[{"_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",6114968,"mediaKeyId","2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb","parentId",2740609,"title","Public commenters urge board to defend DEI, oppose voucher measures and accept teacher bonus resolution","audioSeconds",3058,"startMs",742000,"endMs",3800000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb&start=742&end=3800","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb/thumbnail_742000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6114968/Tennessee/Public-commenters-urge-board-to-defend-DEI-oppose-voucher-measures-and-accept-teacher-bonus-resolution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114968-b9a40823a1dfaded6d2ee41f957c6630/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078632&Signature=WrQ40nJaLA2Ifqx9kv1xmBAHlkoDn0LlVjBQx5mGk1DQEwpno4AYYkjv83GWjFCLn63em5iMF5BPBPAkWIdzHTK0G6CS0puTGGIeXxeDQhQW3e9Jw88KFyQvnBqPmM8dWrKr73t1oSkNQHFcBoyKIUg-AiUzwSasLK6NWxmRZOyShqyaT5bJY91Ptq0977lTyx1NZailo2-30GvcBo7xgEeteZa1xCmFW0t9xaF5pW1F8X7dIB1LUlNc4PEUMzZ0p3Ianvba1Rty0qRoA-Xr4oa1RP107IZMfN9lNoVjpG1CQ7ODmvSDE48hnUh3eRYjvT2nijcrH94NuRCb7G4ZOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montgomery County Schools","date","2025-03-19T03:52:35Z","article","Several community members used the board’s public-comment period to urge the Clarksville-Montgomery County Board of Education to defend local control, protect diversity and inclusion efforts, and act to ensure teachers receive a one-time bonus included in recent state legislation.

Catherine Reynolds told the board that recent measures in the Tennessee General Assembly — which she identified by bill numbers during her remarks — threaten the district’s ability to provide equal educational opportunities and risk allowing state officials to override local decisions. In her remarks she named several bills being debated in Nashville and said the measures would, if enacted, restrict hiring practices that consider race, gender or disability and could limit enrollment for undocumented children. She argued such legislation conflicts with the board’s ethics policy to provide equal opportunities for all students.

A representative of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Association asked the board to adopt a resolution to participate in Section 4 of the state Education Freedom Act so that district teachers would receive a one-time $2,000 bonus provided in that law. The speaker said the association sees the bonus as deserved, though framed it as politically motivated at the state level, and urged the board to submit a resolution before the state deadline.

A teacher-commenter later offered an anecdote about the importance of words and encouragement in classrooms and urged board members to focus on relationships and student motivation ahead of state testing.

Speakers repeatedly called for defending local control over schools and urged the board to hold state lawmakers accountable for legislation that commenters said would drain resources or limit access. Speakers referenced the following state bills during comment: HB 622 (DEI restrictions), HB 793 (authority over districts), HB 145 (tuition for undocumented students), HB 746 (documentation requirements for enrollment), HB 779 (state takeover provisions) and HB 1250 (limits on board authority); those bill numbers were mentioned by public commenters during the meeting.

The board did not take immediate formal action on the legislative requests during the meeting. Staff and board members acknowledged the concerns and noted that many of the bills are under consideration in the state legislature; district staff said they would share updates and offered to provide additional information on how state legislation could affect district operations.

\"Our children deserve leaders who put education over politics,\" Reynolds said during her remarks, calling on board members to protect students' access to services and equal opportunity.

The education association representative asked the board to adopt a pre-drafted sample resolution from the Tennessee School Board Association to ensure teachers receive the available bonus; the speaker said the resolution must be submitted before the state deadline.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CMCSS School Board Meeting 03-18-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Speakers at public comment urged the board to resist state bills that would limit diversity, equity and inclusion programs and immigrant student enrollment, called for defending local control, and asked the board to adopt a resolution enabling teachers to receive a one-time $2,000 state bonus under the Education Freedom Act.","taxTitle","Montgomery County, School Districts, Tennessee","taxId",12944,"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},6114973,"District reports improved retention indicators, outlines supports for teachers and classified staff",1819,1350000,3169000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb&start=1350&end=3169","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb/thumbnail_1350000.jpg","/articles/6114973/Tennessee/District-reports-improved-retention-indicators-outlines-supports-for-teachers-and-classified-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114973-fb1506aa30d73f05a2334c571b0ac131/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078632&Signature=cFejAzaXQTTMpMD8Dvk9JTXGxskEmXZjd96mzC5SC0YjqlkSI3U1S3bnzawqfB208~kyFh0Po8J4BfsBAFat7kV4kAHtchspJ3jzL4Dobr5xqdpEWX-ib8ZwnxUkEwu9FDRZ8iAncoty6Ku7uXSE97w40P8Lz-smxlnvyD1suYQ5xH5vqtzISmbbU-lng0SymODa449LSI9D5IQDqV42cbx9uezOdMtqvziLeW2dQ3-UA2S0tw3pzuePFpWyrM1awS4zN5ntwibYUtxyGi23HAmAXsLYzFq5gnNMrO81vEz1N8iImCJV4tsuRUsKGmGhPCPX38zvt-7jVIYVpvVj3A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clarksville-Montgomery County School System reported data Tuesday that district staff said point to improving employee retention and outlined several programs intended to support recruitment, onboarding and teacher development.

Stacy Son, the district’s employee relations specialist, told the board that so far this year the district has recorded 171 teacher resignations compared with 319 last year, and 233 classified support staff resignations compared with 404 last year. She said retirements submitted so far were 46 certified and 37 classified. Son cautioned that additional resignations typically continue to arrive later in the school year and described the figures as a trend rather than a final count.

Son said the district uses an anonymous twice-yearly employee survey from the vendor Upbeat to track workplace satisfaction and retention drivers. Survey completion improved: teacher completion moved from 81% to 89%, and classified staff completion rose substantially since 2022. On composite satisfaction measures, teacher scores climbed nine points since fall 2022, while classified staff scores hovered near 69 and showed gains compared with prior cycles.

Son highlighted strengths in categories such as equal opportunities, care and commitment, inclusive practices, instructional leadership and self-efficacy. Areas for improvement included student behavior management and professional learning that more directly impacts day-to-day work. She said questions about physical building safety scored high (87–88) while behavior-management items scored lower (65–72), which reduced the overall school-safety category score to 76.

To address retention and support, Son described several district initiatives: HR outreach meetings (she reported meeting with 525 employees so far), an \"Alive and Well\" physical-wellness program, an employee assistance program offering counseling and legal/financial advice, an on-site clinic with two full-time counselors available for employees, teacher and classified recognition programs, morale grants from the education foundation (61,670 dollars awarded to 38 schools), and new staffing devoted to supporting early-career teachers. The district is repurposing five positions to support new teachers, offering classroom-management workshops for permit and job-embedded teachers, monthly \"gathering grow\" sessions, and Praxis-exam supports.

Board members questioned details about permits, licenses and behavior supports. Son and other district leaders clarified that the state issues one-year permits and employees may reapply up to three times; the district had requested 231 permits for 2024–25, with 44 permit-holders moving to licenses so far. The district emphasized that permit-holders have up to three years to obtain licensure and that some permit holders remain in process. On behavior supports, the director said the district is in year two of an initiative that adds applied behavior analysts (BCBAs) who will provide classroom support and training.

Board members asked about comparative survey benchmarks and the district said Upbeat’s reporting draws from a national sample of schools; staff offered to request additional details from the vendor. District staff said they will continue market analysis for compensation and other retention strategies.

\"We are hopeful to see an increase in both completion rates and overall scores for our classified staff,\" Son said, and described the data as a foundation for targeted action plans at school and district levels.","District staff reported fewer resignations so far this year compared with last, described survey-based employee-feedback work and outlined interventions for recruitment, onboarding and teacher support, including permit-to-license pathways and behavior-support resources.",{"_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},6114978,"Clarksville-Montgomery board approves livestreaming, policy spending thresholds and consent items",2524,1050000,3574000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb&start=1050&end=3574","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2740609-5a8fec13e98750bea856fbea22d9a8cb/thumbnail_1050000.jpg","/articles/6114978/Tennessee/Clarksville-Montgomery-board-approves-livestreaming-policy-spending-thresholds-and-consent-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6114978-dcde9814182d8ff1d863f24f505e574f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773078632&Signature=GjJ1Rcjs0VeUlkQ3DfzGbfdmGQ-LiPB2J3GmnmPpG2GBe7s8ThTbrd3x9yccxF9TlZsReRjytEt7emW9UbRg3NLi0MNNcnAVDbhTlU3mFzND2xw5GZzWRVLYEQIJaXOSZHCvz47rkuo4XfQAeQAKxQg1G6xPDFsIE-gj~wpYPjuxU1rKTf-LfS4SyOJ0Al9x99OPv8hcJ0aR6uLhQaiBhgCcVEU27SbdovcwOoL0l2sXSj4iuL6ZH89yP-4muSIR1oXfd~TtJM4LLalmvJmbkkJNLEXM-cg6l~VWrUdcPnTGZsWewuQ-SptUvlO~e-MS14vGBcg76RopHuZaAF2gkw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Clarksville-Montgomery County Board of Education voted unanimously to approve multiple agenda items Tuesday, including the launch of livestreamed board meetings and proposed updates to policies L5 and L6 that raise emergency spending thresholds.

The actions came during a meeting in which the board approved the consent agenda, accepted monitoring reports for Executive Limitation 5 (financial administration) and Executive Limitation 12 (rezoning), authorized the district to begin implementing livestreamed board meetings with appropriate funding, and approved modifications to policies L5 and L6 to increase single-purchase and emergency expenditure limits to $50,000.

Board Chair Griffey called for approval of the consent agenda; Miss Berry moved to approve and Mr. Garland seconded. The motion passed 7-0. The board separately accepted the Executive Limitation 5 financial-administration monitoring report and the Executive Limitation 12 rezoning report; both motions passed by unanimous votes. The board then approved a motion to begin livestreaming meetings \"with the proper funding,\" with the district to set the implementation timeframe; that motion passed on a re-vote 7-0 after a procedural difficulty during the first tally. Finally, the board approved proposed changes to policies L5 and L6 to align procurement/emergency thresholds with recommendations from the state comptroller and local partners; the board accepted the changes by a unanimous vote.

Board discussion of livestreaming focused on timing, vendor selection and closed-captioning delay. District staff said they expected to solicit bids, select a vendor and be able to begin streaming within two to three months, with the captioning process likely adding a short delay (staff cited an approximate 10-second turnaround for captioning feeds from vendors but said vendors determine final delay settings). The board’s motion left the implementation date to the district once funding and technology were in place.

On policy changes, district staff said the proposed L5/L6 adjustments were intended to better reflect current emergency response costs and to align with guidance from the comptroller and nearby institutions. Under the modification, the director of schools could commit to a single non-budgeted purchase up to $50,000 in emergency situations, and emergency procurement limits would similarly be raised.

Votes at a glance:
- Consent agenda — Motion to approve (mover: Miss Berry; second: Mr. Garland). Outcome: approved, vote tally 7-0.
- Executive Limitation 5 (financial administration) — Motion to accept monitoring report (mover/second: not specified in the record). Outcome: accepted, vote tally 7-0.
- Executive Limitation 12 (rezoning) — Motion to accept monitoring report (mover: Mr. Garland; second: Miss Berry). Outcome: accepted, vote tally 7-0.
- Live streaming board meetings — Motion to approve livestreaming and associated funding with district-determined timing (mover: Mr. Lanier; second: Miss Berry). Outcome: approved, vote tally 7-0 (after a re-vote).
- Policy modifications L5 and L6 — Motion to adopt proposed changes raising emergency/single-purchase thresholds (mover: Mr. Garland; second: Mr. Near). Outcome: approved, vote tally 7-0.

Board members did not record individual roll-call votes in the public transcript; tallies reported in the meeting were unanimous on the listed items. District staff said members would be informed of any emergency expenditures if the director exercised the newly authorized purchasing authority.

The meeting moved on to reports and public comment after the votes.","The Clarksville-Montgomery County Board of Education approved a package of routine and policy items Tuesday, including starting livestreamed board meetings and raising emergency spending thresholds in board policy L5 and L6; all motions passed unanimously, 7-0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge board to defend DEI, oppose voucher measures and accept teacher bonus resolution

District reports improved retention indicators, outlines supports for teachers and classified staff

Clarksville-Montgomery board approves livestreaming, policy spending thresholds and consent items