When Knox County Schools Superintendent Jim McIntyre leaves his job in July, he’ll be headed to the University of Tennessee to run its Center for Education Leadership, which trains new principals.
McIntyre, who has headed Knox schools since 2008, announced in January his intention to step down because he had become a divisive figure in the community, distracting from the district’s focus on education. McIntyre’s tenure was marked by teacher distrust–although surveys showed this had improved in recent years–and his policies divided the school board, which seemed likely to be dominated by his opponents in the fall. He is receiving severance pay equal to one year’s salary.
When he announced his intention to leave the job, McIntyre said he and his family wanted to remain in Knoxville.
At his new job, McIntyre will lead the six-year-old UT center, which is a collaboration with Knox County Schools to develop new educational leaders. He was already a teacher in the center and a decision-maker in selecting and placing fellows in its Leadership Academy, which “provides an intensive 15-month postgraduate degree program in educational administration,” according to a UT press release. In addition, a professional development task force works with aspiring and new school administrators around the state of Tennessee.
The Leadership Academy, which accepts only 10 fellows a year, combines graduate-level coursework with a full-time leadership residency working with a public school principal. Graduates receive a master’s or education specialist degree and a beginning instructional leader license from the state of Tennessee.
The former director of the center was Autumn Tooms-Cypres, who left in 2013. The center has been co-directed since then by Betty Sue Sparks, associate professor of practice, and interim director Mary Lynne Derrington, assistant professor of educational administration. The current co-directors will serve as faculty.
McIntyre holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Boston College, a Master of Science degree in education administration from Canisius College, a Master of Urban Affairs degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. in public policy from the University of Massachusetts. He has one year of experience teaching in a school classroom. In addition to directing the center, McIntyre will serve as a “professor of practice.”
Under McIntyre, the district had improved its graduation rates, and the state recognized Knox schools last year as exemplary for student achievement. He was chosen as Tennessee Superintendent of the Year four out of the past eight years.
But we wondered: If McIntyre’s unpopularity with teachers was a significant factor in his decision to step down as superintendent, won’t it also be a stumbling block to his effectiveness in training principals through a partnership with the same school system?
UT officials did not directly answer the question. Dr. Bob Rider, Dean of the UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, responded in an email: “I have worked with Jim on numerous initiatives and have always found him to be dedicated to both the teachers and students of Knox County Schools. We are excited about his focus on servant-leadership, which will serve our Center for Educational Leadership very well.”
S. Heather Duncan has won numerous awards for her feature writing and coverage of the environment, government, education, business and local history during her 15-year reporting career. Originally from Western North Carolina, Heather has worked for Radio Free Europe, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting in London, and several daily newspapers. Heather spent almost a dozen years at The Telegraph in Macon, Ga., where she spent most of her time covering the environment or writing project-investigations that provoked changes such as new laws related to day care and the protection of environmentally-sensitive lands. You can reach Heather at heather@knoxmercury.com
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