801 Tipton Ave • Knoxville, Tennessee  37920
(865) 579-8264 (extentions 1000-1009)

The Sarah Simpson Professional Development Technology Center
houses several departments.

Instructional Technology
The Instructional Technology Department of Knox County Schools operates a training center for teachers, district administrators, supervisors, and support staff. The training center includes fully equipped computer labs as well as several meeting areas. Macintosh and Windows labs are available for technical support and training. The facility has and is being renovated to accommodate the growing need for technology support within the school system. Groups including Building Level Technology Coaches, Media Specialists, TAG teachers, InTec teachers and administrators meet at the Technology Center to learn the necessary skills to promote and support technology growth in individual schools across the county.

Professional Development
The Knox County Schools Professional Development is located on the lower floor of the Sarah Simpson Professional Development Technology Center. This is the home of TeacherU. TeacherU is the main vehicle through which KCS employees can manage their professional development. Employees will:

• Register for workshops, courses, and conferences on TeacherU.
• Request transfer credit for sessions not listed on TeacherU.
• Develop your own professional growth plan and focus your development activities on that plan.
• View your record (transcript) of professional development activities.
• Complete evaluations of completed activities.
• See the schedule of activities for which you are registered.

TeacherU can be utilized for school-based as well as system-wide activities. If you want to lead an inservice session, you will be able to go through your school administrator, who will both approve and post the session on TeacherU.

Reading Center
The mission of the Knox County Reading/Language Arts Department is to support and encourage teachers to facilitate learning that will cover both the state and county reading and language arts objectives.  The department also strives to empower students to develop and demonstrate effective reading, writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and problem solving skills in their personal, community, and work environments in an ever-changing society.

Office of Student Assistance Services
The Office of Student Assistance Services (OSAS) was established by the Board of Education in 1987. OSAS's mission, as directed by our various funding sources, as summarized in Goal 6 of our district's TN Comprehensive Systemwide Planning Process (TCSPP), is to:  

   "Collaborate with families and community entities to ensure that all students and staff are physically and emotionally healthy enough to participate in the learning process, and that they spend time in safe, drug-free, well-prepared school environments that promote healthy lifestyles and are conducive to learning." 

The OSAS is supported by Knox County Schools along with grants from the federal No Child Left Behind Act – Title IVA, the Tennessee Safe Schools Act, and the Tennessee Youth Violence and Drug Use Prevention grant.