Sumner County Schools: No Policy on Politician Visits

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By Brent Frazier

GALLATIN, Tenn. - Sumner County Schools admit a policy on elected leaders' visits to classrooms does not exist. Hendersonville voter Tony Jackson is demanding board members draft such a policy, or risk appearing politically biased.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's not about partisanship, or politics. It's about policy," Jackson told school board members Tuesday evening.

Jackson's public outcry comes in the wake of the schools director's decision to regulate President Barack Obama's September 8, televised address to the nation's school children. Benny Bills wanted to offer parents an opt out alternative allowing their child to not view the speech.

"We received hundreds of calls and emails of people that were either adamantly in favor, or adamantly opposed to their student hearing the speech," said Jeremy Johnson, spokesperson for Sumner County Schools.

Tony Jackson's outrage is only reinforced by a subsequent, elementary school presentation by Republicans, State Representative Debra Maggart and State Senator Diane Black. The school system did not offer take-home, permission slips for that convocation, though Maggart and the school system insist the presentation was politically neutral.

"That seemed to be a blatant, double standard that was arbitrarily applied," said Jackson at the board meeting.

Jackson insisted continuing to go without such a policy sets a dangerous precedent for Sumner County Schools.

"There is not a specific policy that speaks to politicians in the schools," said Johnson. "There's a policy that speaks about visitors at schools, which is at the discretion of the principal."

Sumner County Democrats are a little less convinced than Jackson that the school system was trying to advance a political agenda. Still, chair person Maria Brewer does side with Jackson in the need for a clear-cut, black and white policy.

"We need to be careful in our public schools that all students' needs are going to be served fairly,” said Brewer. “If we do pick favorites or even give the impression that we've picked favorites, we're going to be doing some child a disservice."

Schools spokesperson Johnson said any decision to draft or not to draft such a policy rests solely with the school board.

email: bfrazier@newschannel5.com