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By Charlotte Underwood
CAMPBELL COUNTY, TN. (WLAF)- Campbell County’s Director of Schools Jennifer Fields has an active role on multiple important educational committees and boards for the region. In this position, she is busy working to make sure Campbell County Schools have the best opportunities for students and teachers.
She has served as the school director since Jan. 22 of 2018 and has 31 years in education.
For the past seven years, Fields has served on the Clinch-Powell Educational Cooperative. The Clinch-Powell Educational Board of Directors meets in Tazewell.
“We discuss budget and planning of the Head Start Program, personnel policies and procedures and business of the head start program and the educational cooperative,” Fields said.
Campbell County does its Science Fair through Clinch Powell Educational Cooperative and also takes advantage of any educational opportunities offered through that board as well, such as certified ACT instructors, which has greatly “contributed to the county’s increase in ACT test scores.”
Locally, Fields also serves on the Campbell County Children’s Center Board of Directors, something she feels passionate about.
“We discuss needs of funding for the children’s center, how those funds are spent, how we can implement programs in the school system to benefit students and educate them on personal safety,” Fields said.
She currently serves as chair of the Superintendent’s Study Council for the East Region, which holds its meetings in Knoxville and consists of 22 school systems.
“This gives me the opportunity to facilitate discussions on educational challenges and topics that are important and relevant. It gives me an opportunity to work with the Tennessee Department of Education to evaluate and improve instructional programs and provide professional development opportunities,” Fields said.
In addition to that role, she also serves on the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendent’s (TOSS) Board of Directors, which is a state-wide board. Fields is the East Tennessee Representative for “state-wide discussions on policy, leadership and educational advancements.” This is her first year of serving a two-year term on this board. She was chosen through a vote by the East Region Superintendent’s Study Council through a nomination process out of the 22 school systems represented on that board.
Fields said her first year serving on the TOSS board has been a “wonderful experience.”
“Especially during a time of voucher discussion. There’s been a lot of legislation in place. It’s very informative and just a great opportunity to network with educators and leaders across the state, you get a state-wide perspective as opposed to just our regional perspective,” Fields said. The state-wide perspective on school vouchers was “all opposed” according to Fields.
Most recently she was selected to serve on the TSSAA Board of Control as an ex officio member. In this role she serves on an “advisory board to help the board of control make decisions that are for the good of the entire association but is not a voting member.”
“The TOSS members who serve in the same role that I do; we represent our district and area with our perspective and provide insight to the voting members,” Fields said.
Fields said that being a part of the multiple committees allows her to better advocate for her home county.
“I love serving on these boards and representing the East region as well as Campbell County and I appreciate any opportunity to advocate for our students, our teachers and our community,” Fields said.
Serving on these boards “gives Campell County a voice where our needs can be heard and after 31 years in the school system and networking with people and other groups you establish a large network where you have a greater outreach that can impact important decisions affecting education.”
Fields said she “had loved every minute of her career” in education in Campbell County.
“Not everyone knows the full story behind decisions you make, I just have to know that when I lay my head down at night, I have done the very best that I could possibly do, and I am always going to put the students and the school system at the forefront of every decision I make,” Fields said.
She also wanted to compliment the educators of Campbell County.
“One thing that can be said about public educators, they are resilient, and they always bounce back, and they work through every obstacle that comes their way, that is one reason that I am such an advocate for public education, because they fight for the student. We have some of the absolute best teachers in Campbell County that you could find anywhere, not just in Tennessee, but in the United States. They genuinely care about their students, they can relate to their students, they have the student’s best interest at heart, and they are very knowledgeable. They are constantly seeking continuous learning opportunities…anything they can do to help their students get an advantage, they do it,” Fields said.
(WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED 3/13/2025-6AM)