DeKalb School System named among 68 Best for All Districts by TDOE

February 11, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The Tennessee Department of Education has announced that the DeKalb County School System is among 68 districts that have received statewide recognition as Best for All Districts for significantly investing federal COVID-19 stimulus funding to drive student achievement and improving academic outcomes.

Best for All Districts will receive financial, operational, celebratory, and resource benefits in appreciation for districts’ planned investments to spend their share of the $3.58 billion in federal COVID-19 relief and stimulus funding directly on services, resources and supports that will help students achieve academically. Governor Bill Lee announced a Day of Recognition in honor of Best for All Districts on Friday, February 11, 2022. Additionally, each Best for All district was awarded grant funds from the department’s ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund) funds, with the full grant funding for Best for All Districts totaling more than $15 million. DeKalb County’s allocation is $200,000.

“Tennessee’s ‘Best For All’ districts have gone above and beyond to invest strategically in student achievement, address learning loss, and drive positive outcomes,” said Gov. Bill Lee. “As we continue to prioritize students, I commend each of these high-performing districts for their hard work and thank our teachers and administrators for their commitment to providing high-quality education across Tennessee.”

“Tennessee’s Best for All districts are truly deserving of this recognition for their strong commitment to strategically investing in their students at a time when there were literally billions of other opportunities to spend,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Our kids deserve the best possible education we can provide them, and I am proud to honor our Best for All districts for their leadership in putting a clear focus on academic achievement to help them succeed.”

Beginning in 2020, the U.S. Congress responded to the global COVID-19 health pandemic by passing several pieces of legislation, and as a result Tennessee is benefitting from over $4.5 billion for K-12 education to be spent between spring 2020 and fall 2024. Through three rounds of funding referred to as ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 funds, over $3.58 billion will flow directly to local school districts to decide how to spend.

The department understands the importance of rewarding investments in mission-critical initiatives that are most likely to benefit students. Best for All Districts are those entities that have strategically planned for and invested in ways that are likely to accelerate student achievement. To qualify for the Best for All recognition program, a district must have planned to spend an amount equal to or more than 50% of its ESSER 3.0 award amount on strategies to raise student academic achievement, as well as opted to participate in the state’s high-dosage, low-ratio tutoring program, TN ALL Corps.

February 11, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

A man indicted over six years ago for two counts of aggravated child abuse of a five-week-old infant has been sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court.

33-year-old Charles Justin Wiggins entered a plea Thursday to one count of attempted aggravated child abuse, a lesser crime, and received a 13-year sentence to serve in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. He was given 10 days of jail credit.

Wiggins was arrested Monday, October 19, 2015 after a five-week-old infant was brought to Cookeville Regional Medical Center with serious injuries. According to Smithville Police, Wiggins was an acquaintance of the child’s mother and at the time was charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse.

According to the arrest warrant, “At approximately 4:00 a.m. on Monday, October 19, 2015 at his Cooper Street residence, Wiggins did knowingly treat a five-week-old boy in a manner as to inflict serious bodily injury. Wiggins stated that he squeezed the child’s ribs and bounced the child aggressively enough to cause the child serious injury”.

In the second offense involving the same child, the warrant states that “At approximately 3:00 p.m., on Monday, October 19, 2015 at his residence, Wiggins did knowingly treat a five-week-old boy in a manner as to inflict serious bodily injury. Mr. Wiggins did state that he did pick the child up and squeeze his ribs and slammed him down aggressively into the crib causing the child’s head to bounce. Mr. Wiggins stated he pressed down on both the child’s legs and felt them break”.

The child was later taken to Cookeville Regional Medical Center for treatment. Law enforcement authorities were subsequently notified.

In a prepared statement at the time of Wiggins’ arrest, Smithville Police Captain Steven Leffew said, “On Monday, October 19 at approximately 6:07 p.m., Cookeville Regional Medical Center contacted Smithville Police in regard to an infant that was severely injured and had been brought into their facility for treatment. The injury was believed to have occurred in the jurisdiction of the City of Smithville”.

“Lieutenant Matt Holmes and Sergeant Brad Tatrow responded and upon arrival spoke with medical staff who advised that the infant had sustained obvious severe injuries. Officers quickly developed Charles J. Wiggins as a suspect and upon investigation Smithville Police arrested Wiggins for two counts of aggravated child abuse. District Attorney Bryant Dunaway and investigators from his office as well as the Department of Children Services responded to the scene,” said Captain Leffew.

February 10, 2022
By: Dwayne Page

The Board of Education faced a packed house Thursday evening prior to the regular monthly meeting where concerned parents and students gathered during a workshop to voice their opinions about recent online high school surveys and a decision by the principal to ban student quotes in the 2022 yearbook.

Some parents expressed opposition to the student surveys which touched on issues they found offensive including sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBTQ inclusion and were conducted without their knowledge or consent.

One of the surveys stemmed from an agri-science project intended to help FFA students earn a trip to the state convention but Director Patrick Cripps said the survey was initiated without the knowledge of himself or Principal Bruce Curtis and it was stopped when they found out about it.

“It came to my attention on Tuesday that a survey had been sent out to a group or club and that survey had not been approved by Mr. Curtis or myself. I had Mr. Curtis go down to that teacher to have that survey pulled,” said Director Cripps.

Earlier, Director Cripps further explained to the local media how the survey got started.

“ The agriculture/ FFA teacher informed me that through the agri-science fair project at DCHS, students are required to compete in a contest or receive their state FFA degree to go to Gatlinburg for the state convention. Each year at the convention students have the opportunity to participate in the agri-science fair as one of those contests. The agri-science fair is simply a science fair where a project relates to agriculture. One of the categories is social systems where FFA members can survey the community about a topic, collect and analyze the data, and present their findings. Students are encouraged to search for a topic that is relevant and relates to something they want to learn more about or are passionate about. This year three different topics were chosen by DCHS students: veganism, environment, and LGBTQ inclusion in agriculture. The students created a survey for non LGBTQ students and they created a survey for LGBTQ students to take and they had some questions to answer from there. It related back to a state fair project for them to attend the Gatlinburg convention,” said Director Cripps.

The first concerned parent to speak out during the meeting was Ryan Mollinet

“Regarding the first survey which was the FFA survey, who created it,” asked Mollinet.

“It is my understanding that FFA students created that and it was given to the teacher,” answered Director Cripps.

“Who posted the survey to the FFA students,” asked Mollinet.

“The teacher,” said Cripps.

“The survey was sent just to FFA students,” asked Mollinet.

“Yes sir,” answered DCHS agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Lizzie Burrows who was seated in the crowd.

“You reviewed the content of the survey and you felt it was acceptable to give to our kids,” asked Mollinet.

“I treated it as any other agri-science survey,” answered Burrows.

“So this survey about the LGBTQ is part of agri-science,” asked Mollinet

“No sir but it is relevant to my students,” replied Burrows.

“So this teacher reviewed it, approved it, and posted it. Who removed the survey,” asked Mollinet

“I had Mr. Curtis do it,” said Director Cripps.

“Who was held accountable for this being posted to our kids,” Mollinet asked.

“It is still under investigation,” Cripps answered

“So there has been no disciplinary action taken,” asked Mollinet

“None at this point,” said Cripps

“Why were parents not made aware of this,” asked Mollinet. “How are we as parents supposed to trust leadership in administration on any level? This happened without our knowing and without our permission. How do we trust anybody making any decision moving forward,” Mollinet asked.

“I totally get it but If I could predict people’s behavior it would be great. I have 500 employees go out every day and they can do whatever and however,” said Director Cripps.

“No they can’t. That is your responsibility,” said Mollinet.

“I won’t skirt that issue. Its under my watch,” answered Cripps.

In the other online survey, Director Cripps told the local media Thursday that two homerooms from each high school grade level were selected to participate in a National Youth Tobacco Survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but in this one, Director Cripps said parental permission forms were sent out and those who didn’t want to take part had the right to opt out. While the purpose of this survey according to the CDC was to gather information about student beliefs regarding tobacco and nicotine related uses, it also included among other issues sensitive questions concerning a student’s sexual orientation and gender identity to obtain data to determine if health disparities witnessed in tobacco use among adults also exists in youth. Students were allowed to skip any question they did not wish to answer.

Director Cripps said he and the school administration were not privy to the questions on the CDC survey ahead of time but that conducting the survey was a requirement of the federal government for school systems nationwide.

“We have done tobacco surveys for years but they don’t allow you to open them up to see the questions in advance and since we (local school system) get federal money the federal government could pull our funds if we don’t do their surveys,” said Cripps.

Local minister Andy Patterson said he had concerns about the surveys and the issue with the student quotes.

“The issues are the survey and CDC Tobacco survey as well as the concerning report of censuring our students’ senior quotes. Whether I agree with the quote or you agree, its their quote. These people have had everything taken from them because of COVID. At least these children ought to be able, whether it’s a gay pride quote, a political quote, or a Bible quote to share what they want to share in a yearbook they are paying for. Everyone of you has a right to live your own life but as Christians we have a right to believe what we believe so I am concerned with the surveys. My issue is why does an FFA and a CDC survey want to know about the sex of our children and their sex lives and the finances of their parents,” said Patterson.

Not everyone at the meeting was opposed to the surveys.

“I have a student that goes to your school and a previous student that was LGBTQIA and I have no problem with the survey or parents and students that do have an issue with it because they have that right due to religious freedoms but I do have a problem when it becomes an issue brought by a school board member when it should be neutral because when you push an agenda with children they have a habit of following adults and that creates a hostile environment in the school,” said one mother. “ My child was scared today at school hearing comments about that and was afraid of being attacked by other students hearing what was going on. That’s not okay. All I ask is to keep a neutral ground. Have your own beliefs just don’t make it public because that puts a target on a kid,” she said.

“I feel people have been greatly homophobic in the classrooms as they were today in one of my classes,” said one female high school student. “They were greatly homophobic and disrespectful and I don’t think we should stand for it. That’s disgusting. You don’t need to be rude to people and scare people,” she said.

Director Cripps said he has met with the principals about how to handle student surveys going forward and he called for community unity in the best interest of the children.

“I’ve told the principals there should not be any survey that is sent out without my knowledge or their knowledge that concerns students and if there is a survey that goes out parents ought to be made aware of what is in the survey with the option to opt out. The thing we are here for is to educate kids and we are here to teach the standards and the curriculum that is presented from the state department. There are a lot of obstacles that go into teaching and a lot of obstacles we are faced with on a daily basis and our main focus should be on that curriculum and those students and getting them ready for their futures whether its going to college or going to work. This county will only be as strong as our kids are and our community is and fighting back and forth is not going to make us strong. We have got to unite. Do we make mistakes? Absolutely but we are trying the best we can and the last thing we will ever do is try to hurt a kid. We are here to love them and educate them,” said Director Cripps.

Meanwhile high school senior Faith Bettencourt presented a petition to the board with 230 signatures asking that the student quotes in the yearbook not be banned.

Principal Curtis, who made that call, explained his reasons for it saying he was concerned about the possibility of controversial political and religious quotes being included.

“I stopped it because its not worth the fight. If I were to allow one political view then I have to allow another and then we could have bickering back and forth in our annuals. And If I allow one religious verse I have to allow a non-religious otherwise I’m getting into civil liberties and violating their rights. If you (school board) were to say to me anything can be said (in the yearbook by students) I am okay with that. If it needs to be censured, you tell me because I’m not going to fight over a quote in the yearbook. I understand they (students) want it but I also understand that I am not bound by how I feel or my beliefs. I am bound by federal and state regulations. Sometimes I agree and sometimes I don’t but if I like my job and we like our money I still have to do it. But the one thing you can be for sure is I am going to protect every kid in my school and I’m going to give every kid their right to say,” he said.

Principal Curtis then called out Third District Board member Jim Beshearse for recent facebook posts he had made that Curtis found offensive which led to a testy exchange between the two.

“You got questions for me? Because you can blow me up on facebook but I don’t do facebook,” said Curtis.

“Did I mention your name on facebook,” asked Beshearse.

“You mentioned my school,” answered Curtis.

“Let me correct you. That’s not your school. That’s our school,” Beshearse shot back.

“Have you been in it this year,” asked Curtis.

“I’ve been in the auto mechanics area a time or two,” said Beshearse.

“Okay, you’ve made it to auto mechanics but come on inside,” Curtis said.

“It sounds like I need to because I get calls from staff members around the clock,” said Beshearse.

“Oh you do,” answered Curtis.

“I’m I just making that up,” asked Beshearse

“Yeah” answered Curtis.

“A teacher has a right to disagree with me. That’s okay. But what are they disagreeing about,” asked Principal Curtis.

“The people that call me, students and parents, you know what they refer to the high school as,”asked Beshearse.

“What” asked Curtis

“The wild west,” said Beshearse

Several high school students later came to the defense of Curtis and the high school administration including Chloe Hale.

“There has never been a principal more involved with these students ever. He is always going up to them and talking to them and making sure they are always okay. I know how involved he is and how he cares as well as Mr. Cagle and Mrs. Norris and I appreciate everything they are doing for us,” she said.

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