TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2012 A question and answer session with Gov Bill Haslam (Herald-Citizen)

While traveling through the Upper Cumberland last week, Gov. Bill Haslam made a stop at the Herald-Citizen. During that visit, H-C Managing Editor Buddy Pearson, Business Editor Laura Militana and Schools Editor Bailey Darrow had a chance to ask the governor some questions submitted by readers and some questions of our own. Here's what he had to say. Education In response to a question submitted by Tracy Jones we asked: "A lot of teachers have mixed feelings about many of the education reforms that have come through our state in the last year to year and a half. Some of them feel like some of the items you have supported were not as supportive to them as the promises you had made in campaigning, such as collaborative conferencing. Some teachers maybe feel like you promised you would support them and then some of the things like collaborative conferencing were not supportive." Haslam: "W ell, I am not certain what campaign promise they would be talking about there to begin with there, number one. Number two, collaborative conferencing actually was a legislative initiative. Last year our, key initiative for teachers and schools had to do with tenure reform. This year it was about getting the waiver for No Child Left Behind, which most teachers wanted. http://www.herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/18747610/article-A-question-and-answer-session-with-Gov--BillHaslam?instance=latest_articles

Dollywood, Graceland, distillery offer new lures (Associated Press/Edwards)

Dollywood has a new roller coaster. Elvis has a different side to see. And you can prepare to take a nip at the Jack Daniel distillery. Those are just three of the lures this year as Tennessee's summer tourism season gets under way. The peak of the travel year falls as gasoline prices are high, but going down. For the state's busy $14 billion tourism industry, which employs more than 170,000, there are signs that business is picking up. The sprawling Great Smoky Mountains National Park already is seeing a 15 percent increase in visitors over last year. With 9 million visitors annually, it's the most popular national park. Andrew Kean, president and COO of the highly promoted Rock City atop Lookout Mountain near Chattanooga, says gas prices have had little impact on his attraction. "I think for us, the additional expense for visitors from Atlanta, Nashville and Birmingham is in the $10 to $20 range over two fill ups," he said. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/28/dollywood-graceland-distillery-offer-new-02/

Nashville tourism building on summer travel projections (Tennessean/Marsteller)

Tourism officials, attractions hope to continue big year More Tennesseans and Americans are expected to travel this summer, and that has Nashville-area tourism officials and attractions hopeful that an already strong year will continue. Several attractions are reporting higher or even near-record attendance, bed-tax collections are running ahead of last years pace and ticket sales for next weeks CMA Music Festival the regions largest single tourist event are outpacing last year. Its been a really good year so far, and indications are we are going to continue our strong run, said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. That optimism is based on projections that summer travel will increase, although only modestly, from 2011 levels. AAA projected that more than 700,000 Tennesseans would travel more than 50 miles from home this Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of the summer travel season. Thats up 1.7 percent from last year. In all, AAA said 34.8 million Americans a 1.2 percent increase would travel during the holiday period. And the increase is forecast to continue all summer long. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120528/BUSINESS01/305280018/Nashville-tourism-building-summertravel-projections?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|News|s

Copperhill, Tenn., making a comeback as a tourist destination (TFP/Higgins)

Copperhill's foundations rest on copper slag, but today townfolk are looking for tourist gold. A generation ago, the towns of the Copper Basin were famous for the red desert that surrounded them for 50 square miles. The red hills, with no green in sight, were the result of clear-cutting the timber for fuel to burn in open-air smelters and the resulting acid rain. The desert hills were featured in national magazines, including National Geographic, and photographed from space by NASA. That desert past, from the discovery of copper in the 1850s until the closing of the mines in the 1980s, is recalled in photos, mining equipment and documents at the Ducktown Basin Museum, just across U.S. Highway 64 from Copperhill. "My daddy never owned a lawnmower until I was older," recalled Joyce Allen. She has worked at the museum for 18 years. "W e get visitors sometimes who say stuff like, 'My parents brought me here to see the desert when I was little,'" she said. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/29/052912a01-copperhill-comeback-tennessee-tn-ga/?local

Police, clergy team up to fight sex trafficking (Associated Press)

About 160 people attended a three-day Trafficking in America Conference in Nashville where police, prosecutors, clergy and child advocates gathered to bring awareness and find solutions. The conference, which concluded on Saturday, reflected the sense of urgency that many state and federal officials feel about the need to stop trafficking in the United States, the Commercial Appeal reported. First Lady Crissy Haslam wrote in a letter to the attendees that trafficking was an epidemic of tragic proportions, and her husband, Gov. Bill Haslam, declared May as Human Trafficking Awareness Month. A Tennessee Bureau of Investigation report last year found more than 4,000 known victims statewide. One of those victims, Kim Benson, spoke about how she was forced into prostitution in Chicago as a teenager before she was able to escape her kidnappers. I survived hell and back, said Benson, who now lives in Cordova. Benson said her abusers would put a gun to her head and tell her they could kill her if they wanted and she would never get away. http://timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/28/nashville-police-clergy-team-fight-sex-trafficking/?breakingnews

State park pools happy to be in splash business (Knox. News-Sentinel/Simmons)

On June 20 the sun will reach its farthest point north of the equator resulting in the longest day of the year. Officially, it's the first day of summer, but never mind the calender. For a lot of people, summer started Memorial Day weekend with the opening of public swimming pools. Traditionally, Tennessee State Parks have provided swimming opportunities almost as routinely as they have hiking and volleyball. But pools are expensive to operate, and this year, as the state park system celebrates its 75th anniversary, officials continue to take a hard look at how much swimming state parks can afford to provide. "We're constantly reviewing our operations and trying to make everything better," said Brock Hill, the state's deputy commissioner of parks and conservation. "We talk about pools all the time in connection with whether or not to close them." Early this year at a state budget hearing in Nashville, Bob Martineau, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, proposed closing six state park swimming pools and replacing them with splash parks, which would be cheaper to maintain. The closures were expected to save about $200,000 a year. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/29/state-park-pools-still-in-splash-business-have/

Officials offer tips for avoiding fake insurance (Associated Press)

State officials have offered tips for guarding against fake health insurance. They include asking hard questions, reading all materials and scrutinizing websites. Coverage that boasts low rates should be alarming. Be skeptical of ads for insurance via spam emails or blast fax. Make sure insurance agents are selling a state-licensed insurance product. Deal with reputable agents. According to a news release from the Department of Commerce and Insurance, unlicensed companies defraud consumers by collecting premiums for bogus insurance policies with no intention of paying claims. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/29/officials-offer-tips-for-avoiding-fake-insurance/

UT ranked nationally for teaching organic farming (News-Sentinel/Williams)

UT among best in teaching how to grow crops that meet organic standards After just five years in existence, the Organic Crop Unit at the University of Tennessee has been ranked among the six best programs in the nation for teaching students how to grow crops that meet U.S. Department of Agriculture organic standards, according to the Organic Farming Research Foundation in Santa Cruz, Calif. UT's program was the newest one to be named the best by the foundation's first-ever Organic Land Grant Assessment. "There's no money with that, just fame," said Annette Wszelaki, an assistant professor and UT extension specialist. "We got a perfect score on their eight criteria." The criteria included elements such as having organic crop production classes and dedicated faculty 2

members, a farm where students do hands-on learning and an internship program, among other things. On a recent morning, several interns pulled weeds out of cabbage rows at the university's 90-acre farm off Gov. John Sevier Highway. Mary Rogers, intern coordinator, stopped to point out to the other students how a wasp had deposited eggs inside a cabbage worm, which had destroyed a cabbage leaf. http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/29/ut-ranked-nationally-for-teaching-organic/

Univ of Tennessee gets money for nuclear training (Associated Press)

The University of Tennessee is receiving more than $1.7 million for nuclear industry training and research. The money comes from the U.S. Department of Energy for scholarships, a fellowship and research grants. Forty-six colleges and universities nationwide received money under the department's Nuclear Energy University Program and Integrated University Program. According to a news release from the university, UT students were awarded more scholarship money that any other institution. Six undergraduate scholarships worth $5,000 each were awarded to UT students in the Department of Nuclear Engineering. A graduate student is being awarded a fellowship worth $50,000 annually over three years and $5,000 toward a summer internship at a national laboratory.http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/29/univ-of-tennessee-gets-money-for-nuclear/

After fall from power, state Democrats look for 'new path forward' (CP/Hale)
In the most generous terms, the Tennessee Democratic Party is a fighter on the mat, just beginning to see straight after a near-knockout punch. If the arena stops spinning, they can start thinking about standing up again. After some 150 years as the states dominant political party, Democrats have become a mostly marginalized minority in state politics. W hile party officials describe the fall as having occurred slowly over the past decade, a critical moment came in 2008. Despite Barack Obamas historic national victory, his 15-point loss to John McCain in Tennessee bled down the ballot. Republicans, who had already seized control of the state Senate, gained four seats in the House, making Democrats a minority in both chambers of the state legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. After losing another seat in a special election the following year, Democrats faced pivotal midterm elections, in a cycle even more ripe with anti-Obama fervor. There is no more important election than November of 2010, Chip Forrester, then working his first election cycle as party chairman, said at the time. W e have a plan. This is the most critical election cycle of our lifetime. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/after-fall-power-state-democrats-look-new-path-forward

Tenn's immigrant high school grads seek in-state college tuition (CP/Garrison)
Diploma in hand, Johnny Garcia walked off the stage at McGavock High Schools graduation and left behind a sparkling academic record. A 3.8 grade point average placed him in the top 10 percent of his senior class, earning him the title distinguished scholar from Metro. I tried my hardest in school, Garcia, who graduated May 20, told The City Paper. I want to make it so where my parents struggles and efforts some day pay off. But classroom success carried no meaning in his search to find affordable, in-state tuition to continue his education. Not in Tennessee. Garcia, born in Mexico, arrived in the United States when he was 4. His residency in this country was unauthorized, however, and he became one of the estimated 70,000 undocumented students nationwide who graduate annually. In Tennessee, undocumented students like him are not eligible for the states in-state tuition at public universities. Lacking this financial tool makes the cost of higher education three times higher, he said, a price tag out of reach for him and other immigrant students. http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/tennessees-immigrant-high-school-grads-seek-state-collegetuition

Chattanooga Press/Trevizo)

area colleges hold

the line on

leaders' pay (Times Free-

Since the beginning of the recession, area colleges and universities have held the line on what they pay their top leaders, data show. But school presidents say that must change if the state wants to attract and retain those leaders. Presidents at the four area public schools -- Chattanooga and Cleveland state community colleges, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Dalton State College in Georgia -- all earn below the national median except for James Catanzaro, president of Chattanooga State. His base salary is right on the median at $170,568. "Most systems are very cognizant of the economy," said Gretchen Bataille, senior vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Council on Education. "At the same time, they are hiring people who have to oversee very large budgets, whose spouses or partners are expected to participate in a lot of activities. It's a 3

24/7 job," Bataille said. "If you compare salaries of presidents with the salaries of corporate leadership for similar budgets and number of employees, you find that presidents aren't paid as much as corporate leaders," she said. Presidents' salaries are coming under greater scrutiny, especially as tuition increases pressure many families struggling to afford college. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/29/chattano-colleges-in-area-hold-the-line-on-leaders/?local

Remedial college classes costly, ineffective, research finds (AP/Hollingsworth)

Each year, an estimated 1.7 million U.S. college students are steered to remedial classes to catch them up and prepare them for regular coursework. But a growing body of research indicates the courses are eating up time and money, often leading not to degrees but to student loan hangovers. The expense of remedial courses, which typically cost students the same as regular classes but dont fulfill degree requirements, runs about $3 billion annually, according to new research by Complete College America, a W ashington-based national nonprofit working to increase the number of students with college degrees. The group says the classes are largely failing the nations higher education system at a time when student-loan debt has become a presidential campaign issue. Meanwhile, lawmakers in at least two states have pushed through changes and numerous institutions are redesigning the courses. Simply putting (students) in three levels of remedial math is really taking their money and time with no hope of success, said Stan Jones, president of Complete College America. The groups research indicates that 1 in 10 remedial students graduate from community colleges within three years and a little more than one-third complete bachelors degrees in six years. Yet the classes are widespread, with more than 50 percent of students entering two-year colleges and nearly 20 percent of those entering four-year universities put in at least one remedial course, the report said. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120529/NEWS08/305290015/Remedial-college-classes-costly-ineffectiveresearch-finds?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|News

Weston Wamp's campaign owes much to his dad (Times Free-Press/Carroll)

A month after he lost the primary for the governor's seat in August 2010, U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., dialed up Chip Saltsman. A campaign consultant, Saltsman was the senior political adviser for Chuck Fleischmann, the Republican nominee in Tennessee's 3rd Congressional District race and the likely winner of W amp's newly vacated seat in November's general election. Saltsman was the man to call if, as Wamp said in a written statement, you were a departing eight-term congressman looking "to help the Republican nominee" politically, financially and logistically. And one other thing, according to Saltsman. "He wanted me to give Weston a job interview," he said. "I told him I would." Zach Wamp's pattern of helping his son continues now that Weston Wamp is challenging Fleischmann for the 3rd District seat, from tapping his old donor network to knocking on voters' doors. Now Fleischmann's chief of staff, Saltsman said Weston Wamp once viewed Fleisch-mann as a potential Capitol Hill employer, not part of "the status quo" he criticizes almost daily in his quest to win his father's old office. http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2012/may/29/weston-wamps-campaign-owes-much-to-his-dad-zach/?local

U.S. Winds Down Longer Benefits for the Unemployed (New York Times)
Hundreds of thousands of out-of-work Americans are receiving their final unemployment checks sooner than they expected, even though Congress renewed extended benefits until the end of the year. The checks are stopping for the people who have the most difficulty finding work: the long-term unemployed. More than five million people have been out of work for longer than half a year. Federal benefit extensions, which supplemented state funds for payments up to 99 weeks, were intended to tide over the unemployed until the job market improved. In February, when the program was set to expire, Congress renewed it, but also phased in a reduction of the number of weeks of extended aid and effectively made it more difficult for states to qualify for the maximum aid. Since then, the jobless in 23 states have lost up to five months worth of benefits. Next month, an additional 70,000 people will lose benefits earlier than they presumed, bringing the number of people cut off prematurely this year to close to half a million, according to the National Employment Law Project. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/29/business/economy/extended-federal-unemployment-benefits-begin-to-winddown.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper (SUBSCRIPTION)

Is Federal Red Tape Tying Up Innovative Job Programs? (Stateline)

An unprecedented bid to let states experiment with the unemployment insurance system has gotten off to a bumpy start.As part of a deal reached in Washington earlier this year, Congress approved a plan to let up to 10 4

states develop demonstration projects in which businesses could hire unemployed workers and essentially pay their salaries with money from the unemployment insurance fund (UI). Typically states cant use UI funds to pay for wages, but only unemployment benefits. The 10 states picked for the program would be allowed to use UI funds to subsidize employer-provided training or to pay employers that hire UI beneficiaries. Republican governors were among those pushing for such flexibility. But now some Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill and state officials say red tape from the U.S. Labor Department (DOL) is threatening the program. As of midMay, no state had a pending application to be in it. States are already telling us of a number of roadblocks they see in the guidance and expressing a decreasing interest in applying for a waiver, which is unfortunate for the unemployed who could be greatly helped by some of these innovative strategies, says U.S. Representative Geoff Davis, a Republican from Kentucky who chairs the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources. Davis held a hearing on the topic last month. http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/is-federal-red-tape-tying-up-innovative-job-programs85899391464

GM workers eager for return to TN (Tennessean/Page)

Spring Hill plant's revival brings some home When Bill Weber got word in the spring that he was being sent back to GMs Spring Hill assembly plant, it was all he could do to hold back his emotion in front of other GM workers at the Lansing, Mich., plant where he had been working for eight months. Weber didnt want to seem too celebratory because there are hundreds of Tennessee workers there biding their time until they can be relocated back to the Spring Hill plant and their homes in Middle Tennessee. When I started driving south, all I wanted to do was tear off my rear-view mirror and not look back, Weber said. Weber ended up in Lansing after the Spring Hill plant shut down the Chevrolet Traverse crossover line and shifted it to Lansing in 2009. GM filed for bankruptcy protection and idled back the Spring Hill plant, which created multitudes of GM gypsies such as Weber, who was relocated to Lansing in August 2011. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120529/W ILLIAMSON01/305290019/GM-workers-eager-return-TN? odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Math teachers are in demand (Daily News Journal)

Stiffer graduation requirement makes districts adjust faculties Tennessee school districts will be rounding up more high school math teachers than ever this year. This years rising seniors must take four years of math in high school, a stiffer graduation requirement than the three years demanded of previous grads. For Wilson County schools, it has meant cutting out more electives and career and technical courses to make room in the schedule for math. Metro school officials say some principals may also shift positions within their schools to cover the needs. Metro has hired six new math teachers and still has 26 openings in math for the fall but says it isn't finding any shortage of teachers. We are adding math teachers to accommodate the requirements, said Jay Steele, Metros associate superintendent for high schools. However, we are not having any issues finding math teachers because of early recruitment, Teach For America and the Nashville Teaching Fellows. Rutherford County school officials hired 11 new math teachers but haven't reduced other course offerings, spokesman James Evans said. Its always harder to find certain types of teachers, such as math, special education, foreign language, etc., but so far, weve been able to find good candidates, he said. http://www.dnj.com/article/20120529/NEW S/305290014/Math-teachers-demand?odyssey=tab|topnews|text| FRONTPAGE

Suburbs take up last reading of municipal district ordinances (C. Appeal/Bailey)

Votes for municipal school referendums across Shelby County reach a conclusion tonight as all six suburbs consider final readings on school-related ordinances. From Collierville to Arlington to Millington, the various legislative boards will decide on ordinances to hold Aug. 2 referendums on establishing separate school systems. In addition to the referendum question, the cities also will vote on holding school board elections Nov. 6, provided the school system referendums are adopted in August. Tonight's votes are necessary because the cities must present their intentions to the county Election Commission by the end of the week for inclusion on the Aug. 2 ballot. The referendums are a significant aspect of the ever-changing education landscape in Shelby County. All six suburban governments are seeking voter approval to start their own local education systems and thus avoid the countywide unified school district slated to launch in August 2013. Public hearings will accompany final readings in Bartlett and Germantown. Previous public hearings in other suburbs have drawn little or no comment. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/29/final-vote-on-referendums/ (SUBSCRIPTION) 5

Nashville charter school advocates push their vision (Tennessean/Rau)

Businessmen form PAC to get preferred candidates elected to school board A trio of wealthy, politically connected businessmen with past ties to the for-profit education industry and a history of supporting local private schools has launched a political action committee aimed at stocking the Nashville school board with members favorable to bringing more charter schools. Townes Duncan, who is CEO of the local investment firm Solidus Co., joined with longtime charter school advocates Bill DeLoache and John Eason to create the Great Public Schools PAC on April 26, according to documents filed with the election commission. DeLoache and Eason started a for-profit education business in 1993 that had mixed results and eventually was absorbed by another company a decade ago. All three are ardent supporters of charter schools, which are publicly financed but privately run and are given the freedom to install their own curriculum. W ith some community leaders starting to push back on charter school expansion and five of nine school board positions up for election Aug. 2, the Great Public Schools PAC will provide financial help to candidates who back their vision for Metro Nashville Public Schools. http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120529/NEWS04/305290016/Nashville-charter-school-advocates-pushtheir-vision?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Hawkins County BOE considers working with Energy Education (Times-News)

Having already taken several steps to reduce its electric bills countywide the Hawkins County Board of Education is now considering partnering with a group that promises $6.4 million in utility savings over 10 years. The BOE has already approved energy efficient lighting districtwide, the installation of revenue generating solar panels, and a TVA program that calls for schools to turn lights off and adjust thermostats during peak energy times. Thursday evening the board heard a presentation from Dr. Truman Atkins of Energy Education Inc., a Texasbased company which claims to have saved school systems more than $2.6 billion in energy/utility costs since 1986. Youre not having to come up with any additional dollars to put in the budget, Atkins told the board. The dollars that your spending for this program would be the dollars that your budgeting for utilities because this program reduces your consumption, which means your not spending as much. These are dollars that youre already spending, except now your using them to implement a program that will save you significant dollars for years to come. http://www.timesnews.net/article/9047204/hawkins-county-boe-considers-working-with-energy-education

OPINION Editorial: Misusing medications (Commercial Appeal)

The recent arrest of three people in East Tennessee for selling the opioid Suboxone is a reminder of the tough fight law enforcement has trying to stop the illegal sale and abuse of prescription drugs. Gov. Bill Haslam said the misuse of prescription medication is the leading cause of accidental drug overdoses and accidental deaths in the state. Earlier this month, Haslam signed a new state law requiring all drug prescribers and dispensers in the state to register with state's Controlled Substance Monitoring Database. All prescribers now have to check for a patient's controlled substance history before prescribing painkillers or other prescription drugs. That will 6

discourage individuals from "doctor shopping" to obtain prescriptions. Too many individuals, including famous personalities, have paid with their lives for abusing medication meant to help the suffering. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/29/editorial-misusing-medications/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

Editorial: Threat of synthetic, prescription drugs grows (Jackson Sun)

The dangers of illegal drug use have been present for decades, but those dangers have been amplified and complicated in recent years with new threats. These are threats that parents must take into account as they seek to protect their children. These are threats that potential abusers of drugs need to take into account when they consider the substances they may put into their bodies. Were talking about the abuse of prescription drugs and the proliferation of synthetic drugs. Both can kill. A recent report to the state General Assembly indicates that the abuse of prescription drugs may be at an epidemic level. Prescriptions for controlled substances such as OxyContin were up 23 percent last year in Tennessee, according to the report. The rate of prescription drug abuse in Tennessee is among the highest in the country, according to a study by The Associated Press. Sales of oxycodone increased five or six fold in Tennessee from 2000 to 2010, according to The AP. Doug Varney, commissioner of Mental Health in Tennessee, said the number of deaths attributed to drug overdoses in Tennessee now surpasses the number of deaths to car accidents, homicides or suicides. According to statistics provided by the Health Department, 887 people died in Tennessee in 2010 due to drug overdoses, the vast majority due to abuse of prescription drugs. http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20120529/OPINION/305290001/Our-view-Threat-synthetic-prescriptiondrugs-grows

Editorial: Coordination in tourism initiative is a positive step (News-Sentinel)

In a welcome display of city-county cooperation, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett have issued a combined request for information from entities interested in taking on the job of promoting Knoxville and Knox County to tourists. The request for information, issued Friday, follows a report critical of the operations of the current contractor, the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corp. With the city and county contracts with the Tourism and Sports Corp. ending June 30, and given the controversy surrounding the organization's pay and oversight, this is an opportune time to review marketing efforts to date and determine a course for the future. Unity of mission and consistency of message will be vital in attracting events, conventions and tourists to Knoxville and Knox County. As Rogero said in a joint city-county statement announcing the request for information, "During the past few months, we have said there needs to be a larger discussion taking place about our attributes and how Knoxville is marketed. By identifying our needs with a fresh perspective, we can ensure the dollars we spend on tourism have a greater return." http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/may/29/editorial-coordination-in-tourism-initiative-is/

Editorial: Picking the best schools leader (Commercial Appeal)

One of the sticky wickets in the schools merger deliberations is out in the open. The unified Shelby County School Board will hold a special meeting June 11 to decide whether it will renew the contract of Supt. Kriner Cash, who has led the Memphis City Schools district since 2008. "We want to be very respectful of Dr. Cash and ensure that as he seeks other positions ... we make sure he has a favorable exit, " board chairman Billy Orgel said last week. It doesn't sound like Orgel expects Cash to be around when the merger of Memphis and Shelby County schools goes into effect for the 2013-2014 school year. In fact, there are strong feelings among some members on the unified board that if Cash is out of the running to lead the merged district, some suburban residents might think twice about voting to form independent school districts in their cities. Cash's current contract ends Aug. 1, 2013. Shelby County Schools Supt. John Aitken has a contract that runs through 2015. Earlier this year a member of the Transition Planning Commission suggested that Aitken should be named superintendent of the merged district, a possibility that likely would win support from some of the unified board members. http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/may/29/editorial-picking-the-best-schools-leader/ (SUBSCRIPTION)

### 7