Clarifying transition commission vs. unified board

Today's story looking at the week ahead may have oversimplified the view state Sen. Mark Norris, R-Colliverille, holds about the relationship between the Norris-Todd transition commission and the 23-member countywide schools board that will take over on Oct. 1. This week we do expect more selections to the Norris-Todd transition commission, as well as seeing the the Shelby County Commission move to identify finalists for the seven districts that will be added to MCS and SCS board members for a 23-member board.

See below for the insert, with corrections noted. In a way, the oversimplification should help us all understand a little more clearly how the dynamic should work between the transition commission, the countywide board and the state Department of Education. And lest we forget, U.S. District Judge Samuel "Hardy" Mays will also have authority over the entire process, and plans to appoint a special court "master" to resolve any legal disputes that may arise.

Transition planning

One of the settlement agreement's provisions calls for appointment of a special court "master" to settle any legal issues that arise and assure the judge's orders are carried out correctly.

One possible issue: The relationship between the 23-member countywide schools board taking over Oct. 1 and the transition commission, which is called for by the new Norris-Todd state law. State Sen. Mark Norris, the Collierville Republican who wrote the bill, emphasizes that while the transition committee is advisory, the law is written such that the county board must follow its guidelines.

The settlement agreement last week says the new 23-member board "shall be responsible for adopting a transition plan," but Norris said it is the transition commission that is largely responsible for developing the plan (EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version oversimplified the Norris's assertions; he objected to the use of the word "mandatory" in the original story.)

"So what this is intended to mean is that whatever the transition planning commission comes up with is what this new board shall adopt, if you read it together," Norris said.

CLARIFICATION: Sen. Mark Norris clarified today that the new unified school board and the transition planning commission are to work together, along with the state Department of Education. The Norris-Todd bill requires the consolidation plan developed by the transition planning commission to be submitted to the state Department of Education for review and comments before the plan's implementation. Norris says: "They're to work together. The planning commission technically submits its recommendation to the state Department of Education. The new school board is to be working with the Department of Education. They can all work together."

And I elaborated on this in Comments below the story:

We have updated the insert on the relationship between the 21-member Norris-Todd transition commission and the 23-member combined school board (Note to Neil: It is seven new members from those seven districts added to the nine MCS members and seven SCS members).
Sen. Mark Norris emphasized to us last week that the transition commission would be coming up with the plan, and I may have over-interpreted comments he made to Nashville bureau chief Richard Locker. While Norris sticks to his assertion that the board "shall adopt" the plan created by the committee, he said the Norris-Todd law envisions a collaborative process.
One way to think about this process is that the board is the only entity with the power to APPROVE various elements of the transition plan -- curriculum, disciplinary policy, textbooks, ordering or leasing buses, districting, etc. Normally, the administration led by a superintendent makes recommendations that boards then approve; in this case, think of the Norris-Todd transition commission as more akin to the administration, with the countywide board having final authority and responsibility.
The state's Commissioner of Education also will have a real voice in transition, too.
As the insert did point out, the special court master may indeed have something to say about the relationship between board and transition commission. Judge Mays' voice as a federal judge ultimately trumps the state in this matter, because he found a federal violation (Memphians lacked representation) and is overseeing a process to remedy it.

Clarifying transition commission vs. unified board

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