Additional student involvement will be the name of the game as the Elizabethton City Schools Board of Education prepares for 2017.
The BOE convened Tuesday evening and introduced Elizabethton High School senior Cory Fitzsimmons to the inaugural position as student liaison. Fitzsimmons will sit on the board for a one-year term and be the voice of approximately 2,500 of his peers within the school system.
“I think it went well,” Fitzsimmons said about his first meeting. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to represent the students. I think this is half of the job I get to do. The other half is representing the administration to the students because there’s wasn’t a lot of involvement there before. It’s very exciting.”
The senior was subjected to an extensive application process and vetting by school leaders before being appointed, being required to complete an application with three letters of recommendation and 15 student signatures. Fitzsimmons was able to garner more than enough support, according to the system, by obtaining the signatures of 43 students.
While not a voting member, Fitzsimmons will comment during discussions by officials, contribute agenda items and serve as a bridge between the BOE and students at EHS.
“I think this really goes back to what the heart of Elizabethton is all about,” ECS Director of Schools Dr. Corey Gardenhour said. “Our heart is the students. This gives us an opportunity to speak directly to our students about issues that are going on that we need to be aware of. We’re very interested in their input of academics and what’s going on socially with extra curricular activities and athletics.”
The development of the one-year elected post comes as the result of recent success garnered by the students’ “Bartleby School” initiative, which earned accolades from the nationwide XQ Super School Project held earlier this year.
“Obviously this is great for our school, but this sets a precedent for other schools to do similar things, which is wonderful,” Fitzsimmons added.
Fitzsimmons is an aspiring game designer, founding member of the EHS Computer Club and is a member of Chess and Gaming Club, Power Lifting Club, National Honor Society. He also recently served as stage manager in the school drama Peter/Wendy.
With the new year just weeks away, Fitzsimmons expects a busy second half of school.
“I would really like to expand active learning,” he said. “It’s like what we’ve been trying to work on before, more teachers and less students so there’s more focus and more learning happening. I’d really like to increase student involvement with teachers too. I find that it helps a lot with learning when students know the teachers instead of just treating them like their boss. There are a lot of issues that students have brought to me that I wouldn’t of thought of before.”
And the board is looking to forward to what the students have to offer.
“He’s going to be a great addition to the school board and we’re glad to have him,” Dr. Gardenhour added with a smile.
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In other business, the BOE:
• reappointed Rita Booher as chair. Dr. Grover was named vice chair of the board.
• held a discussion about the possibility of lowering tuition rates at EHS and T.A. Dugger to utilize space offered to accommodate potential new students The issue is expected to be looked at during future meetings.
• unanimously approved the reclassification of two part time cook positions to one full time cook position at West Side Elementary School.
• unanimously approved one part time assistant to the teacher position at Harold McCormick Elementary School to meet the needs of the student population.
• unanimously approved a handful of board policies through their first readings.
• received a school update from EHS Principal Josh Boatman.
• heard a presentation from Chartwell’s Verdelle Bowie.
• recognized EHS students who competed in the 2016 Tennessee All-East Chorus, the EHS Betsy Band and Andrea Hyder – who was selected for All-State Choir.