Mayor: Superintendent needs to go

McIntyre, left, Burchett, right

Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett stopped just short of saying the school board should fire Superintendent Jim McIntyre.

But, Burchett said McIntyre needs to go.

During Wednesday evening's taping of WBIR's weekend political show, Inside Tennessee, the mayor blasted the superintendent's leadership style, suggesting that he is an unpopular micromanager who doesn't treat teachers and school employees with respect.

He noted that the decision to get rid of the superintendent "is ultimately up to the school board."
When panelist and Knoxville-based criminal defense attorney Don Bosch asked Burchett whether he felt McIntyre "should be gone," the mayor responded: "Yes, I do. Yes, I do."

The mayor's comments came in the wake of a 20-minute interview focused on what he wants to do during his next four years in office. Burchett, who is in his second and final term due to term limits, was not challenged during the August general election, and was sworn in earlier this month.

You can watch the entire Inside Tennessee interview at 9:30 a.m. Sunday on WBIR 10News. You can read the story we did last night RIGHT HERE. The story also includes McIntyre's full interview. (He was not a guest this week on Inside Tennessee.)