KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS ANDREW JOHNSON BUILDING Dr, James P McIntyre Jr" Superinte11dent August 5, 2010 Mrs. Roberta Clinton 8708 Pleasant Hill Road Knoxville, TN 37924 Dear Ms. Clinton: This letter is to inform you that I am preferring charges to terminate your tenure with the Knox County Board of Education. You are charged pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated 49-5-511(a)(2) with incompetence, inefficiency, neglect ofduty and insubordination. Pursuant to Knox County Board Policy GBNA Suspension IDismissal of Tenured Teachers, on August 11,2010, the Knox County Board of Education will convene to review the charges to determine if the charges are of such a nature to warrant dismissal. You were given an unsatisfactory evaluation for the 2005-2006 school year. It was noted that you needed to strengthen/grow in all areas of evaluation in Domains I, II, III, IV and in two areas of Domain V. It was noted, "Mrs. Clinton didn't exhibit the performance nor provide the materials expected for a tenured teacher." You were given an opportunity to participate in the Intensive Assistance Plan (hereinafter "lap") for the 2006-2007 school year. As part of your comprehensive assessment that year, you signed a Future Growth Plan which stated that your professional goals were to have "lesson plans [] available for review and assessment" and to have "professional responsibilities [] completed in a timely manner as required". The action plan for your professional goals stated "Lesson plans will be prepared in advance, posted and available for assessment and review. This will be done weekly." And that "professional responsibilities will be fulfilled as they arise, including, but not limited to, required forms and paperwork." Even while on lap, you failed to achieve proficiency in two areas of Domain III in your 2006-2007 school year evaluation. In the 2008-2009 school year, you received another unsatisfactory evaluation. You did not achieve proficiency in two areas of Domain 1. You failed to achieve proficiency in one of the two areas of Domain II. You were not proficient in two of the three areas of P.O. Box 2188 912 South Gay Street. Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-2188 Telephone (865) 594-1620/1610 Fax (865) 594 1627
Domain Ill. You did not achieve proficiency in one of the two areas of Domain IV. In Domain V, you did not score proficient in one ofthree areas. A tenured teacher is expected to be rated at proficient or advanced in all areas ofeach Domain. On March 31, 2009, you met with your Principal, Ms. Becky Whitehead-Ervin and Cyndee Cassleman to discuss and document your performance as a teacher. During that conference you discussed two issues. The first issue discussed was mid-term reports for your students. Mid-term reports for Vine Middle School students were to be sent home on February 10,2009. You took sick leave on February 6, 2009, and did not have the mid-term reports completed at that time. On February 16,2009, your supervisor, Ms. Whitehead-Ervin instructed you to write a detailed progress report to every parent and to provide copies to Ms. Whitehead-Ervin. You did not complete sending progress reports home for all of your students until March 6,2009, almost a month late. Second, your supervisor, Ms. Whitehead-Ervin instructed you several times to tum in a lesson plan to her and to post the lesson plans outside your classroom. The Vine Middle Magnet teacher handbook also requires that all teachers create and post lesson plans. Between November 24,2008, and March 13,2009, you failed to tum in lesson plans thirteen times. The lesson plans for the week of February 9, 2009, were posted on your door for six weeks. At the conclusion of that meeting you were instructed to tum in detailed progress reports for each student that was to be sent to parents by April 3,2009. You were further instructed to tum in lesson plans by Thursday for the following week and to post up-todate weekly lesson plans. You were also instructed to submit a copy. of your grades for review prior to the April mid-tenn reports. On April 21, 2009, you were given a written reprimand for your failure to fulfill your duties and responsibilities as a teacher for Knox County Schools. You had admitted on April 6, 2009, that you had a stack of graded papers from February on your desk that had not been entered into the computer. This failure to enter grades into the computer resulted in inaccurate grades and assessment for your students. Second, on April 20, 2009, your lesson plans were not posted outside your classroom as you had been instructed by your supervisor on March 31,2009. Your failure to provide accurate and up-to-date assessments for your students and your failure to post your lesson plans violated Knox County Board of Education policy OBBA and Vine Middle School procedures. On September 1,2009, you were to submit your SelfAssessment as part of your evaluation. You did not have the Self Assessment prepared on September I, 2009. 2
On August 31, 2009 and in October, Ms. Whitehead-Ervin met with you regarding lesson plans. In October, Ms. Whitehead-Ervin offered to work with you on Fridays to help you complete lesson plans. You rejected that offer. On November 9,2009, you had a meeting with your Principal, Ms. Becky Whitehead Ervin and Cyndee Cassleman to discuss and document your performance as a teacher. At that time, you had not turned in required lesson plans. At that time you were instructed to have the required information on your board on a daily basis. The required information included: 1) Student performance indicators; 2) Daily objective and 3) Agenda for learning. In addition you were instructed to submit lesson plans by 8:00 a.m. every Friday; to seek assistance from Ms. Whitehead-Ervin if you needed help completing your lesson plans prior to 8:00 a.m. Friday. At the November 9, 2009, meeting you were told that a written reprimand would be issued for all subsequent infractions in regard to lesson plans and required information. On February 3, 2010, you met with Ms. Whitehead-Ervin and Mr. Shawn Jackson as a follow up to a meeting held on December 15, 2009 and to discuss a parent complaint. The parent of student M.B. had complained that she had sent an e-mail requesting a meeting with you and you had not responded. You stated that you did not see the e-mail. The parent ofr.p. complained that you were not providing lesson plans as had been agreed to earlier in the school year. At that meeting, your continued failure to tum in lesson plans was discussed. As of February 3, 2010, you had not turned in lesson plans since December 15,2009. Also discussed at the February 3, 2010, meeting, was your continuing failure to enter your grades on the computer as required. You noted your role as team leader took up your planning time. Ms. Whitehead-Ervin was concerned that you refused to give up the extra responsibility of team leader when your primary duties were not being satisfactorily performed. For a third time you were given a written directive from your supervisor to tum in lesson plans every week. For a second time you were given a written directive from your supervisor to keep grades up to date. On March 5, 2010, you were given a written reprimand for your continued failure to fulfill your duties and responsibilities as a Knox County Schools teacher. You were reprimanded for continued failure to enter student grades in the computer. On February 10,2010, mid-term reports for the third nine weeks were sent home. The calculation of mid-term grades for the students in your 4A social studies class did not include eight grades that should have been included; this resulted in inaccurate assessments being reported to parents. At the time of the reprimand, the grades for all of your classes were two weeks behind. 3
You were also reprimanded because of your continuing failure to submit lesson plans. At the time of your reprimand on March 5, 2010, you had only submitted lesson plans three times for the entire school year: November 9, 16 and 23, 2009. Short and long term lesson plans that are based on the Knox County Curriculum Guide are necessary to provide consistent quality instruction for students. For the 2009-2010 school year, you received another unsatisfactory evaluation. You did not achieve proficiency in two areas of Domain I. You failed to achieve proficiency in one ofthe two areas ofdomain II. You were not proficient in any of the three areas of Domain III. You did not achieve proficiency neither ofthe two areas of Domain IV. In Domain V, you did not score proficient in two ofthree areas. An experienced teacher is expected to be rated at proficient or advanced in all areas of each Domain. You have violated Knox County Board ofeducation policy GBRB which states that it is a teacher's duty to "give full, willing and helpful cooperation in carrying out all reasonable instructions or extra assignments which are given by the principal before, after or during the school day." You have violated Knox County Board of Education policy GBRB which states that it is a teacher's duty to "follow the state and local course of study, to follow rules and regulations of the state and policies ofthe local Board and to follow school rules and policies established by the principal." You have violated Knox County Board of Education policy GBRB which states that it is a teacher's duty to "keep parents duly informed of the child's progress and hold conferences with parents when necessary. " I find your persistent failure to accurately report student progress to parents is sufficient reason to terminate your employment with Knox County Schools. I find your failure to achieve proficient scores on your evaluations to be sufficient reason to terminate your employment with Knox County Schools. I find your failure to comply with the directives and instructions from your principal sufficient reason to terminate your employment with Knox County Schools. I find your persistent failure to create lesson plans that are aligned with the Knox County Curriculum Guides and the failure to post them for your students to be sufficient reason to terminate your employment with Knox County Schools. Because ofyour continued failure to adhere to Knox County Board of Education Policy, directives of your principal and the Vine Middle Magnet teacher handbook, you are charged with incompetence, inefficiency, neglect ofduty and unprofessional conduct as outlined in Tenn. Code Ann. 49-5-511. For your failure to follow the direct instructions and directives of your principal you are charged with insubordination as outlined in Tenn. Code Ann. 49-5-511. 4
You are entitled to a hearing before an Impartial Hearing Officer on the aforementioned charges. If you choose to demand a hearing, you must do so within thirty (30) days after receipt ofthis notice; your demand must be in writing and must be delivered to the Superintendent's office. At your hearing, you may appear and defend in your own right, or you may be defended by counsel. You may present evidence and witnesses at the hearing and cross examine witnesses against you. The Hearing Officer shall render his or her decision within ten (10) days after the conclusion of the hearing. If you are dissatisfied with the decision of the Hearing Officer, you may appeal his or her decision to the Knox County Board of Education. Your appeal must be delivered to the office ofeither the Superintendent or the Knox County Board of Education within 10 working days of your receipt ofthe Hearing Officer's decision. If you are dissatisfied with the decision ofthe Knox County Board of Education, you have twenty working days to appeal that decision to the Chancery Court of Knox County, Tennessee. Sincerely, " <;...~ P / ~ ( t,<dr ames P. McIntyre, Jr. Superintendent C: Employee's Personnel File 5