Mayor Karl Dean digs deeper into schools director search

By Amy Griffith, Friday, May 2, 2008 3:21 am(city newspaper)
Updated: Friday, May 2, 2008 3:21 am

As a new chapter for Nashville public schools continues to unfold today with school board interviews of director search firms, Mayor Karl Dean’s involvement with Metro Nashville Public Schools has the potential to grow.

A spokesperson for the mayor said he plans to conduct his own unscripted interviews more like “real conversations” with the three companies being considered to conduct the search for Nashville’s next director of schools.

“He’s expressed a clear desire to be involved in our schools, and that means he’ll be working with the next schools director very closely,” said Janel Lacy, spokesperson for the mayor, on Thursday. “I think it’s natural that he be involved in the decision of who that person is, considering the close working relationship they’re going to have. … This search is going to play a critical role in the direction of our schools, so it will in turn play a role in our city’s future.”

Danielle Mezera, director of the Mayor’s Office of Children and Youth, will be present at the interviews and will share Dean’s perspective on the decision Saturday morning, at an 8 a.m. public meeting called by the school board for the purpose of choosing a firm.

School board members have said they’re counting on whatever search firm they choose to play a role in shaping — at least in the planning phase — the process for selecting a new director, including the specific role that the mayor’s office and community stakeholders will play.

Dean — who has said repeatedly since his August election that he plans to be “very involved” in public schools — has been a part of the search firm selection from the beginning. Dean was one member of a team of three who narrowed down the list of applying firms to a group of three finalists. He has also offered to raise money through private sources to pay for a search firm, once chosen, and board members have indicated their interest in taking him up on it.

The specifics of Dean’s interviews of search firm candidates were not publicly discussed by the school board as a whole, and several board members indicated to The City Paper, when asked, that they hadn’t been aware of Dean’s individual meetings with candidates. No board member, however, has expressed to The City Paper sentiments other than support for Dean’s involvement.

“I have no problem with the mayor interviewing [the firms],” said school board member George Thompson on Wednesday.

Board member David Fox said Thursday, “If the mayor’s meeting with them, that’s fine. … I’m glad he cares enough to do it. That’s probably a good thing.”

Fox added that he expects the board to deliberate, publicly, on the role that Dean — as well as local stakeholders in public education — will play in the unfolding search before a firm is hired, either today or tomorrow.

But whatever the proposals of the search firm candidates, statements from the mayor’s office indicate that Dean plans to be a part of the search.

“The mayor’s going to continue to be a part of the process and continue to be a part of the conversation,” Lacy said.

Two Metro Council members — Jerry Maynord and Jim Gotto — said at MNPS’s budget hearing with the Council that Board of Education members should take care to make their own decision about choosing a director of schools, as board members are elected by the public for that purpose.

Dean has said he respects the school board and its legal role, and comments that Lacy said Thursday are still accurate. Mezera will present the mayor’s thoughts about search firms and Dean will leave it up to the board to decide how to weigh those thoughts.

The three search firms to be considered are Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, Ltd. of Illinois, ProAct Search of Wisconsin and Ray & Associates of Iowa. School board interviews of the firms are open to the general public, and begin this morning at 8:30 a.m. at the MNPS central office, 2601 Bransford Ave. The board is slated to discuss and make a decision about which firm to hire at 8 a.m. Saturday, also at MNPS central offices.

Planning food for banquet is 'favorite part'

Ezell-Harding committee chooses details for junior/senior event By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • April 23, 2008 ANTIOCH — From deciding on the entertainment to the food to what the theme will be, planning for a junior/senior prom or banquet involves decisions, decisions, decisions. "We started out the year (with) a 'bajillion' magazines," said Ezell-Harding Christian School student Kenzie Blanks, who is the junior vice president and served on this year's planning committee for the school's junior/senior banquet. "We had to agree on a theme," she said, adding "Black Tie Affair" was the final choice. "We had to choose invitations and place cards," said Kristen Hensley, committee member and secretary of the junior class. "We actually went and tasted the food. There was a full menu, and you got to pick," added Jenna Fox, junior class president. "That was our favorite part." The school's banquet will be April 25 in the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. Budgeting is a big concern In conjunction with the banquet, the juniors put together a CD for the seniors. "It's a slide show of pictures from their senior year," said Chelsea Shrum, junior class treasurer. "You always want to make it the best possible for our juniors and our seniors, because it's their last year," said Jenna. "The best we can with the budget we have," said Kristen. "Oh yes, that's the big thing, the budget," added Jenna. The students have had to find creative ways to pay for the banquet, which this year ran about $8,000. "We do cookie sales every Wednesday," said Kenzie. "We have 'cookie moms,' and they bake a 'bajillion' cookies. "Now, we're selling T-shirts for our powder puff football game." Supervision can be issue After the banquet, many students will gather at the home of one of the school's seniors, whose parents are hosting a post-banquet party. Other parents are helping to pay for the party. The post-banquet party is not a school-sponsored event. Although the post-banquet party for Ezell-Harding will have parental supervision, a common concern each year during prom or banquet is the lack of supervision of high school students. However, said Kathy Douglas, whose daughter Philista Berry is a senior at Antioch High School, the assumption that prom is a time when "girls go wild" is an exaggeration. "I think a lot of it is a myth," she said. Douglas said she trusts her daughter "to stay out of trouble," and hopes she has "fun — good, clean fun" at her prom. The junior/senior banquet is a time when "you get to see everyone at their best," said Kenzie. "You get to dress up. It's one day out of the school year you get to feel special," said Jenna. But Chelsea said it is "the memories" that make the junior/senior banquet a really special occasion.

Antioch choir joins with professional chorale

Concert Chorale of Nashville will perform with high school group By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • April 16, 2008 ANTIOCH — When all Metro high schools were invited last fall to apply for a chance to do a joint concert with the Concert Chorale of Nashville, "Antioch was clearly the school that was most interested," said chorale president Thomas Limbird. The school submitted letters written by its choral students, choir director and principal. As a result, the two choirs will offer a joint concert at St. Henry Catholic Church on Sunday, April 27. The concert will be the first in a new partnership between the Concert Chorale of Nashville and Metro Nashville Public Schools. Together, the two choirs will perform "American Mass" by Ron Kean. The piece is a "Missa Brevis" or "Short Mass" merging American hymns and spirituals with traditional choral liturgy. Separately, the Antioch choir will perform "My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns and Rene Clausen and "Omnia Sol (Let Your Heart Be Staid) by Z. Randall Stroope" — two pieces it performed at the Middle Tennessee Vocal Association Choral Festival. The Concert Chorale will also perform some pieces separately, and an orchestra composed of local professional musicians will perform with the two choirs. "The opportunity for us is immense — first of all, to be working with professionals and to get to perform with professionals," said Connie McCain, Antioch High School choral director. McCain said this performance likely will be an experience the students will never forget, regardless of whether they go on to be professional musicians. "Music is a lifelong learning experience, and if you have a good start, then you have that desire to continue learning," she said. Students get extra exposure, experience "We have always been interested in fostering classical music," said Limbird. The partnership "seemed (like) another way to get people interested in vocal music." Limbird, a professor of surgery and chief of orthopedic surgery at Meharry Medical College, said the chorale's members are volunteers, and most have non-music careers during the day. But, he added, most of them have degrees in music, and all of them have been trained. In addition, "We almost all sing in our church choirs or other musical groups," he said. The two choirs have been rehearsing for the concert since January. Chorale director Sherry Kelly has been working with the Antioch students on their performance. Kelly, who used to teach music at Belmont University, formed the chorale with accompanist Linda Ford. "They have a very good choir director," said Kelly, referring to Antioch's McCain. "But when somebody comes in from the outside, I think it's great for the kids to be exposed (to that)," she said. Kelly said she likes the piece the two choirs have chosen to perform together. "I think they all really get a feel for what the piece is about," she said. Teacher says it's 'most talented . . . group' It's a piece that McCain has wanted her students to do for a long time. With a mixture of familiar Protestant tunes and traditional parts of the Mass, McCain said the students are getting a diverse cultural experience. Also, she said, she believes they are ready to do the work involved in this style of choral music. "This is the group to do it," she said. "This is the most talented and musically inclined group I've had." Nikeeta Tidwell, a senior, said she has enjoyed learning the Latin used in the Mass. She said she also honored that the chorale chose to do the concert with the Antioch choir. It's the first opportunity they've had to perform with a professional adult choir, and it shows that the chorale's members have confidence in them, she said. Nikeeta said Kelly has really challenged them. They really have to "know the music." Also, she said, she appreciates how McCain has challenged them and encouraged them in this endeavor. "It's something new to me," said senior Joshua McAdoo. "Her style of conducting is different from our director's style of conducting," he said about Kelly. Joshua said it's very different from the high school experience. This is what he expects studying choral music in college might be like. Joshua said he is glad that McCain is letting them do this. It shows that she really believes in them, he said. "It made me feel good about us as a choir."

3 candidates quit race for Metro school board

Incumbent Thompson cites career needs By JAIME SARRIO • Staff Writer (tennessean) • April 11, 2008 A veteran incumbent and two other candidates dropped out of the Metro Nashville school board race Thursday. Board member George Thompson, who represents District 1, would have faced Sharon Gentry, a health-care executive and wife of former Vice Mayor Howard Gentry, and other opponents. District 9 candidates Sonny Farmer and former Metro Councilman John Summers also withdrew Thursday. Thompson, initially elected in 1996, cited "personal and professional reasons" for pulling out of the Aug. 7 election. He represents the Bordeaux and North Nashville area. "We're in a new environment, and personally I see the load of the board members getting heavier," he said. "I feel I am up to the challenge, but it's become more and more time, and I need to focus on my law practice." The election comes at a pivotal time for the 75,000-student school district. The new board will have to pick a new director of schools, and the district is in poor standing and faces sanctions under the federal No Child Left Behind education law. Open mind praised Longtime educator and Nashville School of the Arts Principal Bob Wilson knew Thompson as a board member and a parent. Thompson's daughter was an accomplished dancer at NSA. Wilson said the representative was always approachable and willing to listen, and he hopes future leaders approach the job with an open mind and a willingness to try new things. "I'd like to see someone who comes in with ideas that are not too traditional, because a lot of the traditional stuff isn't working," Wilson said. Barry Barlow and William D. Mason Jr. also are running in Thompson's district. Summers said he decided not to run in District 9 because he did not want to take time away from his wife and 5-year-old child.