Tag: Dr. Mike Looney

Mike Looney Leaving Williamson County Schools Post for Job as Superintendent of Fulton County, Georgia Schools

Laura Baigert

  In a special-called meeting of the Fulton County Schools Board of Education, it was a unanimous decision of the seven-member board for current Williamson County Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael “Mike” Looney to assume the position of Superintendent of Fulton County Schools. It was announced by Fulton County Schools (FCS) during a public event on April 17 that Looney was the single finalist for the position of Superintendent after conducting a national search. With that announcement, FCS began promoting Looney with a document called a “fact sheet,” highlighting his leadership experience, results in teaching and learning and providing links to background articles. The FCS district, as Georgia’s fourth largest, has more than 95,000 students, 7,500 teachers, 105 schools and more than 14,000 employees, according to the district’s website. Fulton County encompasses Atlanta, however, Atlanta maintains a separate school system which physically bisects the FCS district. Coming from Williamson County Schools (WCS) that is less than half the size of FCS with 40,000 students and 48 schools, the move will be a big one for Looney and will put an end to the most recent controversy surrounding the WCS 10-year Superintendent. On March 6, The Tennessee Star broke the story that…

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Southern Poverty Law Center Holds Over Half a Billion Dollars in Assets, Including $121M Overseas

Jason M. Reynolds

The Southern Poverty Law Center will not run short on cash in its work to attack conservatives, one newspaper reports. The SPLC has amassed more than half a billion dollars in assets, including $121 million in overseas accounts, The Washington Free Beacon reported. According to audited statements and tax forms filed in 2018 with the State of California that were obtained by the paper, the group’s assets totaled a $518 million from November 2017 to Oct. 31, 2018. That represents an increase of $41 million from $477 million in total assets a year ago. The SPLC has $91 million in U.S. public equity funds and $60 million in private equity funds, plus $24 million in real asset funds. And, the SPLC last year formed an Action Fund as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, to fight legislative battles. According to their consolidated financial statements ending Oct. 31, 2018, the SPLC and Action Fund have cash and cash equivalents of $9.3 million. Other significant incomes include contributions and receivables of $8.2 million and investments of gift annuity program at just over $10 million. It pays to work for the SPLC. The Organization has a 401(k) Retirement Plan for its employees. For the year ended…

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Knox County Schools Spending $170,000 on ‘Cultural Competency’ In-Service Training for Teachers and Staff This Year

Jason M. Reynolds

Knox County Schools are spending $170,000 out of their $928,677 in-service budget on “cultural competency” training for teachers even as the Williamson County School System uses increased expenditures to tell white teachers they are over-privileged. Knox County’s Fiscal Year 2019 expense is in the KCS General Purpose School Fund, under “Disparities in Education Outcomes.” The “In-Service/Staff Development – Schools,” is located under the “Other Expenses” line. The note for the $170,000 line item specifies, “Cultural Competency training.” The school budget details are here. Another note on the page, E-6, says, “The Disparities in Education Outcomes programs is a district initiative aimed at eliminated education disparities. The FTEs contained in this program are Restorative Interventionists. Also included in this program are resources for Cultural Competency training and supplies needed to support the program.” The overall Disparities in Education Outcomes budget for FY 2019 is $1,533,099. Knox County Schools’ general fund budget for 2019 was $484.5 million, an increase of $13.4 million from the previous year, according to the FY 2019 Knox County budget. The overall in-service training budget for FY 2019 is $928,677, a 4.2 percent decrease from the previous year total of $918,635. In 2016, a school board task force…

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Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney Faces Second Assault Charge from February Incident

Tennessee Star Staff

Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney now faces a second assault charge in connection with a February incident at Franklin High School, WKRN reports: A victim provided sworn testimony to the magistrate, who issued a criminal summons for the defendant, charging Mike Looney with assault. It’s the second assault charge against Looney in the February 20 incident. Police confirmed to News 2 the second victim is the mother of the original victim. Dr. Looney’s attorney was notified about the new charge. At some point, Looney will have to appear for booking and processing, as directed by the summons. The Tennessee Star first reported the details of the story when it broke back in February: Late Wednesday, the Franklin Police Department issued this “statement in response to multiple media inquiries regarding today’s arrest of Dr. Mike Looney, Williamson County Schools Superintendent:” Yesterday, Franklin Police Officers and paramedics were dispatched to Franklin High School for a reported psychological emergency. While working with the student, the student’s mother, and school staff to transport the student to the hospital, Dr. Mike Looney, Williamson County Schools Superintendent, abruptly entered the conference room, grabbed the student by her arm, and forced her out of the school and to his…

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Lack of Transparency Surrounds Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney’s Medical Condition

Tennessee Star Staff

A lack of transparency on the part of the Williamson County Schools (WCS) surrounds the medical condition of Superintendent Mike Looney. The Tennessee Star broke the story on Tuesday that Looney told WCS staffers earlier in the day that he has a tumor on his pancreas. The language of that communication suggested that he was going to go on medical leave during his treatment period: I need to share a little bit of news so that you can learn it from me rather than another source. I would much rather not share things of a personal nature, but given my role in the district, it really can’t be avoided. I very recently learned that I have a tumor in my pancreas. At this point, I am planning on having surgery toward the end of this month and unfortunately will need to take several weeks off for recovery. (emphasis added) The central office staff is wholly prepared to support your work without me. Jason Golden will act on my behalf during my absence. I will enjoy watching from a distance and will continue to cheer you on as our work progresses. However, Carol Birdsong, director of communications for WCS, told The…

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Sources: Embattled Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney to Take Medical Leave

Tennessee Star Staff

5:13 PM Williamson County Schools director of communications Carol Birdsong confirmed to The Tennessean the story The Tennessee Star broke earlier in the day that Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney will be taking a medical leave: Williamson County Director of Schools Mike Looney will take medical leave due to an upcoming surgery. Looney has recently learned that he has a tumor in his pancreas, according to WCS Spokeswoman Carol Birdsong. Over the next several weeks, he will be having surgery and undergoing treatment. The district does not know when exactly Looney will take medical leave, she said.   4:08 PM Sources tell The Tennessee Star that embattled Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney will be taking a medical leave. The Star has asked Williamson County Schools director of communications Carol Birdsong for comment, but has not yet received a reply. According to a source, Looney sent this message out today:   I need to share a little bit of news so that you can learn it from me rather than another source. I would much rather not share things of a personal nature, but given my role in the district, it really can’t be avoided. I very recently learned…

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Williamson County School Board Stonewalls Public, Votes Unanimously to Support Superintendent Looney, Arrested for Assault Last Week

Tennessee Star Staff

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–The Williamson County School Board held a special meeting Monday night in Franklin, and voted unanimously to issue a statement of support for embattled Superintendent of Schools Mike Looney, who was arrested last week on assault charges. The vote was 12 to zero. The highly choreographed meeting lasted barely half an hour, and left many in the estimated crowd of 100 members of the public in attendance frustrated, as they were not permitted to speak or ask questions of the board during the meeting or prior to the vote. Williamson County School Board Chairman Gary Anderson began the meeting by reading, in its entirety, the statement of support, which, after one small amendment, was unanimously approved by the Board. During the discussion period, Board Member Eric Welch said “As a parent of a Williamson County Schools student, if my child ever has a psychologically stressful situation in school, I hope that Mike Looney is present,” a remark that caused audible ripples of laughter and headshaking in the crowd. One remarkable admission was made by the School Board in the statement: There is currently no governing law in the state of Tennessee that addresses the issue of how a Superintendent…

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Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney Arrested on Assault Charges

Tennessee Star Staff

Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney was arrested on assault charges Wednesday. Late Wednesday, the Franklin Police Department issued this “statement in response to multiple media inquiries regarding today’s arrest of Dr. Mike Looney, Williamson County Schools Superintendent:” Yesterday, Franklin Police Officers and paramedics were dispatched to Franklin High School for a reported psychological emergency. While working with the student, the student’s mother, and school staff to transport the student to the hospital, Dr. Mike Looney, Williamson County Schools Superintendent, abruptly entered the conference room, grabbed the student by her arm, and forced her out of the school and to his vehicle. Officers intervened and had on-scene paramedics transport the student to the emergency room for evaluation. Today, those officers consulted with the Williamson County Magistrate, who issued an arrest warrant, charging Dr. Looney with Assault. Dr. Looney surrendered himself at the Williamson County Jail after Franklin Police notified him of the warrant. Looney, charged with assault, is free on the $1,500 bond set by the Magistrate. He is due in court 03/08/18 at 1:00 pm. Looney has served as Williamson County Superintendent of Schools since 2009. The unusual circumstances of the incident that resulted in Looney’s arrest raise several…

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