Friday, April 5, 2013
New Site Goes Live
I apologize for the lack of activity on this blog. Over the last few months, we have been in the process of developing a new website for the association. It can be found on the old URL for the main association page, www.tncountycommissioners.org. There will be much more content there and that site will also host my blog for future posts. Please explore that site and let us know if you have any thoughts or questions about it and the resources there. We'll leave this site up for now in case any of you are looking for old articles or posts.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Constitutional Officers Re-Elected Today
In joint session, the Tennessee General Assembly re-elected all three constitutional officers to new terms. Secretary of State Tre Hargett, Comptroller of the Treasury Justin Wilson and Treasurer David Lillard were all unopposed in the nominations and were elected to new terms by acclimation.
Bill Limitation Proposed for House of Representatives
Speaker Harwell this year proposed a House rule to set a ten bill limit for all members of the House of Representatives. Exempt from the bill would be private acts, some sunset bills for boards and commissions and administration legislation. The initial proposal met with some resistance from both Republicans and Democrats, raised concerns with Senators (who are not looking at such a limit and might have to scramble to find House sponsors) and others who thought the proposal would strengthen the executive branch to the detriment of the legislative branch. The initial proposal exempted bills that were proposed by the Governor's Administration from the limitations and set no limit on the number the Haslam administration could bring. The limit also raised concern in the lobbying community from professional lobbyists who were concerned that legislators might have a full slate of bills and be unable to bring legislation that were lobbying for.
After discussions and caucus meetings this week, a modified version of the limit is now being considered that would raise the limit from 10 to 15, place a 75 bill cap on the Governor and allow some additional exemptions. The proposal also now provides a means by which a member could petition the rules committee to authorize the Representative to carry additional bills above the limit. This modified version of the rule is expected to be considered and voted on tomorrow (Thursday) as the General Assembly concludes the organizational session of the 108th General Assembly. Also expected tomorrow will be the announcement of committee officers and members for this session of the legislature.
After discussions and caucus meetings this week, a modified version of the limit is now being considered that would raise the limit from 10 to 15, place a 75 bill cap on the Governor and allow some additional exemptions. The proposal also now provides a means by which a member could petition the rules committee to authorize the Representative to carry additional bills above the limit. This modified version of the rule is expected to be considered and voted on tomorrow (Thursday) as the General Assembly concludes the organizational session of the 108th General Assembly. Also expected tomorrow will be the announcement of committee officers and members for this session of the legislature.
CTAS County Officials Certificate Training Program Spring 2013 Schedule
The
2013 training schedule is posted on the UT- County Technical Assistance Service website in their Solution Point Training
Management System. Courses are open for registration with classes
beginning in early February through the end of June. The courses that are
being offered include a diverse mix of topics which are listed below.
CTAS will soon be sending out a detailed Spring 2013 Training Calendar via mail.
February
2013 - How to Be Your Boss's Favorite - Category B
March
2013 - Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace - Category B
April
2013 - Risk Management - Category A
May
2013 - Energy 101 - Category A
CTAS will soon be sending out a detailed Spring 2013 Training Calendar via mail.
If you are already registered with the COCTP training program, you can click here to
log-in to your Solution Point account. Select the "Register for a
Class" link towards the bottom of your homepage. Click
"Classroom Training" and select the workshop. Look
for the class session you would like from the list that is
displayed. Select the "Register" link beside that location to
complete the process.
Should
you have any questions on how to register in Solution Point, please contact the
CTAS Training Department at (615) 532-3555.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Fiscal Cliff Analysis from the National Association of Counties
The National Association of Counties (NACo) has released a new summary of the fiscal cliff deal signed by President Obama today. After weeks of negotiation, Congress approved legislation (H.R. 8) on New Year's day that delays the across-the-board sequestration cuts for two months, extends most of the Bush era tax cuts and extends the Farm Bill for another year. The measure passed the U.S. House of Representatives late on January 1 after the U.S. Senate had approved it overwhelmingly earlier that same day. While the passage of this measure will temporarily avert and delay various elements of the fiscal cliff, Congress and the administration are already opening talks on the next round of federal debt and deficit issues that may have significant consequences for counties.
The full NACo summary can be found at http://www.naco.org/legislation/Documents/NACo-Fiscal-Cliff-Legislative-Briefing.pdf
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Schools Report Card issued by the Department of Education
The 2012 state Report Card—posted Thursday on the Tennessee Department of Education website—offers detailed breakdowns of last year’s unprecedented statewide student achievement growth and presents the most recent data on graduation rate, demographics and school-level test scores. This summer, the department released statewide and district-by-district achievement results, and now Tennesseans can view data by grade level, subject and subgroup for each of the 136 districts and 1,784 schools in the state.
They can also see the achievement and gap closure measures that earned various designations under the new accountability system, such as Exemplary District and Reward School status. “We think it’s important for parents and students, as well as school and district leaders, to know how well their schools are doing each year,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “Tennessee is focused on continuous growth, and our Report Card shows us where we are making gains and where we need more work.”
As Tennessee continued to implement its First to the Top education reforms, performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) improved for the second year in a row in 2012, as students made the largest gains in the history of the test. Last year, elementary and middle school students grew in 23 out of 24 TCAP measures, and proficiency levels on several high school End of Course exams improved, even as more students enrolled in higher-level classes such as Algebra II due to more rigorous graduation requirements. The statewide graduation rate increased from 85.5 percent to 87.2 percent for the Class of 2012.
Nearly every district in the state grew student achievement overall, but many did not successfully narrow achievement gaps or saw declines among particular student subgroups. As the state strives to advance outcomes for all Tennessee students, these results allow educators to identify areas that need the most improvement. Through its regional offices, the department provides resources, support and expert analysis to help districts and schools with data-driven interventions.
Complementing the data released today in the department’s Report Card, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission released a report card on teacher preparation in Tennessee. The department also re-released its public TVAAS site, giving parents and community members an in-depth look at the academic growth in the state’s schools and districts. When used together, these three tools help paint a picture of the state of Tennessee education.
For the 2012 state Report Card, visit: www.tn.gov/education/reportcard
From this page, you can also access the public TVAAS site and archives of prior years' report cards.
For the Tennessee Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Programs, visit: www.tn.gov/thec/Divisions/fttt/report_card.shtml.
They can also see the achievement and gap closure measures that earned various designations under the new accountability system, such as Exemplary District and Reward School status. “We think it’s important for parents and students, as well as school and district leaders, to know how well their schools are doing each year,” said Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman. “Tennessee is focused on continuous growth, and our Report Card shows us where we are making gains and where we need more work.”
As Tennessee continued to implement its First to the Top education reforms, performance on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) improved for the second year in a row in 2012, as students made the largest gains in the history of the test. Last year, elementary and middle school students grew in 23 out of 24 TCAP measures, and proficiency levels on several high school End of Course exams improved, even as more students enrolled in higher-level classes such as Algebra II due to more rigorous graduation requirements. The statewide graduation rate increased from 85.5 percent to 87.2 percent for the Class of 2012.
Nearly every district in the state grew student achievement overall, but many did not successfully narrow achievement gaps or saw declines among particular student subgroups. As the state strives to advance outcomes for all Tennessee students, these results allow educators to identify areas that need the most improvement. Through its regional offices, the department provides resources, support and expert analysis to help districts and schools with data-driven interventions.
Complementing the data released today in the department’s Report Card, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission released a report card on teacher preparation in Tennessee. The department also re-released its public TVAAS site, giving parents and community members an in-depth look at the academic growth in the state’s schools and districts. When used together, these three tools help paint a picture of the state of Tennessee education.
For the 2012 state Report Card, visit: www.tn.gov/education/reportcard
From this page, you can also access the public TVAAS site and archives of prior years' report cards.
For the Tennessee Report Card on the Effectiveness of Teacher Training Programs, visit: www.tn.gov/thec/Divisions/fttt/report_card.shtml.
State Budget Hearings Begin Today
Governor Haslam's cabinet members will begin public hearings today with regard to next year's budget and continue through Thursday this week. Information about the hearings and a link to streaming video of the hearings can be found here: http://news.tn.gov/node/9851
The schedule is as follows:
Davidson Room, 3rd Floor, Tennessee Tower, Nashville
9:30-10 a.m. CST – Safety
10-10:30 a.m. – Tourist Development
10:30-11 a.m. – Military
11-11:30 a.m. – Veterans Affairs
11:30 a.m.-noon – Agriculture
Noon – Break
1:30-2:30 p.m. – Education
2:30-3:30 p.m. – Environment and Conservation
4-5 p.m. – Health
Wednesday, November 7
Budget hearings
Davidson Room, 3rd Floor, Tennessee Tower, Nashville
10:30-11 a.m. CST – Revenue
11 a.m.-noon – Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Noon – Break
1:15-1:45 p.m. – Commerce and Insurance
1:45-2:30 p.m. – Human Services
2:30-3 p.m. – Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
3-3:45 p.m. – General Services
3:45-4:30 p.m. – Transportation
Thursday, November 8
Budget hearings
Davidson Room, 3rd Floor, Tennessee Tower, Nashville
10-11 a.m. CST – Children’s Services
11 a.m.-noon – Correction
Noon – Break
1:30-2 p.m. – Education Lottery Corporation
2-3 p.m. – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
3-3:30 p.m. – Finance and Administration
3:30-4 p.m. – Labor and Workforce Development
4-4:30 p.m. – Financial Institutions
The schedule is as follows:
Davidson Room, 3rd Floor, Tennessee Tower, Nashville
9:30-10 a.m. CST – Safety
10-10:30 a.m. – Tourist Development
10:30-11 a.m. – Military
11-11:30 a.m. – Veterans Affairs
11:30 a.m.-noon – Agriculture
Noon – Break
1:30-2:30 p.m. – Education
2:30-3:30 p.m. – Environment and Conservation
4-5 p.m. – Health
Wednesday, November 7
Budget hearings
Davidson Room, 3rd Floor, Tennessee Tower, Nashville
10:30-11 a.m. CST – Revenue
11 a.m.-noon – Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
Noon – Break
1:15-1:45 p.m. – Commerce and Insurance
1:45-2:30 p.m. – Human Services
2:30-3 p.m. – Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
3-3:45 p.m. – General Services
3:45-4:30 p.m. – Transportation
Thursday, November 8
Budget hearings
Davidson Room, 3rd Floor, Tennessee Tower, Nashville
10-11 a.m. CST – Children’s Services
11 a.m.-noon – Correction
Noon – Break
1:30-2 p.m. – Education Lottery Corporation
2-3 p.m. – Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
3-3:30 p.m. – Finance and Administration
3:30-4 p.m. – Labor and Workforce Development
4-4:30 p.m. – Financial Institutions
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