Last night, the Cumberland County Board of Education heard from several citizens who expressed their concerns regarding the school board.

Nancy, a resident of the 7th school district, spoke to board members during the public comments part of the meeting.

She started by thanking School Director William Stepp for being a servant to the students by riding buses, asking teachers about their needs, and visiting all the school campuses.

Her comments then turned toward members of the school board.

“My biggest concern is that the school sub-committees are not hearing the voices of other elected school board members and the citizens who gave them power. I fear that we, the people who voted for the school board, are being quieted by a sub-committee that is gripping power and control, using the five staff members who see eye to eye with the chairwoman from the 8th district (Teresa Boston).”

“The unreasonable 52 meetings per year by committees are overkill and seem to have been implemented to discourage other board members from attending all the meetings so the small groups can make decisions without the rest. This type of procedure, which I call an underground passing of rules, happens by not announcing meetings to all the staff, which is not justified or fair.”

“We must stop tying the hands of our new director of schools who have successfully shown positive steps in improving the education of our children.”

The next speaker was Sharon Moore.

Moore told board members she has heard the school board has not been operating effectively as a cohesive board.

“Resistance to change was extremely evident by some board members at the meeting where best practices were presented. Why is there such resistance to an operating model that has proven to be more effective and efficient? Approximately 2/3 of the total county budget is allocated to the school system. As a concerned citizen and taxpayer, it is quite obvious that the school board could and should operate more effectively by implementing these best practices and working together as a cohesive board.

Moore mentioned there were approximately 41 committee meetings held in 2023. Board members would have to attend all 41 meetings to participate in the discussions and help formulate recommendations for the full board. Moore recommended that the board change to a work session format instead of committees where all school board members would have a voice.

The next speaker was Karen Frantzen, a retired school teacher.

“The transcript of the November 8, 2023 meeting was alarming. It highlighted a power struggle.”

“Business as usual has not helped our students excel. We are ranked 50th in the state. Tennessee is in the bottom third of the nation in education. Nothing about this brings to mind excellence. It stinks,” said Frantzen.

Linda Clark addressed the board.

Clark said when Teresa Boston recently presented a motion to dissolve the board-approved committees and simultaneously substitute her selections for committees as “the only way” to conduct business; she eliminated two board members from three committees. Clark said those two members happen to be among those demonstrating concern for policy compliance.

The decision came at a special called meeting held on October 26, 2023. The agenda released online and to the media simply said “committee” as a discussion item. It did not clarify what the discussion would be about about the one simple word.

Boston stated the reason for the restructuring of the committees was for better results in making decisions to go before the full school board.

The next speaker was Elizabeth Bancroft.

“It is quite apparent there is a tangible tension among the school board. It is a result of seemingly partisan and contentious interaction between members, which others and I have witnessed. We in the audience can feel it, and we can certainly see and hear it. The audience has witnessed distracting and sophomoric behaviors exhibited by some board members, such as eye-rolling, glaring, deliberate “head down inattentiveness”, scolding, and agitated vocal remarks, and even some audible groans when fellow board members have the floor. All of this happens during an active and official meeting. These behaviors are unprofessional, and unproductive, and are textbook examples of a dysfunctional and toxic work environment. It results in tense and uncomfortable to watch board meetings. The meetings continue to go off the rails in front of a public audience.”

“The students of Cumberland County deserve better. The teachers and employees deserve better and certainly the taxpayers deserve better.”

“The ongoing and tiresome public display of sniping, scolding, and what appears to be partisan workplace triangulation all need to stop.”

Greg Clark told the board they must stop violations of their policies, rules, and procedures.

“This activity undermines the public trust, exposes the county to risk, and exposes board members to personal liability.”