology and software purchases, professional development, classroom supplies, new books for the library and school operations. This funding commitment has served to eliminate the need for door-to-door fund raising.

“Sewanee’s Community Chest goes far beyond what any public school could imagine,” said SES principal Mike Maxon. “While most schools are seeking ways to raise additional revenue by having their students participate in magazine sales, candy sales, etc., the Community Chest raises money for us. The teachers can concentrate on teaching, not collecting money each morning. The students can concentrate on learning, not selling products. Donations through the Community Chest do support the school,” said Maxon.

The Sewanee Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (SES PTO), a non-profit organization, requests and disburses the Community Chest funds each year for SES. All money received from the Community Chest is used for yearly support of the school. The SES PTO works with teachers and staff to find solutions to specific educational needs of the school that are not met by the Franklin County School system funding or services. 

The Community Chest currently funds almost 90 percent of the SES PTO operating expenses for the school. The SES PTO also receives money through annual dues and small fund-raisers such as T-shirt sales. SES receives additional money from school pictures, two book fairs and BoxTops. This year the SES PTO will receive $20,000 if the Community Chest goal is met.

SES always welcomes community members to art shows, musicals and science fairs. Volunteers are always needed to help in the library, teach Friday School or read to the children. For more information, go to <http://www.edline.net/pages/Sewanee_Elementary_School>.

The goal of the Sewanee Community Chest is to help citizens by funding the community. Donations to the Community Chest can be mailed any time to P.O. Box 99, Sewanee, TN 37375. For more information, or to make a donation through PayPal, contact <sewaneecommunitychest@gmail.com>.

[Editor’s Note: The Sewanee Mountain Messenger was founded in part by the Sewanee Civic Association; however, the Messenger no longer requests Community Chest funding.]

Sewanee Elementary Leads the Way in TCAPs-- Broadview & North Lake Named Reward Schools

by K. G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

With Tennessee’s new accountability system to show progress in public school testing, there are new reporting categories including reward, focus and priority status. These new categories replace the No Child Left Behind status designations of target, school needs improvement, corrective action and restructuring. 

In Franklin County, North Lake Elementary and Broadview Elementary are reward schools based on performance. A reward school can be in the top 5 percent of overall performance in proficient and advanced achievement goals. A reward school can also be in the top 5 percent of schools where progress is achieved the fastest, based on value-added scores and growth in TCAP reading/language arts, math and science.

While SES had the top TCAP scores in almost all testing categories across the county, SES is not a reward school. 

“We did not meet the gap closure with our economically disadvantaged students,” said SES principal Mike Maxon. “That subgroup did not grow enough academically,” he said. 

SES also had a decline in two subgroup scores between the 2011 and 2012 reading/language arts TCAP test. In 2011, 60.5 percent of economically disadvantaged students were proficient and advanced. In 2012, 55.3 percent were proficient and advanced.

In 2011, 81.8 percent of SES students with disabilities scored proficient and advanced in reading/language arts. In 2012, 78.5 percent scored proficient and advanced proficient/advanced in reading/language arts.

“The issue for Sewanee was the gap between the economically disadvantaged and the non-economically disadvantaged. Also, if a school had measures that declined they could not be a reward school,” said Franklin County Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber.

For SES, 77.8 percent of all students were proficient and advanced in math, compared to 67.2 percent of Broadview and 66.4 percent of North Lake students. In reading/language arts, 77.8 percent of all SES students were proficient and advanced. For Broadview, 61.6 percent of all students were proficient and advanced. For North Lake, 67.7 percent of all students were proficient and advanced.

In science, 82.1 percent of all SES students were proficient and advanced, compared to Broadview with 75.5 percent and North Lake with 78.1 percent. In social studies, 93 percent of all SES students were proficient and advanced. For Broadview, 96.5 percent of students were proficient and advanced, while North Lake had 92.7 percent scoring proficient and advanced.

SES also led in TCAP scores between the subgroups, except for the economically disadvantaged subgroup in reading/language arts. 

In the fifth grade TCAP writing assessment, SES had the highest score in the county with a score of 4.5 out of 6. Cowan Elementary was next with a score of 4.4. Broadview and Decherd both scored a 4.2. North Lake and Clark Memorial both scored a 4.1. Huntland and Rock Creek both scored a 3.9. 

SES also had the highest grade in achievement, which is a measure of overall student performance. 

At the middle schools, North Middle School improved in math with 39.4 of all students scoring proficient and advanced. In reading/language arts, North declined slightly from last year’s testing results to 44.6 percent of all students proficient and advanced.

South Middle School improved to 32.4 percent of all students proficient and advanced in math. South had a slight decline in reading/language arts with 48.8 percent of all students proficient and advanced.

For complete information, go to <http://www.tn.gov/education/re​portcard/index.shtml>.

Fall Break at Local Schools

The University begins fall break at 5 p.m., today, Oct. 12. Classes will resume on Wednesday, Oct. 17.

Franklin and Grundy county schools begin fall break after school today, Oct. 12. Classes will resume on Oct. 22.

St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School will be on break starting Friday, Oct. 19, after 5 p.m. Classes resume on Tuesday, Oct. 23.

School Board Revises Bid Package for SES Renovation

by K. G. Beavers, Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County school board met in a regular session on Oct. 8. Discussion included the renovation bids for Sewanee Elementary School and a district Race to the Top grant application.

After discussing a number of alternatives about the SES renovation, the board decided to remove the water-harvesting system from the bid and rebid the project with a metal roof. New bids will be ready by the work session on Nov. 5. “We are interested in the metal roof, and the rain water harvester is not cost-efficient,” said Chris McDonough, school board member.

“We all agree we must repair Sewanee Elementary. Since we are displacing water from a county property to property on the Domain, we need to talk with the Domain manager and make sure what we are doing is correct,” he said.

“In light of the large-scale construction project going on at the Sewanee golf course and what happened with water runoff into Shakerag Hollow, we need to have that conversation with the Domain manager,” said McDonough. 

The plans for the water runoff at SES is to have the water discharged slowly back into the natural water table on the playground side of the building. The rest of the water runoff will be taken underground to the back part of the site towards the creek.

The school board budget will have to be amended by moving money from the fund balance to a budget line item. The county commission will also have to approve the money being moved from the fund balance.

In another matter, Director of Schools Rebecca Sharber reported that the school system is in the process of applying for a district Race to the Top grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Even if the Franklin County system does not receive the grant, she said, the process of writing the proposal has been helpful for long-range planning goals.

“This grant is a long shot, but we have to try,” said Sharber.

In the grant application, Franklin County has three goals. One is to hire and train teachers to be a professional learning community. With the grant money, Franklin County would build a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) community center. The third goal would be to extend the reach of the best Franklin County teachers to the STEM center. The grant proposal is due at the end of this month and will be awarded in December to between 15 and 25 school districts.

The Department of Education expects to make four-year awards ranging from $5 million to $40 million to those districts “that have the leadership and vision to implement the strategies, structures and systems needed to implement personalized, student-focused approaches to learning and teaching that will produce excellence and ensure equity for all students.” 

For more information, go to <http://www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-district/index.html>.

In order to help the long range planning with the county commission and county departments, Richard Stewart, the mayor of Franklin County, has appointed a commissioner to each of the departments. This was done to help the commissioners better understand the departments’ budgetary processes. Commissioner Sherwood Ebey has been assigned to the school board.

School Board Meets in Work Session: Discussion of SES Renovations Tops the Agenda

by K.G. Beavers, Sewanee Messenger Staff Writer

The Franklin County school board met in a work session on Oct. 1 at Sewanee Elementary School to discuss SES renovation bids, update on the honors distinction for graduating and the credit recovery program.

Steve Morris, representing the firm of Kaatz, Binkley, Jones & Morris Architects, Inc., spoke with school board members and guests about some of the renovations that needed to be done to the school. School Board Chairman Kevin Caroland “wanted the school board to physically see some of the work that we need to do up here.”

“We’re grateful to Principal Maxon for letting us hold our meeting at SES. It was very useful to have the on-site tour of the repairs that need to be done to the school,” said Chris McDonough, school board member.

Sealed bids for the renovation were accepted until Sept. 25 at the school board office. Six contractors bid on the project, which is expected to take 180 days to complete. One bid was more than the proposed $750,000.

Morris explained the changes to the windows, replacing the roof on the oldest part of the building, and the biggest concern of draining the water away from the building. School board members raised concern over the water harvesting system. Morris said that without this alternative, the downspout would just be replaced and the school would still have a water issue. “The real purpose of this water system is to relieve some of the water drainage coming into the building,” said Morris.

“I am in favor of fixing Sewanee, and there are some things we were not aware of,” said school board member Betty Jo Drummond. “But we need to take our time and do our homework before we approve a bid. What do we really need to have fixed?” she asked. 

“The repairs are going to cost a lot, but they’re necessary as maintenance. Given the expense, the rain harvesting tank might have to be put on hold,” said McDonough.

The school board wants to see a price differential between a metal roof and a shingle roof. Discussion will continue at the Oct. 8 school board meeting before a bid is accepted. Once a bid is accepted, work will begin immediately, taking into consideration the planning process between Maxon and the contractor.

“Some of the work will no doubt be disruptive, especially in the playground and on that side of the school. But I know SES faculty and staff will be able to handle it,” said McDonough.

Students graduating in 2013 will be the first class to graduate under the Tennessee Diploma Project. 

The purpose of the project is to better prepare students to be successful after graduation from high school. One area of improvement determines how a student graduates with honors. The new system of recognition exceeds the earlier system of a student reaching a specific grade point average in order to graduate with honors. The state also mandates that the schools recognize those graduating with distinction.
To graduate with honors under the new system, a student who scores at or above all the subject area readiness benchmarks on the ACT or the equivalent SAT scores will graduate with honors. The ACT benchmark scores are English, 18; math, 22; reading, 21; and science reasoning, 24.
To graduate with distinction, a student must have a B average (3.0) and do one of the following: earn a nationally recognized industry certification; participate in at least one of the Governor’s Schools; participate in one of the state’s All State musical organizations; be selected as a National Merit finalist or semi-finalist; attain a composite score of 31 or higher on the ACT; attain a score of 3 or higher on at least two advanced placement exams; or earn 12 or more semester hours of transcripted postsecondary credit.
Another topic of discussion was credit recovery, where a student can “recover” credit for a course previously taken but not passed. The student must have previously taken the course and made a grade of at least 50. Then, if the student shows “mastery of information” through a computerized learning program, they will in turn receive credit for that class. This credit recovery option can happen before, during or after school hours.
The principal of the high school has to implement the credit recovery program. It is not a school board policy.
In 2011–12, 24 high school seniors decided to take part in the program. Fifteen of those completed the credit recovery process. In 2012–13, 35 students have been targeted as needing credit recovery in order to graduate. Since the graduation rate is an accountability measure mandated by the state, Franklin County High School will continue to offer this program to keep up the graduation rate.
“Our goal is to not need credit recovery in the future,” said FCHS principal Greg Mantooth.

The Call of the Appalachian Trail

Madeline Sumpter at the summit of Bigelow Mountain’s Avery Peak, elev. 4088 ft.

Sewanee Elementary School second-grade student Madeline Sumpter (trail name “Flower”), and her father, Joseph, (trail name “Deep Woods Dreamer”), hiked 18.7 miles on the Appalachian Trail (AT) from north to south through the Bigelow Mountains in central Maine, Aug. 3–Sept. 2.

Sumpter began the nearly 2,200-mile trek on the AT as a through-hiker on April 15, 1995, at Springer Mountain, Ga., but heavy snowfall in late October forced him off the trail. 

“I always wanted to finish the portion of the trail I missed,” he said. “Now I know it was God’s plan all along to save the finale of this lifetime goal to be able to share with my daughter. Madeline shares my love of hiking, and the time was right for us to complete this adventure together.” 

Sumpter spent much of the last six months preparing for the trip, researching hiking with children, planning what to pack, fitting Madeline with appropriate gear and lots of preparatory hikes. 

“I knew hiking with Madeline was going to be different, and I wanted our adventure to succeed no matter what. I couldn’t afford to leave anything to chance,” he said.

They had five gorgeous days of weather and enjoyed gazing off the many view points, quenching their thirsts from the cool mountain streams, meeting other hikers, playing games, journaling and eating Madeline’s favorite backpacking foods. 

They also left messages at shelters along the trail for Sewanee resident Bruce Baird (trail name “2:30”), who was in the vicinity of the Bigelow Mountains on his own AT journey. 
Joseph presented Madeline with a medal she could wear around her neck when she made it to the two highest peaks. 

“To say this trip was a success is a huge understatement,” Sumpter said. “Madeline knows the joy of accomplishing a physically and emotionally demanding challenge. Alyssa and I can hardly wait to experience the next family adventure and little sister, Julia, is ready to join in the fun.”