The Knoxville Branch NAACP is calling on the Knox County Board of Education to hold public hearings before adopting its draft strategic plan, developed as a road map for the 2018-21 school years.
The board released the plan in late June. It was drafted after a public meeting in each school board district earlier this year. But the NAACP has concerns and, in a press release, said citizens will be even more interested in the plan now that a draft is available.
Concerns cited include:
- The plan does not address the need for additional school social workers, counselors and psychologists; smaller classes; or additional advanced placement classes in high-minority schools.
- It describes an excessive role for law enforcement in school discipline.
- It would move the district’s disparity efforts backwards by setting goals for out-of-school suspensions that are even higher than the current rates.
- It sets too modest goals for numbers of minority teachers and for retention of minority teachers.
- It does not address the loss of teachers to other school districts or the Board’s commitment to raise teacher pay.
Info or discussion: the Rev. Dr. John A. Butler, 865-617-2603 or johnanthonybutler@gmail.com.