History
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In 1999, before there was No Child Left Behind legislation, the Knox County School district was already concerned about additional support for schools of great need. Title 1 was already in place and three education leaders: Montina Jones/Vine, Marion Quinn/Austin East, and Mike Reynolds/Fulton (then principals) had already developed a diagram called the “Education Plan for Urban Schools.” They shared this vision with their “Principal for A Day” business leaders (Jimmy Haslam, Bob Talbott, and Laurens Tullock) who asked ‘how can we help?’ The school system granted permission to pursue possibilities and a broadly-inclusive study group was formed to find and fund resources to implement the principals’ urban education vision. The study group, which ultimately grew to more than 80 school, corporate, university, and community leaders, was facilitated by Chrisi Haretos.
In the summer of 2000, Cornerstone Foundation sponsored a trip to San Antonio, Texas for a selected group of educators to attend a Model Schools Conference on exemplary school practices. During the conference, Mike Reynolds, then Principal of Fulton High School, attended a session on an exciting reform initiative. He was captured by what he was hearing. Here was a program that seemed to address many of the needs of not only his students but also elementary and middle school students in the Heart of Knoxville. This reform initiative was called Project GRAD and the seed was planted.
On September 15, 2000, members of the working group were asked to share ideas and brainstorm. From this session came two distinct strategies. The first strategy concerned transitions from elementary to middle to high school. The second strategy focused on Career Academies. At the conclusion of the meeting Cornerstone offered to fund a trip of Knox County educators to Houston, Texas to observe Project GRAD and the Career Academy models. That visit was followed by additional delegations, including a site visit by school board members to Houston. A Financial Feasibility Committee was formed to work with Project GRAD USA.
After extensive work and a web of partnerships, a formal proposal for a Project GRAD/Knox County Schools public-private partnership was presented and unanimously approved by the Knox County School Board on August 1, 2001. Project GRAD Knoxville was incorporated as a 501(c)3 non-profit (as required by GRAD USA), a Board of Directors was seated, Executive Director hired (Jerry Hodges), and Project GRAD officially opened for business on October 1, 2001.
