Who We Are - Knox Education Foundation

about

Transforming Education

Knox Education Foundation plays an important role in strengthening Knox County Schools.

about

Transforming Education

Knox Education Foundation plays an important role in strengthening Knox County Schools.

School supplies, pencils, and more displayed with a blue outline.

Core Values

KEF is lead by a set of core values that guides every action.

Accountability: We believe in high expectations, data-driven decision making, and transparency.

Equity: We believe in collaborating to overcome barriers, address disparities, and advance opportunities for all students.

Innovation: We believe in thinking differently and employing dynamic strategies to address the most pressing issues facing our public education system.

Courage: We believe in advocating for change and making bold decisions, so every student succeeds.

Hope: We believe all of our schools can be great and that every student can succeed.

The Roles of KEF

Our mission is fulfilled by serving as:

Convener: Bringing stakeholders together to address common goals and find solutions for the challenges facing our public education system.

Catalyst: Sparking innovation and advancing bold ideas to foster a culture of continuous improvement in public education.

Champion & Cheerleader: Celebrating successes, recognizing accomplishments, and building awareness.

Connector: Engaging communities, matching needs, raising funds, and facilitating investments.

Critical Friend: Addressing tough barriers to student achievement and shining light on issues of importance.

865 Academies

865 Academies

KEF is the convening organization supporting Knox County Schools with the reimagination of the high school experience through The 865 Academies. KEF supports the initiative by recruiting and cultivating collaborative and academy-aligned businesses, organizations, and industry partnerships for student experiences and post-high school opportunities.

One Book Read City

KEF facilitates One Book Read City, a community-wide literacy initiative that engages all Knox County elementary school students through two weeks of captivating events and activities centered around a thoughtfully selected book. It brings together businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools for a unified effort to support literacy.

Playspace Fund

KEF has created a private-public fund to help reverse three decades of challenges for our public schools and reinforce the importance of play for our students. This innovative funding solution will support playspaces across Knox County Schools.

Priority Based Grants

KEF provides grants across multiple levels that support projects that accelerate student learning, address a challenge, or promote innovative ideas. These projects align with the four priority areas of Knox County Schools and have measurable outcomes.

Project gRAD

Project GRAD provides community and family resources to help ensure successful transition to post-secondary enrollment and supporting scholar completion through efforts to inform, equip, and support graduates from Austin-East and Fulton high schools.

Core Values

KEF is lead by a set of core values that guides every action.

Accountability: We believe in high expectations, data-driven decision making, and transparency.

Equity: We believe in collaborating to overcome barriers, address disparities, and advance opportunities for all students.

Innovation: We believe in thinking differently and employing dynamic strategies to address the most pressing issues facing our public education system.

Courage: We believe in advocating for change and making bold decisions, so every student succeeds.

Hope: We believe all of our schools can be great and that every student can succeed.

The Roles of KEF

Our mission is fulfilled by serving as:

Convener: Bringing stakeholders together to address common goals and find solutions for the challenges facing our public education system.

Catalyst: Sparking innovation and advancing bold ideas to foster a culture of continuous improvement in public education.

Champion & Cheerleader: Celebrating successes, recognizing accomplishments, and building awareness.

Connector: Engaging communities, matching needs, raising funds, and facilitating investments.

Critical Friend: Addressing tough barriers to student achievement and shining light on issues of importance.

865 Academies

865 Academies

KEF is the convening organization supporting Knox County Schools with the reimagination of the high school experience through The 865 Academies. KEF supports the initiative by recruiting and cultivating collaborative and academy-aligned businesses, organizations, and industry partnerships for student experiences and post-high school opportunities.

One Book Read City

KEF facilitates One Book Read City, a community-wide literacy initiative that engages all Knox County elementary school students through two weeks of captivating events and activities centered around a thoughtfully selected book. It brings together businesses, non-profit organizations, and schools for a unified effort to support literacy.

Project gRAD

Project GRAD provides community and family resources to help ensure successful transition to post-secondary enrollment and supporting scholar completion through efforts to inform, equip, and support graduates from Austin-East and Fulton high schools.

Priority Based Grants

KEF provides grants across multiple levels that support projects that accelerate student learning, address a challenge, or promote innovative ideas. These projects align with the four priority areas of Knox County Schools and have measurable outcomes.

Playspace Fund

KEF has created a private-public fund to help reverse three decades of challenges for our public schools and reinforce the importance of play for our students. This innovative funding solution will support playspaces across Knox County Schools.

Our Staff

Executive Leadership

Featured image for “Jill Akin”

Jill Akin

Chief Operating Officer

Featured image for “Devin Barnette”

Devin Barnette

Finance Manager

Featured image for “Windy Clayton”

Windy Clayton

Partner Engagement Officer

Featured image for “Sherri Fredette”

Sherri Fredette

Administrative Specialist

Featured image for “Nancy Gonzalez-Rodriguez”

Nancy Gonzalez-Rodriguez

Family and Community Engagement Coordinator

Featured image for “Tracey Holt”

Tracey Holt

Family and Community Engagement Coordinator

Featured image for “Brianna King”

Brianna King

Communications and Marketing Manager

Featured image for “Cynthia Manning-Dirl”

Cynthia Manning-Dirl

Director of Post-Secondary Pathways

Featured image for “Katie Mixon”

Katie Mixon

Director of Educational Initiatives

Featured image for “Mike Taylor”

Mike Taylor

Chief Executive Officer

Featured image for “Maria Panizo, Ph.D.”

Maria Panizo, Ph.D.

Director of Data, Evaluation, and Strategy

Devin Barnette

Finance Manager

Windy Clayton

Partner Engagement Officer

Nancy Gonzalez-Rodriguez

Family and Neighborhood Engagement Coach

Tracey Holt

Family and Neighborhood Engagement Coach

Christi Kirk

Family and Community Engagement Manager

Cynthia Manning-Dirl

Director of Post-Secondary Pathways

Katie Mixon

Director of Educational Initiatives

Brianna Rowe

Operations Specialist

Our Board

Executive Leadership

Chair

Scott Broyles

President & CEO
National Safe Skies Alliance

Vice Chair

Claudia Caballero

President & CEO
Centro Hispano de East Tennessee

Treasurer

Carol Carden

Principal
PYA

Secretary

Will Edwards

Attorney
Long, Ragsdale, & Waters P.C

Susan Brown

Director of Philanthropy
Clayton Homes

Randy Boyd

President
University of Tennessee

Courtney Durrett

Knox County Commission

Crissy Haslam

Philanthropist and education advocate

Betsy Henderson

Board Chair
Knox County Board of Education

Markus Jackson

Chief Operating Officer
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley

Glenn Jacobs

Mayor
Knox County

Larsen Jay

Immediate Past Chair
PYA, Director of Business Alliances

lndya Kincannon

Mayor
City of Knoxville

Dorian McCoy

Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
University of Tennessee

Jon Rysewyk

Superintendent
Knox County Schools

Darris Upton

DEI Programs Manager
UCOR

Anthony Wise

President
Pellissippi State Community College

Devin Barnette

Finance Manager

Windy Clayton

Partner Engagement Officer

Nancy Gonzalez-Rodriguez

Family and Neighborhood Engagement Coach

Tracey Holt

Family and Neighborhood Engagement Coach

Christi Kirk

Family and Community Engagement Manager

Cynthia Manning-Dirl

Director of Post-Secondary Pathways

Katie Mixon

Director of Educational Initiatives

Brianna Rowe

Operations Specialist

Our Board

Executive Leadership

Featured image for “Scott Broyles”

Chair

Scott Broyles

President & CEO

Featured image for “Claudia Caballero”

Vice Chair

Claudia Caballero

President & CEO

Featured image for “Carol Carden”

Treasurer

Carol Carden

Principal

Featured image for “Will Edwards”

Secretary

Will Edwards

Attorney

Featured image for “Susan Brown”

Susan Brown

Director of Philanthropy

Featured image for “Randy Boyd”

Randy Boyd

President

Courtney Durrett

Featured image for “Crissy Haslam”

Crissy Haslam

Philanthropist and education advocate

Featured image for “Betsy Henderson”

Betsy Henderson

Board Chair

Featured image for “Markus Jackson”

Markus Jackson

Chief Operating Officer

Featured image for “Glenn Jacobs”

Glenn Jacobs

Mayor

Featured image for “Larsen Jay”

Larsen Jay

Immediate Past Chair

Featured image for “lndya Kincannon”

lndya Kincannon

Mayor

Featured image for “Dorian McCoy”

Dorian McCoy

Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Featured image for “Jon Rysewyk”

Jon Rysewyk

Superintendent

Featured image for “Darris Upton”

Darris Upton

DEI Programs Manager

Featured image for “Anthony Wise”

Anthony Wise

President

Devin Barnette

Finance Manager

Windy Clayton

Partner Engagement Officer

Nancy Gonzalez-Rodriguez

Family and Neighborhood Engagement Coach

Tracey Holt

Family and Neighborhood Engagement Coach

Christi Kirk

Family and Community Engagement Manager

Cynthia Manning-Dirl

Director of Post-Secondary Pathways

Katie Mixon

Director of Educational Initiatives

Brianna Rowe

Operations Specialist

Supporters

Featured image for “Bill and Crissy Haslam Foundation”

Featured image for “Clayton Homes Foundation”

Featured image for “Covenant Health”

Featured image for “First Horizon”

Featured image for “Haslam III Foundation”

Featured image for “Home Federal ”

Featured image for “Knox County Government”

Featured image for “United Way”

FAQs

General

After serving Knox County for more than two decades, Knox Education Foundation reformed as a 501(c)(3) organization in 2020 through the merger of the Great Schools Partnership Trust and Project GRAD Knoxville. This consolidation created a robust public-private partnership dedicated to investing in and advocating for innovative programs, partnerships, and initiatives to achieve excellent outcomes for all students.

Local and state funding are the primary sources for Knox Couty Schools. Tax dollars provide facilities, school infrastructure, teacher salaries, instructional materials, student transportation, and other critical school needs. Funding from KEF helps close the opportunity gap by supporting research-based initiatives that strengthen student engagement, create equity, reduce disparities, and provide whole child support. The added support from KEF and donors provides innovative strategies to improve academic outcomes for all students, moving our schools from good to great.

Career OPPORTUNITIES

A career with Knox Education Foundation is a calling to make a positive impact for public education.

Currently no open postions