A look at Anderson's AJB swipe card

Sam Anderson

WBIR obtained data showing the use of Sam Anderson's swipe card for entering the Andrew Johnson Building, where the KCS Central Office is located and where system officials say Anderson was based in his part-time position.

Superintendent Jim McIntyre noted that "as his title suggests, Sam Anderson was primarily an adviser to me regarding our efforts and strategies to ensure student success in our high needs schools... Mr. Anderson spent a good deal of time in schools, and met individually with me every other week to discuss his observations and recommendations."

The swipe card data shows when someone used their card, issued by the Public Building Authority, and it's one way of accounting for someone's whereabouts at work.

A swipe card is needed for some but not all entrances to the A.J. Building. Card usage does not necessarily account for all times someone enters the building.

Anderson was hired March 12, 2013, and resigned June 22, 2015.

Of the 43 weeks he was employed by KCS in 2013, there were 26 weeks in which Anderson had either one day in which he used his swipe card or no swipe card use at all. He was hired March 12 and did not use his swipe card for more than five weeks, until April 18, 2013. (He got the card on March 13.)

Anderson was employed by KCS for all 52 weeks of 2014. Of those, there were 24 weeks in which he swiped either one day or no days at all, data shows.

In 2015, Anderson was employed by KCS for 24 full weeks. Fifteen of those had either no swipe from Anderson's card or only one day with swipe card use.

During more than half of the weeks of Anderson's total employment - 54.6 percent - Anderson had only one day's worth of swipe activity or no swipe activity on his card.

The above figures do not account for school holidays and breaks and weeks off due to inclement weather, such as the two weeks of school canceled due to ice storms in February 2015.

In response, McIntyre wrote: "Mr. Anderson's work was based in the Andrew Johnson Building, but as an adviser to me regarding our high needs schools, Mr. Anderson was expected to spend much of his time in schools and in the community. Attempting to draw any conclusions about an employee's work habits based on a proximity card that is not required for entry into the Andrew Johnson Building would be rather irresponsible. Sam Anderson served the Knox County Schools commendably until his resignation last week."

McIntyre previously has aid Anderson "met individually with me every other week to discuss his observations and recommendations."

McIntyre did not specify where those meetings took place.

The BOE's regular meeting is Wednesday. Members of the community group SPEAK will rally outside the City County Building, on Main Street, ahead of the meeting, starting at 3:30 p.m., to show support for the district's teachers.

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