The Leadership Academy at UT will go forward – or not – without participation by Knox County Schools. The school board voted Feb. 14 to reject a compromise proposed by Superintendent Bob Thomas which would have established a one-year contract with almost no financial obligation from KCS.
The vote was 5-3-1 – the narrowest of margins – with Patti Bounds, Mike McMillan, Tony Norman, Jennifer Owen and Susan Horn on the prevailing side. Out in the audience, Farragut area parent Candace Bannister squeezed the knee of a stranger and high-fived the person on the row behind her.
Bannister, who had spoken several times against the academy, said Horn’s vote was the surprise.
Board member Terry Hill, also rated a toss-up, voted to support the new contract after talking for several minutes about why it was a bad idea.
Owen had previously projected a 6-3 or 7-2 vote to extend the partnership. But teachers across Knox County rallied to “remove the cloud” of former Superintendent Jim McIntyre training the district’s future leaders.
The academy also had the support of holdover board members Lynne Fugate and Gloria Deathridge. Neither is a candidate for re-election this year. Vice chair Amber Rountree recused herself from the vote because she is currently a doctoral student in education at UT. For this writer’s thoughts on why Wednesday’s vote was the correct path, read here.
For the News Sentinel’s thoughts on why it never saw this coming, phone 523-3131.
