by Jesse Fox Mayshark
On the Knox County school board, sometimes it seems like the more things stay the same...well, the more they stay the same.
This year's school board races present a largely familiar cast. Only one candidate can legitimately claim to be "new blood," but even he is a political insider of sorts. The semi-adventurous spirit that led board members last year to hire a new superintendent from outside the state doesn't seem to have carried over into this election cycle.
Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. If Superintendent Charles Lindsey is going to be fairly evaluated in his often-repeated intentions to make Knox County schools "internationally competitive," stability on the board could be a plus. On the other hand, the school board is, collectively, the least dynamic of our local legislative bodies, and it's hard not to wish for a little more electricity in the air. For people who spend all of their time talking about the excitement of education, our board members only periodically evince it.
In any event, four of the nine board seats are up for grabs this year. Each has an incumbent seeking re-election and at least one challenger. Because the elections are nonpartisan, the March 14 primary will effectively decide most of the races. Anyone who takes more than 50 percent of the vote on that day will automatically win. If nobody gets 50 percent in a given district, the top two vote-getters will go on to the general county election in August.
A brief rundown of the districts and candidates:
2nd District: (North Knoxville) Paul Kelley, a former school principal, has held this seat since being appointed to finish a term in 1991. He has been re-elected twice, both times facing Carol Zimmerman, who is—on paper, anyway—running against him again. Kelley is one of the oldest members of the school board, and Zimmerman in the past has raised questions about his ability to energetically represent the district. This year, she's mostly staying quiet, running what she calls a "low-key" campaign. Zimmerman ran with support from Christian conservatives in 1992 and has never shaken the Christian Coalition label.
Kelley, meanwhile, certainly isn't the liveliest of board members. But he is a thoughtful man who is enormously well-liked and respected by his colleagues. He has also taken courageous stands in the past, most notably on anti-discrimination issues among students and staff.
3rd District: (Northwest Knoxville) Another former principal, D.M. Miller, defeated incumbent Anne Woodle to take this seat in 1996. Now Miller's being challenged by Kyle Crippen, whom Woodle beat back in 1992. That time around, Crippen was portrayed as a candidate of the "Bean Machine." This time, with the Beans subdued by Lillian Bean's ouster from her circuit court clerk position last year, Crippen's chances seem slimmer. Miller, stolidly middle of the road, has done little to antagonize the moderate-to-conservative voters of his district.
5th District: (Cedar Bluff/West Knox County) One of the year's more interesting races pits board Vice Chairman Tommy Prince against parent activist and Republican Party climber Brian Hornback. Hornback, a salesman for Nestlé and a PTA member at A.L. Lotts Elementary School, accuses Prince of inaccessibility and disregard for his constituents. Hornback's own ideas for school improvement, however, don't get much more specific than reining in construction costs and "putting children first." A one-time County Commission candidate in East Knox County some 10 years ago, Hornback serves on the Knox County Sheriff's Merit System Council, a post often used to pad political resumés. (He flatly denies suggestions that he is in any way the "sheriff's candidate," noting that the Merit Council sometimes has to rule against the Sheriff's Department.)
It's up to Prince's constituents to decide how accessible he's been. But he's unquestionably one of the more independent-minded members of the school board and has become noticeably bolder about speaking that mind in recent years. (He's finishing his second four-year term.) While Hornback criticizes Prince's decision to cast the sole dissenting vote in hiring Lindsey—Prince favored another candidate, Baltimorean Robert Schiller—that act at least showed a willingness to buck the go-along-to-get-along mentality that holds sway in the public schools.
8th District: (East Knox County) The marquee race has incumbent Steve Hunley squaring off against Carter High School Principal Jim Williams (if Williams wins, he'll have to resign as principal). Hunley is an outspoken petroleum distributor with a strong local political network. He made enemies within the school system during the early '90s battles over consolidating and desegregating schools, and his sometimes confrontational manner hasn't made him the most popular man on the board. On the other hand, some observers give him credit for asking tough questions about construction spending and other sacred cows. Williams is a well-respected administrator who enjoys the support of many in the school system's Central Office and in the Carter community.
While Hunley characterizes it as a contest between "someone who's of, by, and for the people, and someone who's of, by, and for the system," others see it as partly a mandate on the hiring of Lindsey over favorite son Roy Mullins. Mullins, an assistant superintendent who served as interim superintendent before Lindsey's arrival, is very popular in North and East Knox districts. His support of Williams could make a difference in the race.
Additional notes: The Knox County Education Association, which represents local teachers, has endorsed Kelley, Prince, and Williams. KCEA made no endorsement in the 3rd District.
And finally, a word problem to ponder. If Kelley, Miller, and Williams all win, what percentage of the school board will be made up of former school principals? (Hint: Board Chairman Jim McClain is also a former principal.)
Class dismissed. Homework assignment: vote.
March 2, 2000 * Vol. 10, No. 9
© 2000 Metro Pulse
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