The Advocate - May, 2012

Advocate

The

KCEA Officers President Sherry Morgan Vice President Heather Wallace Secretary Jennifer Owen Treasurer Tanya T. Coats Past President Jessica Holman

Executive Board Representatives Support Personnel Peggy Thomas High Schools Jason Gulledge Chad Negendank Middle Schools Karen Peterman Kim Waller Elementary Schools Judy Barnes Tiffany Watkins Heather Wallace Joan Washington Alternative Schools Amy Arnold Administration Brad Corrum Minority at Large Sherry Hensley Parliamentarian Paula Brown

We Will Survive!

Sherry Morgan, KCEA President I know you are sick and tired of everything that has happened this year. I know you are exhausted—I see it in your faces when I visit schools. But you are a survivor. You are surviving the year with a flawed evaluation system and no time for yourself or your family. I too have been discouraged, but, after I saw it in your faces or heard it in your voices, I would dig down and rekindle that fighter instinct to keep fighting for our students, our members, and for public education. You deserve someone who will fight for you and your students.

 Listened to & advocated for hundreds of members

KCEA Office UniServ Jon White Admin. Assistant Abbie Hoover

KCEA Accomplishments 2011-2012

I have met with Dr. McIntyre three times this year in formal meetings and I have met with Mayor Burchett five times to advocate for you and the students of Knox County Schools. What will happen with the school budget? I don’t know. I addressed the school board on March 26 with concerns. We have concerns about APEX and no local raise for teachers or support personnel, in a school budget with a $35 million increase. I personally have problems with a program that does not place children first. Does research really show a teacher leader helps students improve?

One good piece of legislation that passed is not publishing teacher’s evaluation scores.

TEA-FCPE, Dist. 4 Bill Bell

Congratulations, we have survived this year!

 Over 2,500 recognition cards were signed for Collaborative Conferencing

NEA Resolutions Anthony Hancock

East TN Minority Paula Hancock

Your KCEA officers and staff continue working and advocating for you during the break. Please call if you need us.

The good news is that this evaluation system does have a grievance procedure, which must be in place no later than July 1. At that time, you may begin filing your evaluation grievances. (Each must be filed individually.) You may grieve the data and process: Did you get to claim students that you actually taught? Was your conference held within five days of your observation? If not, let us know.

We have informed central office that a grievance procedure must be in place by July 1st. If not, your association is ready to take the next step.

Speaking of improving, I hope we have some improvements in the state legislature. I was amazed at the bills that were filed this year. One way we can improve the state legislature is to vote for and work for education friendly candidates. Three Knox County teachers (Gloria Johnson, Anthony Hancock and Evelyn Gill) have filed the necessary paperwork to run for house legislative seats that are currently occupied by individuals who are not friends to public education or teachers.

TEA / NEA

Finally, congratulations on finishing and surviving this school year. Some of you will retire, find other jobs, marry, move, or just change your life; we will miss you. I hope each of you a restful summer.

We all know the scores are supposed to be used to help teachers improve, rather than punitively. Maybe the legislators know they did wrong last year and hope we will forget. I don’t think we will forgive or forget.

 81% of voters chose KCEA to represent them in the Collaborative Conferencing process  Gained full time release for KCEA president, starting January 2012 (Release time had been previously denied by the superintendent)  Visited 50 schools during 1st KCEA Membership Blitz

 Lobbied with TEA in Nashville during this legislative session to defeat bills that were harmful to teachers and public education  Provided quality Professional Development opportunities  Worked to be able to advertise sessions on ERO, to continue making them available to ALL employees, after the superintendent disallowed KCEA’s listings on ERO  Filed lawsuit in Chancery Court for members who were put on administrative leave without pay

Still in Progress  Working collaboratively with NEA & KCPS to participate in a fully funded “Breakfast in the Classroom” program in several pre-selected school sites

 KCEA is not only surviving and operating, but growing stronger, even though others tried to stop us

THE ADVOCATE

KCEA’s Neutral Position on the Budget Jennifer Owen, Editor of “The Advocate” and KCEA Secretary On April 25th, the following statement was released to the public, via the KCEA website: There have been many questions regarding KCEA’s support of the $35 million school budget increase, proposed by Dr. McIntyre and the Knox County Board of Education. In response, KCEA has issued the following statement:

“As educators, we do not oppose increasing funding for public schools.

However, we cannot unilaterally support the budget in its current form, for the following reasons:

 Money was appropriated by the State Legislature, with the intent of giving educators an across-the-board salary increase, yet the current budget redistributes that money, and leaves certified personnel without a local raise – for the fourth year in a row.

 The budget continues to give no raises to our Education Support Professionals—for the fourth year in a row

 The Knox County Education Association had no input into this budget process.

 The budget provides large increases in technology, without evidence that there will be adequate staff to support these initiatives” Therefore, the Knox County Education Association neither supports nor opposes this budget.”

MAY 2012

2011-12 Knox County Local Supplement Prepared by the TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

Step 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

BA 4,090 4,805 5,015 5,345 5,215 5,205 5,055 5,160 5,165 5,200 5,770 5,930 6,610 6,715 7,400 7,730 8,370 8,405 9,040 9,050 10,750

MA MA+30,+45 2,935 2,850 3,660 3,580 3,875 3,790 4,110 4,040 3,945 3,780 3,900 3,700 3,670 3,420 3,715 3,430 3,635 3,275 3,600 3,210 4,185 3,805 4,260 3,860 4,940 4,530 4,995 4,540 5,695 5,225 5,955 5,445 6,595 6,085 6,530 5,975 7,170 6,610 7,090 6,495 8,785 8,190

EdS 2,140 2,860 3,070 3,225 2,990 2,840 2,505 2,505 2,305 2,210 2,790 2,770 3,480 3,420 4,130 4,295 4,935 4,790 5,425 5,260 6,960

Dr 1,855 3,030 3,335 2,990 2,760 2,980 3,455 3,750 4,175 3,480 3,615 3,270 3,710 3,335 3,810 3,580 4,320 4,160 4,895 4,710 5,645

2011-12 State Minimum BEP Salary Schedule Prepared by the TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

At the time that this newsletter normally goes to press, KCEA had not taken a position on the KCS budget, noting that members’ feelings vary widely. However, as several school board members and our superintendent pushed our president for an endorsement (sometimes in a very hostile manner), your KCEA Executive Board felt that a statement, explaining our neutral position, would be helpful.

In line with the democratic process outlined in our KCEA Constitution and ByLaws, a motion was made, discussed, and passed. The motion then went to your Representative Assembly, (the elected body that meets monthly to advocate for you and your students and ensure that every member is represented in decisionmaking), where it was discussed, amended, and passed, before being released.

Not only did our statement fail to lessen the pressure that was being improperly placed on your elected representative, but it increased exponentially. Some expect our president to cow-tow to a Board and superintendent, who have spent the past year showing our Association continuing, repeated, and blatant disrespect. Sherry Morgan and your KCEA Executive Board have too much integrity for that. You deserve to be heard and represented openly and honestly whether “they” like it or not.

There is a lot of rhetoric concerning the budget. I recommend that you READ it.

Find evidence that you are being told the truth. CHECK the quoted sources. ASK your School Board member to SHOW you where each claim is located in the budget. Can you look at the actual, printed, 176 page (or more by now) budget and see EXACTLY what you are being told, and see that math checks out?

This isn’t fictional River City, Iowa and I won’t be sold a bill of goods from a slick salesman. If we claim “transparent” government, we should expect and demand a budget that is easy for any citizen to understand. I am all for additional money for schools - but I expect to see exactly where my tax dollars are going especially when I am being asked to contribute more.

There are several resources here, to help clarify some areas of the budget. If you need other information, please let me know. Information will continue to be posted on the KCEA website, http://KCEAinTouch.org.

Step 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

BA 29,680 30,235 30,235 30,705 31,300 31,950 32,790 33,480 34,460 35,185 35,335 36,100 36,265 37,025 37,195 37,990 37,990 38,625 38,625 39,275 39,275

MA MA+30,+45 33,010 35,170 33,590 35,745 33,590 35,745 34,120 36,305 34,820 37,030 35,575 37,830 36,535 38,845 37,330 39,665 38,440 40,830 39,265 41,705 39,445 41,900 40,300 42,805 40,470 42,965 41,350 43,900 41,550 44,080 42,440 45,015 42,440 45,015 43,180 45,800 43,180 45,800 43,925 46,605 43,925 46,605

EdS 36,610 37,175 37,175 37,780 38,545 39,355 40,430 41,300 42,530 43,455 43,630 44,565 44,755 45,710 45,900 46,890 46,890 47,715 47,715 48,560 48,560

Dr 39,790 40,360 40,360 41,035 41,895 42,760 43,930 44,865 46,230 47,230 47,405 48,415 48,620 49,665 49,845 50,915 50,915 51,835 51,835 52,785 52,785

TEAM Score/ Rating Predicted Distribution 1 2 3 4 5

3-5% 15-25% 40-50% 15-25% 5-10%

No Compensation No Compensation No Compensation Receives Compensation Receives Compensation

THE ADVOCATE

MAY 2012

July 1, 2012 IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING

Time to Go

The law (TCA Section 49-1-302) that governs the guidelines and criteria for the annual evaluation of teachers and principals (including the local level grievance procedure), requires the policy changes to be in place by July 1, 2011 to be implemented during the 2011-2012 school year.

In our lives, all things are temporary. No matter how long something or someone has been in our world, there cones a time when one must move on. My time has come. My last day as an employee of Knox County Schools will be May 25th.

Therefore, Knox County Schools must have a local grievance procedure in place, so that any professional educator can grieve his/her individual evaluations.

Two areas of the evaluation which can be grieved are:  alleged failure on the evaluator’s part to follow the process as mandated and/or,  the data which was used to determine the evaluatee’s rating or ranking (i.e., student test scores).

TEA UniServ Coordinator, Jon White, has met with Knox County Schools central office administration in the Human Resources area, to appraise them of the July 1st date and provided a sample grievance procedure. The sample included definition of terms, timelines, forms, and language to protect any grievant from reprisal or punitive damage. Jon estimated that hundreds of employees in Knox County will file grievances regarding the conduct of their evaluations.

Jon’s grievance estimation is based on input from Knox County educators. He cited the massive number of calls and personal meetings he and KCEA President, Sherry Morgan, have had with KCEA members. “With every member, we stressed the importance of documenting, in writing, any process irregularities.“ Since Knox County Schools has not yet complied with this part of the law, members were also informed that their grievances would have to be held until the school board makes the necessary policy changes. The Law requires that those changes be made on or before July 1, 2012.

During the summer months we will keep you posted via the KCEA website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed: http://KCEAinTouch.org http://facebook.com/TNKCEA http://twitter.com/KCEAinTouch

Bill Bell, Legislative Contact Team

Knowing time is limited provides motivation to pause and look back at how things used to be and call to mind what has been accomplished. We have come a long way.

Seven years ago, advocating for education in Knox County involved identifying a legislative issue; asking KCEA members to write messages on post cards; then sending those cards to the KCEA office for delivery to TEA in Nashville, for distribution to legislators. It was a slow, time consuming, and labor-intensive procedure.

Since that time, we have engulfed state legislators and other elected officials – and notably some unelected individuals – with our opinions of what should be done and how. Some have listened, others have not; but none can truthfully say they have not heard from us. Often, our messages have been very forceful.

We can now communicate at nearly the speed of light. We have developed a network that spans the county, the state, and the nation – a network that is linked with educators nationwide.

Most importantly, we have given every TEA member a number of easily accessible methods of communicating his or her perspectives on educational issues. And we have used it with a well defined sense of purpose.

We have diligently worked together to protect public education and make life better for the citizens of our county and state.

That’s something we should be very proud of. As I have stated so many times: no one can thank you enough.

Take care.

Bill

In National News: Judge Strikes Part of Wisconsin Anti-Collective Bargaining Law On Friday, March 30, Walker suffered two significant setbacks: a federal judge struck down two parts of his anti-collective bargaining law that strips public service workers of their right to argue for fair wages and safe working conditions, and the state elections board set the date for the election to recall Walker.

THE ADVOCATE

MAY 2012

Protect Your Membership: Convert to Automatic Dues Pay for 2012-2013 The Legislature is attempting to limit and control the free speech rights of Tennessee educators who use payroll deductions for TEA dues. There is a way to protect your rights and benefits through your membership in TEA: Sign up for TEA Automatic Dues Pay. Automatic Dues Pay will deduct dues from your checking account two times per month over the membership year, beginning in October of 2012. The conversion to Automatic Dues Pay takes just minutes and is safe and secure. It allows you to be a continuing member of TEA without interference, pressure or bullying from the Legislature, local school board or the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA).

Do not let the Tennessee Legislature silence your voice or take away your rights. You can convert your TEA membership today to Automatic Dues Pay for the 2012-2013 membership year by asking your Building Representative for a paper form, or going online to: http://teateachers.org, scrolling down to “What’s New,” and clicking “Protect your membership - convert to Automatic Dues Pay for 2012-13 membership year” If you choose to complete the process online, please contact KCEA (522-9793) and let us know that you converted your dues to Automatic Dues Pay. If you have questions about this conversion process, please contact your building representative or TEA Membership Coordinator Duran Williams at (800) 342-8367, ext. 213.

Right: NEA Vice-President, Lily Eskelsen addresses TEA members at the TEA Spring Symposium in Franklin, TN. Left: TEA Director, Al Mance, addresses TEA members at the TEA Spring Symposium.

Most Recent LOCAL Salary Increase, by District (2010-2011 Data)

The Advocate

Contact KCEA

is published by the Knox County Education Association.

2411 Magnolia Ave. Knoxville, TN 37917

Please direct questions & comments to: Jennifer Owen, Editor KCEA@OwenWebs.com

Office: 865.522.9793 Cell: 865.660.0822 Fax: 865.522.9866

Find us Online: http://KCEAinTouch.org http://Facebook.com/TNKCEA

Our Mission To promote quality education in Knox County, the Knox County Education Association will provide a support system that guarantees the opportunity for professional growth, secures and improves benefits, and protects the rights of educators of Knox County.