Supporting Effective Teaching in Tennessee: Executive Summary | Page 38
Governance issues are further complicated by the fact many
Field Service Centers. As Figure 3.17 illustrates, these centers
education decisions are made at the local, rather than state,
are located across the state. Each of these centers employs ten
level. Tennessee has 136 school districts, including 95
to twelve staff members including specialists in career and
county school districts, 27 municipal school districts, and 14
technical education, federal programs, special education,
special school districts. These districts
technology,
school
improvement
vary greatly. While eight districts only
planning, and assessment and testing.
operate a single school, Memphis City
These centers were originally intended
Schools operates 190 schools, more than
to serve as the primary state resource for
the number of schools operated by the
local school districts. However, this goal
T e n n essee h a s a
56 smallest school districts combined.
has only partially been realized, at least in
Each of these districts is governed by
part because of the Department’s recent
f r act u re d a n d d is j oi n te d
a local school board, which is solely
hiring freeze and limits on staff travel.
responsible for appointing the district
syste m o f e d u c atio n
superintendent. County and municipal
Additionally, in 2005, the state created a
school districts do not have their own
series of regional and local P-16 councils,
g over n a n ce t h at m a k es it
taxing authority but instead must rely
as Figure 3.17 illustrates. Operating
on taxes collected and allocated by
under the Tennessee Board of Regents,
d i f f ic u lt to co n siste n t ly
the County Commission (for county
the councils are composed of higher
school districts) or both the County
education, K-12 education, business,
i m p l e m e n t n ew re for m s
Commission and local city council
and community leaders in each region
(for municipal school districts). Special
or locality. The goal of the councils is to
school districts possess their own
bring multiple stakeholders together in
a n d po l icies e f f ective ly.
taxing authority, although the General
each area to improve standards, teaching
Assembly sets a separate cap on each
quality, and the transition from high
district’s maximum tax rate.
school to post-secondary education.
Although a strong structure, the vast
Despite this complicated governance
majority of P-16 councils are still working
system, there are at least two additional statewide structures
to identify ways to be most effective. If given sufficient resources
that could be helpful for implementing statewide education
and direction, the Field Service Centers and P-16 councils could
reforms. The first is the Department of Education’s nine
provide a strong infrastructure on which statewide education
reform efforts could be built.
Figure 3.17
Map of Regional P-16 Councils and Field Service Centers
Note: Each color represents a different regional P-16 council and each star represents a Tennessee Department of Education Field Service Center.
Source: Tennessee Department of Education
37