Morning everyone.
Welcome back to inside Tennessee.
Happy 4th of July weekend.
Hope it's been a good one for you so far.
We're taking a closer look at the
Knox County Board of Education
Race for District 6 that involves
Republican Betsy Henderson and
independent Phillip Michael Sherman.
We're back good morning to both of you,
so let's talk a little bit if you
don't mind about John Riswick,
who is the new Superintendent,
just sort of got planted into the
seat here just a few weeks ago.
Betsy, what did you think about his choice?
I think you supported it.
And what do you think about his
thoughts going forward?
So
I am very excited about Doctor Reiswig.
He has a great energy.
He has children in the school system
so he understands it from an educator
standpoint as well as a parent.
And I actually served on the
Superintendent search committee.
I was chosen to be on that
three person committee,
so I was heavily involved in this
process from start to finish.
And you know, one of my major things was
making sure the community was involved.
But Doctor Reiswig has a great vision
going forward all of his priorities.
My priorities aligned,
so I've already been very excited
to work with him and I think that he
is going to do a great job bringing
our schools to the next level
and Mr. Sherman. What about you? Yeah,
I haven't met Doctor Razik personally,
So what I can judge is based on what
I've seen him make decisions so far
and I have to say that one of the
things that I was very pleased with is
Knox County Schools is a large large
organization that spans a lot of territory,
has a lot of schools.
And so the first move that he made
as the new Superintendent to rethink
the structure and how we're going
to provide oversight, I thought,
was very wise in terms of being
able to look at different schools,
highlight where there might be
special challenges or inequities
in place across the district,
or across the total.
Counting and to put leaders in place
to focus specifically on that,
I thought that was a very wise
move on his part and I would look
forward to working with
him. He's done something.
I also that struck me as interesting,
and that's to sort of divide
the district up in by geography
into sort of geographic zones,
and to have people sort of focusing
intently on those geographic zones
and the schools that are within them.
You all District 6 is far West.
I think it's like Carnes,
and it's hardened Valley. It's kind of.
Everything north of I believe 40
until you hit the county line.
So what do you think about those geographic
zones that he's kind of created?
Zones of emphasis.
That's my phrase, not his Mr.
Sherman.
I I think it's a good way of
breaking up a large system and
being able to focus more clearly
on the unique needs of each area,
and I'll just say in District 6 we
are Carnes, we're Hardin Valley.
We're also pleasant Ridge
and Norwood and northwest.
We're the fastest growing
district and we're one of the
most diverse districts in terms of
the kinds of needs that we have.
And so I'm really looking forward
to seeing how that gets put into
operation and how we can maybe
be a little more responsive
to local community needs.
From school to school with this new system,
Betsy Anderson, what do you think?
I agree Knox County is a very large
school district with lots of different
needs and in District 6 you know
the needs that I hear from Hardin
Valley are completely different from
the needs that I hear from Pleasant
Ridge and Norwood parents or faculty.
And so I think it is a very intentional.
I think it is a very strategic way to break
up the district or the district as a whole,
and I'm excited, you know,
we are the fastest growing
community in Knox County,
so that is the largest.
Issue I hear for Hardin Valley
and I was very instrumental in
the new elementary school and the
expansion at Hardin Valley Academy.
But again I hear completely different
needs from Pleasant Ridge or
Norwood in that area.
So I think it's a great way
going forward for our schools.
We hear often that that part of
the county where you all are are
living and representing is and you
just said it as fast as growing
and not just in terms of people but
needs for infrastructure and such.
Is the school system keeping up?
I've got about a minute and I'd
like to hear from both of you,
the school system keeping up and
see if you could tell us real
quick on plans for growth.
So we are opening up a new
elementary school next fall,
so that will help alleviate some
of the issues we're having.
And like I said,
Hardin Valley Academy is doing a
expansion to alleviate those problems,
but I do think that our county
Commission and school board and we
do I work very closely with County
Commission to make sure that the school
is getting what they need and we just
need to be proactive in these issues.
You know, we see a record number of people
who have moved in the past two years.
And we just need to make sure that
we're working together at proactive.
Mr Sherman. We got about 15 seconds left
your thoughts on planning for growth?
I I would agree.
I think it's good to grow.
It's great that people want to move here,
but we have to have the conversations
now about what we want.
Knox County schools to look like
in 2030 because while we are having
some expansion in Hardin Valley
Academy and the elementary school,
we know that that growth is
not going to stop anytime soon.
And so we need to be ready.
We appreciate both of you being
on inside Tennessee this morning
and we appreciate you watching.
We will see you again next Sunday. Take care.