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SHERI AND GUY. ALL RIGHT. JASON. WELL, TONIGHT WE’RE HEARING FROM STATE SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR ERIC MCKEE FOLLOWING SEVERAL CHANGES TO EDUCATION IN CENTRAL ALABAMA. IT’S INCLUDING LEADERSHIP CHANGES AT BESSEMER CITY SCHOOL BOARD, DESPITE BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF A STATE TAKEOVER TO GET THEM BACK ON TRACK. �������� 13 JARVIS ROBERTSON SHARES HIS CONVERSATION WITH DOCTOR MCKEE. SO WHEN I SPOKE WITH STATE SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR ERIC MCKEE TODAY, HE TOLD ME HE’S VERY PLEASED TO HAVE APPOINTED MICHAEL TURNER TO THE POSITION. HERE’S WHY HE’LL BE THE SUPERINTENDENT DURING THE DURING THE TIME THAT THERE’S THE STATE INTERVENTION GOING ON. STATE SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR ERIC MCKEE SPEAKS HIGHLY OF MICHAEL TURNER, THE PERSON WHO WILL SOON BE THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT OF BESSEMER CITY SCHOOLS, EVEN IF IT’S ONLY FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE SAY THE WORD INTERIM, PEOPLE THINK, WELL, OKAY, THAT MEANS WE’VE GOT SOMEBODY WHO’S FILLING IN UNTIL WE GET SOMEBODY ELSE. AND I DON’T WANT THE PEOPLE IN BESSEMER TO FEEL LIKE WE JUST GOT A SHORT TERM FEELING. AND I, YOU KNOW, I’M VERY HAPPY WITH MICHAEL TURNER. I ASKED HIM WHY HE MADE THE DECISION AND NOT THE BOARD. HE SAYS IT’S BECAUSE THE DISTRICT IS ALREADY UNDER STATE INTERVENTION. THE BOARD WOULD HAVE HAD TO DO INTERVIEWS, YOU KNOW, THEN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO ME. I FELT LIKE THAT WAS JUST AN EXTRANEOUS STEP THAT WE DIDN’T NEED. THIS COMES AS NOW FORMER SUPERINTENDENT DOCTOR DANA ARREOLA RESIGNED FROM BESSEMER TOLEDO SCHOOL DISTRICT IN HER HOME STATE OF TEXAS. MCKEE SAYS HE WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE WORK SHE WAS DOING IN BESSEMER. AND SO I DON’T HOLD THAT AGAINST HER. IT CERTAINLY DID CREATE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A HICCUP IN OUR PLAN. PART OF THE REASON FOR A NEW LEADER IS BECAUSE OF WHAT MCKEE CALLS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION WITH THE BOARD. THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A STRING OF GREAT SUPERINTENDENTS, BUT THEY’VE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE BOARD SUPPORTING THEIR SUPERINTENDENTS. WHILE THE DISTRICT IS UNDER STATE INTERVENTION. HE SAYS THE BOARD WILL GO THROUGH TRAINING TO LEARN HOW TO WORK WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND BETTER GOVERNANCE STRATEGY. SO I DON’T NEED THE BOARD TRYING TO MANAGE DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. I DON’T NEED THE BOARD TRYING TO DISRUPT MEETINGS. I BOARD MEMBERS. IN BESSEMER, WE’VE HAD BOARD MEMBERS GET UP AND WALK OUT. I ASKED HIM, WHAT’S THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS FOR MICHAEL TURNER ONCE HE OFFICIALLY TAKES THE LEAD? I WANT HIM, YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMUNITY, GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE, GETTING TO KNOW STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND PARENTS. NOW, HE WON’T OFFICIALLY START WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT UNTIL NEXT MONTH. AND AGAIN, HE WILL BE IN PLACE THROUGH THE DURATION OF THE STATE INTERVENTION. JARVIS ROBERTSON �������� 13. DOCTOR MCKEE ALSO WEIGHED IN ON THE LATEST EXECUTIVE ORDER TO DISMANTLE THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THE ORDER CALLS FOR EDUCATION SECRETARY LINDA MCMAHON TO DO EVERYTHING IN HER POWER TO BREAK DOWN THE DEPARTMENT AND OFFLOAD TASKS TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS. AS IT STANDS NOW, IT WOULD TAKE AN ACT OF CONGRESS TO ACTUALLY SHUT IT DOWN FOR GOOD, AND THE DEPARTMENT IS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION AND TITLE ONE FUNDING, AS WELL AS STUDENT LOAN PAYMENTS AND PELL GRANTS. HOWEVER, DOCTOR MCKEE SAYS THAT HE FEELS THE STATE IS IN A GOOD POSITION WHEN IT COMES TO MANAGING PUBLIC EDUCATION. WE AS A DEPARTMENT ARE READY TO TAKE ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY. WE WE DON’T MIND OVERSEEING THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE ALREADY HAVE TO DO SO