[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6665151,"mediaKeyId","2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2","parentId",2364060,"title","Cumberland County Board removes superintendent-evaluation items, forms special committee as public urges reversal on director decision","audioSeconds",1104,"startMs",67000,"endMs",1171000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2&start=67&end=1171","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2/thumbnail_67000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6665151/Tennessee/Cumberland-County-Board-removes-superintendent-evaluation-items-forms-special-committee-as-public-urges-reversal-on-director-decision","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665151-9a86fe3ee47505a080a3b19e3e54f8be/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054730&Signature=M6H7adweZ3ndJV5g8NIDZvbEUA4xo28PU5luo-VSeVfhhEtwpBluLtKvUF-C~LP8gMy87104RUe7A3nLIyUgmqVc5CCkf5bLP8M68wJPoicdccRXcoy7t5wsAQeE~40SEEUJSlV7nhPV3tfenamXb1oiYvfgMbWUCnzORtCKAs7qQaP~n3hLwjOaBxKv~S2OFZOHkSJbQz1agsRmQDJZgzpSxB6z-GfPwW8ow~MGfP5zVfTsQJSkeuLT6Z3Cu~Hl04MiMuAcyS1swhQ--VQhRHfIQfh00urJvvB10HbSrzfQTUlDCTHgOhMy2F2LhOLxL~Fnf02Y7p5MbPy9v99I7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cumberland County Schools","date","2025-02-20T18:13:46.993Z","article","The Cumberland County Board of Education voted to remove two agenda discussion items about evaluations and to create a special committee to work on superintendent and board evaluation templates, then heard extended public comment urging the board to reverse a prior vote on the director’s contract.

Board members first approved a motion to add discussion of the agenda by majority vote, then later voted 5–4 to remove agenda items labeled 5a and 5b and to proceed with formation of a special committee to discuss an evaluation process for the superintendent and for the board. The board then approved the initial committee appointments by a 5–4 vote.

The actions followed remarks from board members who said the existing evaluation templates were generic and should be aligned with the district strategic plan. Several board members urged creation of a template that combined quantitative and qualitative accountability measures and recommended a committee or work sessions to develop a locally appropriate instrument rather than adopting a standard form unchanged.

Director of Schools statement

Director of Schools Mr. Stepp delivered a brief statement to the board near the end of the discussion. He said, \"I want to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunities this board has given me during my time as director of schools. ... I respect the board's decision and I'm committed to ensuring a smooth transition to the new leadership as I complete my contract on June 30.\" The board did not take any additional personnel action during this meeting.

Public comment urging reversal

During the public comment period, dozens of residents, employees and community leaders urged the board to reconsider a prior vote not to renew the director’s contract. Speakers cited academic and programmatic gains they attribute to the director’s leadership and urged either extending his contract or offering a new contract. Wendy Stanley, who identified herself as a resident of the Fourth District and a court-appointed special advocate for Cumberland County children, cited several test-score improvements and said, \"This is not the right direction,\" referring to the board's earlier decision.

Other commenters included teachers, bus drivers, nonprofit leaders and parents who described engagement by the director with students and staff, improvements in the county’s trauma-informed initiatives, and community partnerships. Denise Melton, executive director of Cumberland Children’s Center House of Hope and vice president of the Cumberland County Trauma Informed Community Alliance, told the board Mr. Stepp \"initiated implementation of trauma informed schools\" and linked that work to modest academic improvements.

What the board did and what’s next

- The board approved adding agenda discussion by majority vote (roll call recorded during the meeting).
- The board voted 5–4 to remove discussion items 5a and 5b from today’s agenda and to create a special committee to work on evaluation materials; it then appointed volunteers to that committee during the same meeting.
- The chair noted initial appointments may be reconsidered at a future public meeting; the chair said appointments are the chair’s prerogative but that the full board could later amend them.

The board said committee work and a revised evaluation template will feed into later work sessions; members suggested using TSBA (Tennessee School Boards Association) guidelines as a starting point but tailoring measures to Cumberland County’s strategic plan. No policy changes or personnel actions were approved beyond the committee appointments at this meeting.

The board moved on to other agenda items after public comment and a short recess; the full board did not reverse or change its earlier renewal vote during this session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","BOE Retreat 2-8-25 Part 2","oneSentenceSummary","The Cumberland County Board of Education voted to remove two agenda discussion items on superintendent and board evaluations and appointed a special committee to develop evaluation materials, then heard multiple public comments urging the board to reverse a prior decision on Director of Schools Mr. Stepp’s contract.","taxTitle","Cumberland County, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",76410,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665143,"Board frames strategic-plan review, prioritizes SWOT approach and schedules extra work sessions to align budget",741,7980000,8721000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2&start=7980&end=8721","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2/thumbnail_7980000.jpg","/articles/6665143/Tennessee/Board-frames-strategic-plan-review-prioritizes-SWOT-approach-and-schedules-extra-work-sessions-to-align-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665143-7e991fd69e4e294caecf3794dc5b1967/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054730&Signature=CZxFzp~MxjCfPL7ymKof9gkt54xzNoFoMkpZlKk6RlcCNPVjH3-ogQo21ZNUuh1GKdwrN8A-xuVzuFwQqK-GxssqD1PQtS7UyT2DpnFP79gt17u03ZvMBwdslB1IHJZEZos5M6S9rZhKsrPxyV8ivp6nAeTMXKcR2ktqG3LkjdkNH68AWe9xRUa4LHE9Fr0zkXQwi8mTWR4N-ZIFCTe4b3i4llecXqU4Itdf0bBp83q1PrYXI7bnwrSl5WO--JM8a7Wd~6x429~pBRWvDRFM6SOFOgKPq7dK5Cr22F6QM57j6w8xVTidEq1r9kvFLmRzW-tc8mDRvTVJaf~yNgLm3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Board members reviewed the district five-year strategic plan, discussed how to break the plan into manageable work sessions and recommended a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis as the first step.

Members suggested grouping the plan’s five sections under three high-level priorities—academic achievement (including CTE/CTE-related programs), safety/security, and people/organizational capacity (a \"great place to work\" concept). Several board members recommended conducting focused work sessions or special committee meetings so the board and administration can align the strategic plan priorities with the annual budget cycle.

The board noted the strategic plan is entering approximately year three, and that annual review is typical; members asked colleagues to review provided attachments prior to the next work session. Several members asked the administration to share a detailed budget timeline and to propose dates for additional work sessions; staff agreed to circulate schedules and to coordinate possible dates for focused strategic-plan and budget meetings.

Board members emphasized a need to tie strategic priorities to available funding and requested department-level budget information to inform the SWOT analysis and any proposed resource shifts. Several members asked for a template to collect suggested strategic-plan edits ahead of the next work session so committee time is used for synthesis rather than rehashing materials already supplied.

No formal policy changes or budget votes were taken at this meeting; board members agreed to reconvene for additional work sessions and to begin budget planning in accordance with the district’s calendar.","The board discussed using a SWOT analysis to review the district five-year strategic plan, suggested narrowing focus to a few high-level priorities, and agreed to schedule additional work sessions to align the strategic plan with upcoming budget development.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6665148,"Board counsel outlines Title IX status, Education Freedom Act details and immigration guidance for schools",2561,4843000,7404000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2&start=4843&end=7404","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2364060-d52a183831c57e9ede3a637a55fb18b2/thumbnail_4843000.jpg","/articles/6665148/Tennessee/Board-counsel-outlines-Title-IX-status-Education-Freedom-Act-details-and-immigration-guidance-for-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665148-43602128ef5ac65386418a58d8b1be84/orig.mp4?Expires=1771054730&Signature=Enqr7LMYW-nH4WbY63eq7jH1ZmK2j-TYQzxBaiwQTP5jW26LlkzqeNdQc4rACJ9YpYo0IuWEM-MF7QIj3Te91N3GmPAJYVCvqPPuaRES1UVnx9tD6Vvn6IZxjQnvw1fLDuJtG54DSnAIUCWZ5icv9QcMIOOjOeBQ0iQoZ7M2pERcdpXbS4D11yob-6EmXBw7t4Dxa2kAHTPKGTbTb2mElzvKVl7QO3pFrF0ThfJNZYOvmsh~zZoa8dMqAadfVui4puaetmZUk2TiIixmuZ1rfjSMNaaA0oV6T3QQNTZ40s8o~PofsQC9qEZHf-bBeLGgO5dvR082mCY~zdQVpP8GAw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chris McCarthy, counsel for the Cumberland County Board of Education, briefed the board on three legal areas residents have asked about: Title IX and recent federal rulemaking and litigation; the state Education Freedom Act (EFA) and associated teacher bonuses; and immigration enforcement guidance for schools.

Title IX and recent rulemaking

McCarthy reviewed the legal background and recent changes. He said a 2024 U.S. Department of Education rule that would have read Title IX protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity was blocked in federal court and has not gone into effect in Tennessee. He summarized that, as of the meeting, the department’s most recent guidance and federal court rulings mean local officials should not treat Title IX as including gender identity or sexual orientation protections in Tennessee schools.

State Education Freedom Act, scholarships and teacher bonuses

McCarthy summarized provisions of the state’s Education Freedom Act (the scholarship/voucher legislation) as they currently stand and flagged open implementation questions. He said the legislature set aside $145.9 million to fund approximately 20,000 scholarships in the first year; half of those scholarships are reserved for households meeting an income threshold tied to 300% of federal free-and-reduced-lunch guidelines (the transcript cited the baseline federal figure but the precise combined-household threshold was not fully specified in the meeting). He emphasized that the law, as enacted, directs scholarship funding to eligible households to pay tuition to the private school that accepts the student; the state did not send funds directly to private schools as a general practice.

McCarthy also explained a separate section that conditions $2,000-per-teacher state payments on the local school board adopting a resolution that certifies the district will pass the money on to eligible K–12 teachers (the district must submit that resolution to the state by the statute’s deadline). He said the statute as written limits the state bonus to K–12 classroom teachers who meet the state’s employment definitions for the 2024–25 school year and that the department of education will need to issue further guidance—e.g., whether employees on leave, interim replacements, counselors who occasionally teach, or pre-K staff qualify for the bonus.

Immigration enforcement and schools

McCarthy summarized existing federal precedent (Plyler v. Doe) and federal privacy protections (FERPA) and recommended district procedures if immigration agents or other law-enforcement personnel appear at a school. He advised staff to require proper identification and a legal basis (warrant, subpoena, or court order) before releasing student records and to route inquiries to administration and the central office rather than classroom teachers. He said schools should document requests and follow FERPA and other legal safeguards before disclosing records. He also said there had been no known examples of immigration raids on schools in Tennessee and urged the board to rely on written orders and to protect student privacy while cooperating where a judicial order is presented.

Open questions for implementation

McCarthy told the board that the state education department is likely to issue guidance filling in logistical details for the scholarship program and teacher payments (for example, procedures for submitting eligible employees). He also noted that local adoption of a board resolution does not permanently bind a future board from taking a different position, though the resolution is the step the state requires to distribute the $2,000-per-teacher funds through the district.

Board members asked clarification questions about eligibility, timing and whether passage of the resolution would require changes to district policy or the local budget; McCarthy said board action would be required to accept the funds and to determine whether the district extends equivalent payments to employees the state does not cover (for example, pre-K staff or classified employees).","Board counsel provided a legal briefing on Title IX developments, the state Education Freedom Act (voucher/scholarship program) and guidance on immigration enforcement and school responses, including how the district should handle document requests and identify eligible teachers for a state bonus program.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Cumberland County Board removes superintendent-evaluation items, forms special committee as public urges reversal on director decision

Board frames strategic-plan review, prioritizes SWOT approach and schedules extra work sessions to align budget

Board counsel outlines Title IX status, Education Freedom Act details and immigration guidance for schools