I just returned from my first National School Board Association Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. I chose to go this year because of the close proximity to Knoxville which meant no airfare cost for Knox County. The 2016 conference will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, and the 2017 conference will be in Denver, Colorado. My favorite part of the conference was to see the exceptional student talent displayed in the arts. Revolution Stings from Abilene and Cooper High Schools from Abilene, Texas, performed as well as the Central High School Jazz Band, from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They were examples that the arts are important! My second favorite part was the informative and inspirational keynote speakers like Jane Pauley, David Pogue, and Montel Williams as they challenged 8000 |
My third favorite part of the conference was the back to back break out sessions. It is my desire to be the best school board member for KCS that I can be. Therefore most of the conferences I attended were part of the New Board Member Bootcamp:
- Ten Questions Every School Board Member Should Ask
- Basic Parlimentary Procedure for New Board Members
- Dynamic Community Leadership
- The Board's Role in Governance Through Policy
As chairman of the committee reviewing the evaluation protocol for Dr. McIntyre, the most beneficial conferences were the two on superintendent evaluations:
- Superintendent Evaluation: A New Model for the 21st Century
- Superintendent Evaluations: A Positive Experience.
I think these two sessions in particular will be helpful as we move forward to make sure Knox County's Superintendent evaluation aligns with the other Knox County School educators and administrators, and is rigorous and robust.
Upon returning Monday afternoon, I attended Mayor Burchett's community meeting for the Powell community before attending the Knox County Commission meeting where PMS Choral students were recognized. Tomorrow I will be at Halls Elementary. Tomorrow night is the Powell Community meeting on the Balanced Calendar at PHS at 6:00. I meet with Powell Elementary School on Wednesday. Thursday night I will be attending the meeting with Candice McQueen. Friday morning is the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Breakfast with Rep. Bill Dunn and others. The week concludes with my monthly meeting with Dr. McIntyre on Friday. As you can see this is not a two meeting a month position but one where together we can make a difference for the children of Knox County Schools.
Thanks for allowing me to be your representative,
Patti