Thursday, January 25, 2018 9:06 am

WOODBURY -- Governor Haslam has declared Jan. 21-28, 2018 as School Board Appreciation Week in Tennessee. This week helps build awareness and understanding of the vital functions our locally elected boards of education play in our community.

Cannon County School System is joining public school districts from across the state to celebrate School Board Appreciation Week and honor local board members for their commitment to Cannon County and its children.

"Our school system is the backbone of our community, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child," Interim Director of Cannon County Schools, William F. Curtis said. "There is no greater honor that can be bestowed upon a citizen than membership on a local board of education. They spend countless hours studying the issues and regulations and make the tough decisions when called upon to ensure the type of accountability people expect.

Interim Director Curtis stated the key work of school boards is to raise student achievement by:

• Creating a vision for what the community wants the school district to be and for making student achievement the top priority;

• Establishing standards for what students will be expected to learn and be able to do;

• Ensuring progress is measured to be sure the district's goals are achieved and students are learning at expected levels;

• Being accountable for their decisions and actions by continually tracking and reporting results;

• Creating a safe, orderly climate where students can learn and teachers can teach;

• Forming partnerships with others in the community to solve common problems; and

• Focusing attention on the need for continuous improvement by questioning, refining and revising issues related to student achievement.

"Our local school board shapes the future of education in Cannon County by influencing the high-quality of education that our children and youth receive. The Cannon County Board of Education shows its commitment to educational excellence and equity and for that we are very grateful for their attitude of service."

The members serving Cannon County are as follows: District 1 - Mr. Nathan Sanders; District 2 - Mr. Tim Powers; District 3 - Mr. Bruce Daniel - Chairman; District 4 - Mr. Javin Fann; and District 5 - Mrs. Shelly Walkup.