City School Board: Eric Newell on The Murfreesboro Post

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City School Board: Eric Newell

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Posted: Monday, March 15, 2010 1:24 pm

Eric Newell

Name: Eric Newell
Occupation: Team Manager Auto Claims State Farm Insurance
Education: Shelbyville Central High School; BS from MTSU
Campaign e-mail: ericnewell@comcast.net

Why are you running?
As a parent of two children and having served president of PTO organizations here in Murfreesboro and Chattanooga, I have developed an interest in our school system.

Many current board members have an educational background. I believe the non-educational prospective I would bring is just as important to the success of our system.

I want to bring to the Board a standard of sound judgment and fiscal responsibility. I want to improve the image of the School Board and how the community perceives the Board.

I want to be an advocate for teachers, students and parents. I want to make sure our teachers are provided with time and resources necessary to be successful in the classroom.

What is the most pressing issue facing city schools and your possible solution?
The Race To The Top legislation passed here in Tennessee intends to hold teachers accountable for their students’ learning and growth. Much about how these changes will be implemented remains unknown.

My goal, if elected, would be to ensure the changes include ambitious yet achievable goals that benefit students, and whose measurements are fair and equitable to the teachers.

What would you do to improve areas in which MCS failed to meet No Child Left Behind benchmarks?
Murfreesboro City Schools met all NCLB benchmarks last year.

We did not, however, meet all benchmarks the year before, and were therefore placed on the target list. In order to come off of that target list, we have to meet AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) for two years in a row.

To ensure our success, I propose our teachers look closely at each student and assess them appropriately, to gauge what each student has learned and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Then, implement instruction to meet the needs of each child. Extra measures for students that struggle, for students who are meeting expectations or exceeding expectations should also be implemented.

We should not be satisfied with merely meeting NCLB benchmarks. I would like to see Murfreesboro City Schools exceed them. While helping students who struggle, we cannot forget the students who are successful but need an extra push or the high-achieving students who need to be challenged.

What is your position on the consolidation of Murfreesboro City with Rutherford County Schools?
Having two separate systems is an asset this community offers that few do.

As a parent of a child currently in the city school system and a child who has been through county middle and high school, I am grateful and appreciative of the differences in these two unique experiences.

As long as the separate systems continue to provide good value for the community, both in terms of cost and educational results, I would like to see the systems remain separate.

Tagged under Elections, MCS

Member Opinions:

By: bbb123 on 3/15/10
As a parent with children in MCS like you, my concern is the lack of programs for high achievers and gifted in our zoned schools. There is a misconception they can only be served at Discovery (by many administrators). Since Discovery opened, Merit has been dropped from MCS and many in the system will tell you the zoned schools don't need it. I think they do and that is the way this system can come off the NCLB Watch list. Although we have many struggling students, we are ignoring the fact that we are a DIVERSE system & we have high achievers and gifted at all schools including zoned. On the North end I am seeing MCS lose alot of high achievers and gifted to private schools like St. Rose, Providence, MCS, home schooled, zoning waivers to county and even moving out of Murfreesboro citing the lack of advanced programming. It was only when Oakland created both the IB program & programs for struggling that it came off the NCLB watch list - it is time for MSC to do the same. There is no reason some of the programs at Discovery cannot be implemented at the zoned schools and Merit be re-instituted.

By: weeeezzll on 3/18/10
Eric sounds like he might be a good non-educator candidate. I think there should always be 1 or 2 on the board to ensure a balanced view on things.

@bbb123: Thanks for the information, that was valuable. It will definitely impact my vote. Are you an educator?

By: FamousDaisy on 3/20/10
@bbb123-You are right about schools needing to help high achievers and gifted students as well as those that are struggling. Teachers must differentiate their instruction to meet the needs of all children in the classroom. We can't settle for "good enough"- we have to encourage teachers, schools, administrators, the director, and the Board to AIM HIGHER!!!
@weeezzll- you are so right! I, too,believe Mr. Newell would make a wonderful addition to the Board. He is child centered (had his campaign kick off party at The Discovery Center while others chose a bar and restaurants) and wants to be an advocate for teachers, parents and children.