Cover local education for any time, and you’ll come away with certainties. For instance, a new superintendent will restructure the central office with new job titles and descriptions. And in the end, there will be more, not fewer, administrators.

For sure, a national foundation will offer money to support a glitzy new program requiring staff restructuring and new materials. It will take some schools longer than others to adapt, risking loss of funding before the new curriculum is stable across the district.

There will be students who are eager to learn and others who just want out the door. Sometimes these are the same students.

And there will always, always be teachers – young and old – who remain idealistic. Teachers who embrace the new leaders and the new goals. And others who close their classroom door and guide kids to filter information for truth.

Y’all know who you are.

Fulton High moves on

Seth Smith, executive principal at Fulton High School, says kids there deserve a high-quality education and the faculty is ready to provide it. He worked the room at Mayor Indya Kincannon’s February Open House in the Fulton library.

Fulton has rebranded its small learning communities (SLC) in response to the Ford Foundation’s grant to support the 865 Academies. Fulton has four academies:

  • The Freshman Academy prepares ninth graders for selecting their academy pathway. It includes a seminar to identify interests, aptitudes and skills; career exploration with guest speakers; and exposure to advanced academics with college visits to learn about post-secondary opportunities.
  • The Academy of Health and Human Services offers courses focused on cosmetology, diagnostic services and nursing. It will coordinate with the LMU campus on the site of the old St. Mary’s.
  • The Academy of Public Service offers classes that lead to careers in criminal justice; fire management services; and trades such as mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. Criminal justice and fire management will benefit from the public safety complex within walking distance on the former St. Mary’s campus.
  • The Academy of Communications offers courses in audio-video production; digital art and design; and marketing management. Fulcom is recognized as a magnet school for Knox County Schools.

Kensey Zimmerman is the academy coach. Learn more by contacting her here.

kensey.zimmerman@knoxschools.org/.

Each of the academies provides the core content (math, social studies, English and science) in a way that clear connections are made between the traditional core classes and the CTE subjects to provide relevance to the student’s learning.

Seth Smith, executive principal at Fulton, said the school is almost equally balanced with 36% Hispanic, 33% Black and 31% white students.

Both the fire and police departments need Spanish speakers, he said. He is hopeful about close coordination with LMU on health sciences and KPD/KFD for public service.

“We will use today’s technology to fight a fire virtually,” he said. And then bring a fire truck on campus so students can see the equipment up close.

Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today Inc.