Advocate February 22 2015

TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

PUBLIC SCHOOL

ADVOCATE

15

years!

TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

TEA LEGISLATIVE REPORT | FEBRUARY 22, 2015 | VOL. 1, ISSUE 3

How to make sure a state pay hike gets to every teacher

TEA call for robust educator raise has impact on budget This past December, TEA went statewide with a call for a 6 percent educator raise.

The association showed how inflation and two years of no raises had eaten away teacher paychecks, and 6 percent would make educators whole.

TEA renewed its call as the governor went through his

Every teacher, regardless of school system resources or local pay agreements, is affected by the State Minimum Salary Schedule (SMSS).

Now with new data coming to light from the past two difficult years for teacher raises—and with a 4 percent state raise proposed in this year’s education budget—TEA is working with state lawmakers to strengthen the teacher minimum salary law.

would dramatically improve the possibility that teachers would get most or all of the raise provided in a state budget. The bill would automatically increase the SMSS for teachers by the same percentage as the increase for salaries in a state education budget. Right now, it is at the will of the State Board of Education (SBE) to make that increase in the schedule.

A TEA-backed bill sponsored by Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) and Rep. David Alexander (R-Winchester)

“The fact of the matter is when the General Assembly passes a teacher MAKING SURE RAISES GO TO TEACHERS go to page 4

budget process prior to the legislative session, reminding the administration of its pledge to make Tennessee the fastest improving in terms of salaries for teachers in the nation.

The strategy seems to have paid off so far.

TEA PUSH FOR RAISES page 5 go to p

Fight on health insurance looming TEA has long made protecting the health benefits of school employees and keeping costs down one of its top priorities.

Unfortunately, a bill was introduced last week that would fundamentally change the benefits that are supported by the state.

The bill, part of the administration’s package of proposed legislation, would rewrite the current law regarding

insurance for state employees, local cal education agencies, and local government. vernment.

Among its proposals would be removing state funding for what would bee termed “voluntary benefits,” such as dental, ental, vision, long term care, and disability ability insurance. These are all thingss for which the state currently provides support. upport.

Other proposed changes include ude barring FIGHT ON HEALTH INSURANCE LOOMING go to page 2

Push for test transparency a win-win for parents, teachers and schools Long before the system of test-andpunish we see in schools today, tests were used as diagnostic tools for teachers to determine where students were struggling. TEA has been advocating for months now for the state to get back to using tests as they were intended and to empower teachers and parents to use tests to improve student achievement.

Test transparency is a new concept in Tennessee, but it is an important one for our students. If passed by the legislature, it would require the state to release test questions from state assessments after they have been administered to students.

Career educator and TEA member Rep. David Byrd (left) and former Lewis County school board member Sen. Joey Hensley (right) have filed a bill to let parents and teachers see the tests students take

Testing transparency will give teachers insight into the concepts being assessed by TCAP and other state-mandated tests. It will also give teachers confidence that the questions on the tests match the standards being taught.

“A lot of legislators are already on board with the idea of test

transparency,” said TEA President Barbara Gray. “Legislators easily understand the many benefits of releasing test questions. The challenge will be working through a couple of potential road blocks to passing this legislation.”

One road block TEA anticipates is the issue of funding. By releasing test questions, the test provider will have to create new test questions every year. This, of course, will come with an added cost to the state.

A potential solution will be to phase in test transparency over the next three to four years by following the existing state requirement for a 70 percent change in test questions every three years for grades 3 through 8, and every four years for grades 9 through 12. As the state discards questions each year to meet this requirement, those test questions could be released to teachers and parents. TEA’s ultimate goal would still be to get to 100 TEST TRANSPARENCY go to page 2

THE STRONGEST VOICE FOR SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS ADVOCATE 1 PUBLIC SCHOOL

TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

There are hundreds of education bills filed during the session. Below is a partial list of bills of interest.

Tests best used as diagnostic tools, not punishment without answers

Bills TEA Supports

SB806 / HB836 Notice of charges and hearing prior to dismissal for LEA employees Requires that an LEA employee in a position for which no teaching license is required be given notice, in writing, of charges and a hearing prior to dismissal. Provides that such an employee wishing to appeal an adverse decision of the hearing officer must first exhaust the employee’s administrative remedies by appealing to the local board of education within ten days of the finding.

TEST TRANSPARENCY from page 1

percent test transparency every time a state assessment is given.

transparency work in Tennessee.

A second potential road block will be the accessibility of an individual student’s test questions, which is an important part of true test transparency. Releasing a complete bank of test questions is easier and more cost-efficient than releasing the exact test each student completed.

While there will be an increased cost for this level of specificity, teachers and parents being able to review exactly which questions a student answered incorrectly will be most beneficial for improving student performance and identifying areas in which the student is struggling.

SB808 / HB1362 Charter school funding - attrition rates As introduced, requires K–8 charter schools to return funding to the LEA, at the LEA’s request, if the charter school’s attrition rate exceeds 200 percent of the average attrition rate for LEA K–8 schools; sets the amount of funding to be returned at all state and local funds attributable to the students above the 200 percent threshold.

“If you ask educators what they really want the state to spend its money on, providing liability insurance from their employer for potential claims against their employer is not at the top of the list,” Gray said. “Teachers want funds directed to things that will improve student learning and test transparency will do just that.”

SB893 / HB1031 Timely notification of non-renewal Changes, from June 15 to May 15, the date on which a board of education or director of schools must notify certain teachers of their dismissal or failure of reelection or assignment to schools for the next school year.

There is no real prohibition to releasing test questions under current state law, the state need only identify the funding sources and then move forward with implementing this important concept.

SB894 / HB1032 Pay for work done beyond 200-day teacher contract As introduced, limits the length of a teacher’s obligations under a written contract with the director of schools or board of education to the term of each school year; requires LEAs to compensate teachers in an amount equal to their daily rate of pay under the contract if the LEA requires the teacher to work between school terms.

The state must examine the governor’s proposed budget and identify ways to make true test

SB1013 / HB858 ASD Parent Trigger As introduced, allows the commissioner to assign certain schools or grade configurations within certain schools to the ASD unless the parents of 60 percent of the children enrolled at the school object by petition, at which time the commissioner and the LEA may agree to certain alternate interventions for the school.

TEA fights bill that would limit educators’ freedom of speech A new bill has been introduced in the House by Rep. Glen Casada that would dramatically expand the scope of the so-called “Little Hatch Act,” to include teachers among the group of employees who are forbidden from engaging in certain political activities at work or on school property.

HB 158 would remove language exempting teachers from the bill and add new language that would bring property and facilities owned by local school systems under the provisions of the Act. TEA has serious concerns about the scope of the bill and what it might mean for teachers’ abilities to express their First Amendment rights.

SB1308 / HB1117 State salary schedule strengthened As introduced, requires that each step of the state salary schedule for licensed personnel be at least equal to the 2012–2013 schedule increased by 1.5 percent; adds other revisions to the computation of the schedule.

“What are the limits of this bill? It seems to me that any teacher with a campaign bumper sticker on their car would be violating this law when they parked at school,” said TEA Executive Director Carolyn Crowder. “This goes too far in restricting a teacher’s right to express her political views.”

SB1241 / HB1154 Delinquent acts of a student As introduced, expands the delinquent acts for which a student’s school shall be notified; transfers duty to notify the LEA from the child’s parent to the clerk of the juvenile or general sessions court.

SB1299 / HB1091 PECCA revisions As introduced, deletes statement that nothing in the Professional Educators Collaborative Conference Act of 2011, requires collaborative conferencing.

The original authors of this bill clearly viewed educators in a different light than other public employees when they were specifically exempt from the bill. Unlike some employees, teachers have no conflict of interest or danger of abusing their office for political gain. TEA views these restrictions as unnecessary and harmful to teachers’ free speech.

Bills TEA Opposes SB122 / HB210 Tennessee Choice and Opportunity Scholarship Act Establishes vouchers in Tennessee.

SB183 / HB158 Little Hatch Act - public school employees Makes the “Little Hatch Act” applicable to teachers. Prohibits a teacher from displaying campaign literature, banners, stickers or other political advertising on the premises of any building or land owned by an LEA.

State standards must have teacher input The Common Core debate is already heating up in the legislature this session. The central issue is whether to continue with the Common Core State Standards as currently implemented, or to pause to allow time for a proper review from Tennessee educators, parents and community members.

TEA has long protested the state’s flawed and rushed implementation of Common Core. Teachers have been left in a lurch after receiving insufficient training on the standards.

At the same time, teachers are held to a higher level of accountability based on student performance on state tests that are not aligned to the new standards.

“The state dropped the ball on getting parent and teacher buy-in at the beginning of its implementation of higher standards,” said Barbara Gray, TEA president. “As a result, groups like Americans for Prosperity have an opening to use fear-mongering and inaccurate information to build support for going backwards and abandoning higher standards altogether.”

There is very vocal opposition to keeping the higher standards in any form, but it is important to understand where that opposition comes from.

2

Postmaster: Send address changes to TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATE,

TEA is supporting legislation this session to slow down on state standards and allow time for review and recommendations from Tennessee educators. The state needs to hear from a diverse group of educators from different grade levels and subject areas, from rural, suburban and urban schools, from each grand division, and from different socioeconomic levels.

“We as a state must get this right for our students. They only get one chance to build a strong foundation for future success beyond K12 education. There are no doovers for them. Our teachers are the best equipped to guide the state in developing and implementing state standards best suited to Tennessee students,” Gray said.

Tennessee Education Association 801 Second Avenue North Nashville, TN 37201-1099 Telephone: (615)242-8392, Toll Free: (800)342-8367, (800)342-8262 Fax: (615)259-4581 Website: www.teateachers.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Barbara Gray* (800)342-8367 VICE PRESIDENT: Beth Brown* (931)779-8016 SECRETARY-TREASURER: Carolyn Crowder (615)2428392 DISTRICT 1 Joe Crabtree (423)794-9357 DISTRICT 2 Lauren McCarty (865)385-5220

PUBLIC SCHOOL

ADVOCATE

801 Second Avenue North, TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Nashville, TN 37201-1099.

“It is important that we don’t just throw out everything we have been doing with higher standards, but a proper review by the real experts – Tennessee educators – is important,” Gray said.

MANAGING EDITOR: Alexei Smirnov asmirnov@tnea.org ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Jim Wrye EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER: Carolyn Crowder

TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATE (USPS PP 332) is published nine times, biweekly, mid-January through mid-May, by the Tennessee Education Association, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville TN 37201-1099. Pending Periodicals postage paid at Nashville, TN. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATE, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201-1099. Periodical postage paid at Nashville, TN. The subscription price of $2.57 is allocated from annual membership dues of $258.00 for active members; $129.00 for associate, education support and staff members; $16.00 for retired members; and $10.00 for student members. Member of State Education Editors (SEE).

SB300 / HB155 State board of education - grading system for school performance Requires the state board of education to develop a school grading system that assigns letter grades to schools based on their performance on TCAP tests or end-of-course exams, their effect on student growth as indicated by data from the Tennessee valueadded assessment system and other measures of students growth, and other indicators of student achievement. Provides that the department of education shall include the school grades on the state report card.

The loudest voices of opposition come from AFP and other out-of-state groups – the same organizations who are pushing private school vouchers.

SB607 / HB648 Changes to state, local government & local education insurance plans As introduced, makes various changes to state, local government, and local education insurance plans.

SB692 / HB781 Charter schools to contract with nonprofit and for-profit entities As introduced, will allow for-profit charter school. Permits a charter school to contract with nonprofit or for-profit entities for the operation or management of the school subject to certain conditions.

SB604 / HB645 The Educator Protection Act of 2015 Will provide a liability pool for teachers, quality of coverage is suspect.

FIGHT ON HEALTH INSURANCE LOOMING from page 1

spouse from participation in the state plan if they can obtain coverage by other means.

TEA is still studying the financial burden this would impose on school employees, but it is clear at this point that any substantial shift would eat away at proposed teacher pay raises proposed by the governor. This proposed change, coupled with the

DISTRICT 3 Michael Carvella (865)212-9774 DISTRICT 4 Anthony Hancock (865)293-9232 DISTRICT 5 Shawanda Perkins (423)385-9569 DISTRICT 6 Scott Price (931)455-7198 DISTRICT 7 Regina Harvey (615)765-3168 DISTRICT 8 Kevin King (615)504-0425 DISTRICT 9 Theresa L. Wagner (270)776-1467 DISTRICT 10 Becky Jackman (931)980-0206 DISTRICT 11 Wendy R. Bowers (731)645-8595 DISTRICT 12 Suzie May (731)779-9329 DISTRICT 13 Nellie Keeton (901)840-9700 DISTRICT 14 Tiffany Reed (901)412-2759 DISTRICT 15 Tom Emens (901)277-0578 ADMINISTRATOR EAST Jessica Holman (865)591-4981 ADMINISTRATOR MIDDLE Julie Hopkins (615)822-5742 ADMINISTRATOR WEST Dennis Kimbrough (901)494.0105 HIGHER EDUCATION Clinton Smith (901)230-4914 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER EAST Pam Thompson

(615)948.7378 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER MIDDLE Kenneth Martin (615)876-1948 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER WEST Sarah Kennedy-Harper (901)416-4582 STATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS Debi Ponder (615)969-4362 NEW TEACHER Carrie Allison (812)205-7689 ESP Stephanie Bea (901)265-4540 TN NEA DIRECTOR Melanie Buchanan (615)305-2214 TN NEA DIRECTOR Diccie Smith (901)482-0627 STEA MEMBER David Johnson (865)828-5324 TN RETIRED Linda McCrary (423)473-9400 * Executive Committee AT LARGE RETIRED DIRECTOR ON NEA BOARD JoAnn Smith (423)283-9037

TEA HEADQUARTERS STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Carolyn Crowder; ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS: Terrance Gibson; Steve McCloud; Jim Wrye; TECHNOLOGY & BUILDING

decreased contributions many school boards across the state made for 2015, could easily wipe out any pay increase approved by the General Assembly.

TEA stands ready to fight to make sure teachers and other school employees maintain robust benefits packages, viewed as a critical component to ensuring a high-quality workforce.

OPERATIONS MANAGER: Galen Riggs; COMPTROLLER: David Shipley; UNISERV FIELD MANAGER: Karla Carpenter; STAFF ATTORNEYS: John Allen, Virginia A. McCoy; GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COORDINATOR: Drew Sutton; WEB MASTER & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: Amanda Chaney; MANAGING EDITOR & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: Alexei Smirnov; INSTRUCTIONAL ADVOCACY & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS: Rhonda Thompson; William O’Donnell; COORDINATOR OF ORGANIZING SUPPORT & AFFILIATE RELATIONS: Shannon Bain; ADVOCACY HOTLINE COORDINATOR: Forestine Cole, Gera Summerford & Cynthia Wood.

UniServ Staff contact information can be found on page 6.

Legislators Notice Civication, Support Public Education 2014-15 school year. The state instead issued a request for proposals and selected a new test better suited to Tennessee students.

By TEA President Barbara Gray One of the things I have most been looking forward to in my first year as TEA president is the five weeks of TEA Civication when hundreds of educators from across the state come to Nashville during their Spring Break to meet with legislators and attend legislative committee meetings.

Last year’s Civication weeks resulted in significant legislative victories for public education. Legislators took note of the committee rooms packed with educators week after week. There was no ignoring the in-person meetings, phone calls and emails they received from their educators back home.

Legislators knew they were being watched and being held accountable for the legislation they did – and did not – pass.

Thanks to the 600 educators who attended Civication, legislators passed the following legislation to improve public education and the teaching profession: •

•

•

•

Observation scores protected - The legislature passed TEA's bill to prohibit a forced correlation between observation scores and TVAAS scores in teacher evaluation.

•

Limited tenured teacher suspension - The bill, written by TEA, prohibits a director of schools from suspending a teacher who is under investigation for more than 90 days, except in cases with criminal implications.

•

TVAAS barred from licensure - TEA's bill to prohibit the use of TVAAS in teacher licensure decisions passed the General Assembly with overwhelming support.

PARCC delay - After TEA called for a moratorium on the use of the PARCC assessment in February, the legislature voted to delay implementation of PARCC for the

Salary schedule reinstated - TEA's bill to reinstate the state minimum salary schedule valuing years of experience and advanced degrees passed, but was amended to state that an LEA may adopt a salary schedule that is identical in either structure or designated salary levels or both to the salary schedule the LEA had in place during the 2012-2013 valuing years of service up to and including twenty (20) years and for the attainment of advanced degrees at the level of masters, masters plus forty-five (45) hours of graduate credit, specialist in education and doctor of education or doctor of philosophy.

Planning time protected - TEA's bill to protect individual planning time for teachers passed the General Assembly unanimously.

The bill provides that duty-free teacher time for instructional planning be allocated on an individual basis.

We also defeated the following damaging legislation: •

Vouchers - The governor was forced to take his private school voucher bill off-notice

because of a lack of votes in the House Finance Committee, ending the bill's run for a second straight session.

•

For-profit charters - A bill to allow for-profit companies to run public charter schools failed in the House Calendar and Rules committee after Speaker Beth Harwell stepped in and expressed her opposition to the bill.

•

Achievement School District enrollment Rep. DeBerry's bill to open enrollment to the Achievement School District outside its zone was unable to get a motion in the House Budget sub-committee to even discuss the bill.

We were able to accomplish all of these things because hundreds of educators engaged and showed up to fight to protect the students and schools that we love.

Our work is not done, though. We need even more people to show up for Civication this year to continue the momentum and motivate legislators to make decisions that will improve and strengthen public education in Tennessee.

TEA is also adding another level to Civication this year with a “Build a Movement” training following the day of lobbying on Tuesday. Participants in this optional part of Civication will learn how to engage colleagues back home to enact change at the local and state levels. You can learn more about this opportunity on the TEA website.

Please make plans to join us the Tuesday of your Spring Break to advocate for our students, our schools and our profession. Bring your friends and family, too! The gas and hotel room (if more than 50 miles from Nashville) are on us!

Visit www.teateachers.org/civication for more details and to register for Civication.

ASD parent trigger bill to help parents keep their schools It is often said that past performance is the best indicator of future results. If that’s the case, the Tennessee Achievement School District can be called a huge disappointment. With all the evidence of ASD’s ineffectiveness, it is still allowed to take over any school, anywhere in the state.

To change that, two brave legislators filed a bill empowering parents of a school selected for takeover by the ASD to sign a petition against the move. If the petition is signed by 60 percent of parents in that school, the ASD cannot take it over.

Filed in the house by Rep. Bill Beck (D-Nashville) and Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville), HB 0858 and SB 1013 have already been dubbed the “ASD parent trigger bill.”

“It is an example of a bipartisan effort to return fairness to Tennessee public schools and to curb the ASD’s aggressive expansion in places where it is not merited or welcomed by parents and students,” said TEA President Barbara Gray.

Fully supported by TEA, Beck’s and Dickerson’s legislation would require the Tennessee commissioner of education and the school system in question to “agree to certain alternate interventions for the school” if 60 percent of parents of the children enrolled at the school object by petition to ASD’s takeover.

“One student enrolled in a school would grant the parent one vote, empowering parents to reverse the flow of bad decisions in school districts,” Rep. Beck said.

Beck and Dickerson drafted the bill after witnessing the protests staged by parents late last year in East Nashville in opposition to the ASD’s takeover of local schools.

Despite the ongoing public outcry, the ASD was allowed to take over Neely’s Bend Middle School.

Hundreds of parents, teachers and students turned out to protest the ASD expansion

in East Nashville last December. A new bill would empower parents to petition “We applaud our legislators against ASD takeovers in the future. who see that the ASD does less with more resources,” said Gray. under ASD Superintendent Chris Barbic’s charge “Representative Beck and Senator Dickerson’s bill is a performed pretty miserably in English/language arts, great example of what our legislature can do to curb actually regressing by nearly two points in the first year ASD’s ineffectiveness.” of operation.

During its first two years of operation, ASD schools performed no better (and sometimes worse) than the schools it took over—in spite of spending millions of dollars more to operate than traditional public schools.

“ASD has earned its reputation of doing less with more after consistently spending more money and achieving poor results. That’s the ASD’s record,” Gray added.

ASD’s performance and its tactics have been so bad that several charter operators in Memphis recently chose not to take over schools offered to them by the ASD. Echoing the protests in Nashville, community resistance is also growing in Memphis.

“If the ASD is to be judged on its past performance, the record is abysmal. Not only has it not gotten the results it promised, it has systematically ignored parents and community members who have raised legitimate concerns,” said Jim Wrye, TEA’s chief lobbyist. “The ASD parent trigger bill filed by Representative Beck and Senator Dickerson will give parents the power and the voice to keep what they love about their community schools.”

On standardized tests, Barbic’s ASD schools aren’t even close to his early goals of eight- to10-point gains a year.

Instead, ASD schools are showing an average gain of just 2.92 points in Math and 0.72 points in ELA. That’s not only a long way from eight- to 10-point gains a year, it’s worse than the schools were doing before Barbic and his charter supporters took over.

Barbic’s ASD schools are under three percent in math and making average gains of less than a point in ELA. At this rate, they will not only never catch up, they will fall behind the district schools.

So, what will be the future result? If Barbic has his way, the ASD will continue to grow, taking over more schools, regardless of community feedback.

Policymakers would do well to observe the past performance of the ASD, both in terms of student achievement and community engagement. The future of the ASD means more communities in chaos and more students left behind, unless more legislators follow the example set by Rep. Beck and Sen. Dickerson in an effort to check the ASD’s unmerited expansion.

TEA has been busy showing the legislature that schools

PUBLIC SCHOOL TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

ADVOCATE

3

THE MECHANISM OF TEACHE After TEA fought to protect the State Minimum Salary Schedule, there are now two schedules systems

}

ANNUAL STEP

TWO DEGREE CATEGORIES

MASTERS AND ABOVE BACHELORS

TRADITIONAL STATE MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE Twenty one steps, five degree categories (bachelors, masters, masters plus 45, specialist and doctorate) ends at 20 years.

DOCTORATE ED. SPECIALIST MASTERS PLUS 45 MASTERS BACHELORS

TEA working to ensure state raise gets to teachers MAKING SURE RAISES GO TO TEACHERS from page 1

pay raise, that raise should get to the teacher,” said Bailey. “It is fair, and it is important to have strong state safeguards when it comes to fair salaries.”

Decades ago, the General Assembly passed a law requiring the State Board of Education to set up a minimum salary schedule for teachers, recognizing experience, training and advanced degrees. For decades, the SMSS set by the SBE had 20 yearly “steps” of approximately 0.75 percent of salary per year, and five degree categories from bachelors to doctorate.

The steps helped teachers keep up with inflation.

In the summer of 2013, then Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman convinced the state board to gut the SMSS, reducing the steps to three and the degree categories to just two. TEA strongly opposed the measure. The results were disastrous.

A TEA review of 10 years of teacher salary data in Tennessee indicates that in the years before the Huffman salary schedule push, when the legislature gave a raise, teachers got that raise. In the budget year before the Huffman schedule, the legislature approved a 2.5 percent raise for teachers. That same year, average teacher pay increased by 2.2 percent across Tennessee. Teachers got the raise.

When the General Assembly passed

4

PUBLIC SCHOOL TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

the 1.5 percent teacher raise for 2013-14, it should have created an average annual salary increase of about $650. That year, average teacher pay increased only 0.5 percent — or $198 — the lowest average increase in 10 years. Teachers only received one third of the money allocated by legislators for salary increases because of the loss of steps and the loss in an overall increase in the schedule itself.

In 2014, TEA fought a hard legislative battle to overturn the Huffman schedule. It was successful in reestablishing the traditional 20step schedule with multiple degree categories, while leaving the Huffman schedule in place for some systems.

There is more work to be done on this issue.

In the past, when the General Assembly passed a raise through the BEP, the state board traditionally raised the SMSS by the same percentage, providing the critical mechanism for teachers to get the raise. There was no mechanism to automatically raise the schedule. SB1308/HB1117

by Bailey and Alexander creates that mechanism—when the General Assembly passes a raise, the minimum salary schedule will automatically rise proportionately. The bill in its current form also consolidates the Huffman schedule into the traditional schedule.

Even when teachers are not paid the minimum, this process will increase their salaries. The fact is, most teachers

ADVOCATE

are paid above the minimum, and the additional money above the minimum is referred to as the local supplement.

By state law school systems cannot cut the local supplement, so when the state provides a raise it should get to the teacher. If there is no raise in the budget, steps are often critical to keep mid-career teachers up with inflation.

What SB1308/HB1117 does is take the SMSS increase out of the hands of the SBE and gives it to the General Assembly. When the General Assembly passes a raise, the SMSS would automatically increase.

is made of two co minimum and the

Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta)

Not all teachers are funded primarily through the state. Approximately 15 percent of Tennessee teachers are funded by local dollars alone.

Recognizing this fact, the bill reduces the percentage of increase slightly.

As an example, the BEP currently funds approximately 60,000 teacher units. There are approximately 10,000 locally funded teacher units (60,000/70,000 = 0.86). If the General Assembly passes a 4 percent raise, under the terms of the bill the state schedule would increase automatically by 3.45 percent (0.04 x 0.86 = 0.0345).

“We need to recognize the state’s critical role in teacher salaries, and this bill does it,” said Alexander. “It is important that the money appropriated goes to where it is supposed to—into a teacher’s paycheck.”

TEACHER S

Rep. David Alexander (R-Winchester)

Almost every scho pays more than t local supplement collaborative con school board. The cut by state law, s goes up, the over minimum goes up local agreement o

The state minimum currently set by th Prior to 2013, ever passed a percenta salary portion of t Salary Schedule w

The increase in th upward pressure

ER SALARIES IN TENNESSEE

can choose from: the Huffman Schedule and the Traditional (below). Most systems use the traditional.

HUFFMAN MINIMUM SALARY SCHEDULE Three steps (once every five years, two degree categories (bachelors and masters and above), ends at 11 years.

FIVE DEGREE CATEGORIES

E

SALARY LEVEL

omponents: the state e local supplement.

ool system in Tennessee the minimum. This t can be negotiated by nferencing or set by the local e local supplement cannot be so when the state minimum rall pay of teachers above the p as well, regardless of any or decision.

TEA PUSH FOR RAISES from page 1

LOCAL SUPPLEMENT

TEA was the only organization in the state to draw attention to the decline in corporate tax revenue last year as well as the need to deliver on the governor’s earlier promise to increase teacher salaries.

While attributing the drop in corporate tax collections to economic volatility and the disparity of tax obligations between companies based in Tennessee and elsewhere, Haslam said in his State of the State address that “Tennessee has fallen behind other states in protecting our in state businesses from unfair competition from out of state companies.”

STATE MINIMUM SALARY

m salary for teachers is he State Board of Education. ry time the General Assembly age increase in the teacher the BEP, the State Minimum was raised the same amount.

he minimum salary put e on all teacher salaries.

Haslam announced a 4 percent pay raise for teachers and earmarked $100 million to fund it. It was well above what statehouse observers were expecting.

To remedy that, the governor has proposed “the Revenue Modernization Act, which aims to level the playing field in sales tax and business taxes.”

According to recently released state data, Tennessee’s total tax collections exceeded budgeted expectations in January, driven by strong holiday consumer spending and unexpected one-time collections in corporate taxes. Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin said in a news release that overall January revenues were $1.3 billion, which is $219.5 million more than the state budgeted.

According to Martin, holiday sales and lower gas prices have boosted the state economy to the tune of $344 million more in state tax collections than expected midway through the financial year. That translates into 6 percent more than expected after six months of the budget year.

STATE RAISE

“These figures provide ample hope that the state’s economy is getting healthier and TEA will continue to monitor budget proceedings to ensure that the muchneeded pay raise for teachers stays in the budget,” said TEA President Barbara Gray.

PUBLIC SCHOOL TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

ADVOCATE

5

Delinquency notice bill aimed at making schools safer Teachers deserve to know whether a student in their classroom has been adjudicated for violent crimes.

A new bill filed in the Tennessee General Assembly is proposing to expand the list of school personnel who should be informed of students’ delinquent acts and transfers the responsibility from the parent to the clerk of the juvenile or general sessions court.

State liability proposal wastes precious Teacher Wish List education dollars Textbooks

Governorr Bill Haslam Haaslam has proposed legislation legislattion for the state to begin gin providing pro oviding veragee to liability coverage ree-off-charge gee. g educators free-of-charge.

“It is our utmost priority that students and teachers are safe in our schools,” said Bud Hulsey, (R-Kingsport), a retired police officer and sponsor of the bill in the Tennessee House.

TEA helped elect Hulsey to the state legislature last year and is supportive of the proposed HB 1154, which is sponsored by Sen. Mike Bell Rep. Bud Hulsey (R-Riceville) in the Senate (SB 1241).

(R-Kingsport), a retired

“We must expand the safeguards protecting policeman, sponsored the school employees and their students,” said TEA bill in the House. president Barbara Gray. “Our members have told us that what we have in place right now has not been sufficient.”

Educators across Tennessee welcome the proposed bill, which requires that information about a student being adjudicated delinquent is shared with school employees responsible for classroom instruction, as well as the school resource officer, counselor, social worker or a psychologist involved in developing a plan for the child while in school.

“While we can trust that most parents would be honest and let their schools know whether their child has been in trouble with the law, putting the responsibility into the hands of the court system makes it easier on everyone,” Gray said. “Ask any educator in Tennessee and they will tell you that knowing a student’s criminal background helps make our public schools safer for everyone.”

Computers Classroom supplie s Pay raise

“The idea forr thee her’ss state – a teacher’s o employer – to ty provide liability insurance for teachers to n a case potentially use in m mployer involving their employer just doesn’t make any sense,” said Jim Wrye, TEA h i i att chief lobbyist. “Iff I have an issue arise eone to have my back work, I want someone rned with my best who is only concerned l interests, not those of my em employer. ” The proposal is estimated to cost the state $50 million a year.

“Aside from the obvious conflict of interest, if state funds are in such short supply, let’s use that $50 million every year for something that directly impacts student achievement and that teachers actually want – like technology upgrades, new textbooks, classroom supplies or pay raises for educators,” Wrye said.

The proposal, presumed to be an attempt to cripple the association and silence the voice of Tennessee teachers, will not impact the strength or size of

TEA, TEA A,, o orr th tthee li lliability iab abil ab illitty ilit

coverage offered to members.

“Liability insurance is so far down the list of reasons to be a TEA member,” said Wrye. “Free liability insurance won’t have your back during an evaluation grievance or advocate for years to get you a raise. Our members understand the value of standing together with tens of thousands of their colleagues to protect their students and their profession.”

TEA will push this session to get the $50 million allocated for unnecessary state liability insurance redirected to budget items that really need that money and would actually benefit students and teachers.

TEA member’s story inspires action from state legislators Ashley Croft’s struggle to become a principal despite having an advanced degree and years of classroom experience first became public on February 7, when The Tennessean ran a story about her plight. In just the few short weeks since that time, legislators have moved into action to propose legislation to make sure Tennessee attracts and retains the best principal candidates.

Croft, a middle school teacher at Isaac Litton Middle in Metro Nashville and TEA member, is not eligible to become a principal in Tennessee because she earned her master’s degree at Harvard.

State law requires principal candidates to have an advanced degree from an in-state institution or have at least three years of out-of-state experience as a principal.

According to The Tennessean, Rep. John Ray Clemmons filed a bill that restricts the state board from denying licenses for principals who graduated from a university or college from outside of the state. Sen. Lee Harris introduced the companion bill in the senate, after being approached by Clemmons when Croft's story became public.

Need information, services?

Tennessee Education Association 801 Second Avenue N., Nashville, TN 37201-1099 (615) 242-8392, (800) 342-8367, FAX (615) 259-4581

UniServ Coordinators

District 1 — Harry Farthing, P.O. Box 298, Elizabethton, TN 37644; phone: (423)262-8035, fax: (866)379-0949; Assns: Carter, Hancock, Hawkins, Rogersville, Johnson, Sullivan, Bristol, Elizabethton, Kingsport. District 2 — Jennifer Gaby, P.O. Box 70, Afton, TN 37616; (423)2340700, fax: (423)234.0708; Assns: Cocke, Newport, Greene, Greeneville, Unicoi, Washington, Hamblen, Johnson City. District 3 — Tina Parlier, P.O. Box 74, Corryton, TN 37721, (865)688-1175, fax: (866)518-

6

Unless Rep. Clemmons legislation is passed into law, Croft will have to move to another state if she wants to pursue being a principal. There are alternate routes to getting her administrators license in Tennessee, but they are expensive – which can be tough or impossible to afford on a Tennessee teacher’s salary.

“Tennessee students deserve the very best education possible, and that includes having outstanding educators leading our schools as administrators,” said Barbara Gray, Arlington Community Schools administrator and TEA president. “As an administrator myself, I know what a demanding, challenging job it can be. We can’t afford to be turning away qualified, committed educators who want to pursue an administrator’s license.”

ADVOCATE

TEA member Ashley Croft (center) was honored as a TEA Distinguished Educator in 2013.

She is pictured here with (from left to right) former TEA President Gera Summerford, MNEA President Stephen Henry and Isaac Litton Middle Principal Tracy Bruno, also a TEA member.

The State Board of Education is also expected to take a look at the issue in April as part of an ongoing review of licensure

3104; Assns: Claiborne, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier, Union, Scott, Campbell, Oneida (in Scott Co.).

District 4 — Duran Williams, KCEA, 2411 Magnolia Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917 Assns: Knox,TSD, District 5— Jason White, P.O. Box 5502, Oak Ridge, TN 37831; (615)521-1333, fax: (865)200-5254; Assns: Anderson, Clinton, Oak Ridge, Blount, Alcoa, Maryville, Lenoir City, Loudon. District 6 — Chris Brooks, P.O. Box 3629, Chattanooga, TN 37404, (615)332-2636; Assns: Bradley, Cleveland, McMinn, Athens, Etowah, Meigs, Monroe, Sweetwater, Polk, Rhea-Dayton, Roane. District 7 — Theresa Turner, HCEA 4655 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37411; (423)485-9535, fax: (423)485-9512; Assns: Hamilton. District 8 — Josh Trent; Assns: Clay, Cumberland, Fentress, Jackson, Morgan, Pickett, Putnam, Overton, York Institute, TN Tech. Univ,

PUBLIC SCHOOL TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

"We want to recruit the best talent to get our children the best experience in public schools," Clemmons told The Tennessean.

"I want to ensure there are no roadblocks to recruiting the best possible talent in running our schools."

Bledsoe, Sequatchie,Van Buren, White. District 9 — Jackie Pope, 2326 Valley Grove Dr., Murfreesboro, TN 37128;phone: (615)898-1060, fax: (855) 301-8214, Assns: Bedford, Moore, Cannon, DeKalb, Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Manchester, Tullahoma, Marion, Warren. District 10 — Jeff Garrett, P.O. Box 1326, Lebanon, TN 37088-1326; (615)6302605, fax (855)320-8755—; Assns: Rutherford, Murfreesboro, Sumner, MTSU, Macon, Smith, Trousdale. District 11 — Antoinette Lee; Assns: FSSD, Williamson. District 12 — Sue Ogg; phone: (615)856-0503 — Assns: Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Fayetteville, Maury, Wayne, Marshall, Perry. District 13 — Mary Campbell, Susan Dalton, Metro Nashville, 531 Fairground Court, Nashville, TN 37211; (615)347-6578 (Campbell), fax: (855)299-4968 (Campbell); Assns: Metro Nashville,

TN School For The Blind, Lebanon, Wilson. District 14 — Maria Uffelman, P.O. Box 99, Cumberland City, TN 37050; phone: (931)827-3333, fax: (855)2994925; Assns: Clarksville-Montgomery, Robertson.

District 15 — Cheryl Richardson, P.O. Box 354, Goodlettsville, TN 37070; phone: (615)630-2601, fax: (888)519-4879; Assns: Benton, West Carroll, Central, Clarksburg, Huntingdon, McKenzie, Henry, Paris, Houston, Humphreys, Stewart, Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman. District 16 — Lorrie Butler, P.O. Box 387, Henderson, TN 38340; (731)989-4860, fax: (855)299-4591; Assns: Chester, Hardeman, West TSD, Henderson, Lexington, Jackson-Madison, McNairy, Decatur, Hardin. District 17 — Terri Jones, —Assns: Crockett, Dyer, Dyersburg, Gibson, Humboldt, Milan, Trenton, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, Union City, Tipton, Weakley.

District 18 — Zandra Foster, Ashley Evett, 3897 Homewood Cove, Memphis, TN 38128; (901)3779472, fax: (855)320-8737;—Assns: Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland, Millington, Fayette. District 19 — Assns: MemphisShelby County Education Association — Ken Foster, Executive Director; Memphis-Shelby County EA UniServ Directors: Glenda Jones, Tom Marchand, 126 South Flicker Street, Memphis, TN 38104; (901)454-0966, fax: (901)454-9979; Assn: Memphis-Shelby County.

www.teateachers.org www.nea.org

TEA MEMBERS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THE TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF YOUR SPRING BREAK?

a ke

Ta

! l o t i p a C ! e s h r t o t o t a l e s i ! m g n o e C our l catio y r edu hville o t s k l a o f N a T d up O!) in W n T a R t S t day (O

a e r g a y o j En

!

S E L I M R O F S E S R U B TEA REIM FAST AT TEA HQ! K A E R B !

T D A E E G N A GR R R A S G N I T E E CAPITOL M L FOR LONG TRAVEL! E T O H D I A P E !

S PR R E B M E M OPEN TO ALL

Do you have h plans l for f your Spring Break? Consider coming to the capitol to talk to your legislators and enjoy the great entertainment of Nashville! It’s a Civication, combining vacation with civic pride in our profession.

New this year is an option to stay a second night in Nashville to learn how to “Build a Movement” back home. Visit the registration link below for more details about the

d d stay plan. l extended TEA pays mileage for any members who want to attend Civication during Spring Break. There is complimentary breakfast at TEA Headquarters in downtown Nashville, free parking, shuttle service to the Capitol, and House and Senate Education Committee meetings to see the legislature in action!

If you live more than 50 miles

outside of Nashville, TEA has a supply of pre-paid hotel rooms for members for Monday night (limited basis). Build a Movement participants will get a second hotel night.

Come to Music City, enjoy the city and have a successful and important Civication. Members who took part in Civication last year had a huge impact on the legislative success of TEA!

REGISTER ONLINE: WWW.TEATEACHERS.ORG/CIVICATION PUBLIC SCHOOL TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

ADVOCATE

7

Students and Teachers are MORE than a SCORE! Join TEA’s campaign to support the schools Tennessee students and teachers deserve. #MoreThanaScoreTN www.teateachers.org/roadtrip

TEA travels the state for second annual TEA Road Trip The TEA Road Trip is making numerous stops across the state to discuss with educators, parents and community members the important issues facing local schools. The event will cover topics including the misuse of standardized testing, the state’s lack of investment in students and the need to improve respect of the teaching profession and public schools.

TEA’s 2015 legislative agenda is largely framed around the three key issues covered in the TEA Road Trip – testing, funding and respect.

These three themes came out of community conversations TEA held in the fall with educators, parents and community members to discuss what local communities believe to be the biggest issues facing their local schools.

“Decision makers in Nashville continue to place more and more emphasis on student testing, but overlook the critical need for appropriate student investment,” said TEA President Barbara Gray. “Our students and teachers are more than a score. This campaign will educate and engage communities statewide about the problems with standardized tests, the lack of state investment in our students and what can be done to provide the schools our students and teachers deserve.”

“The feedback we heard was remarkably consistent all the way from Memphis to Mountain City, and everywhere in between,” said Carolyn Crowder, TEA executive director. “Our community conversations last fall gave us very clear direction for the legislative session and our annual road trip.

The misuse of state standardized tests, the lack of appropriate investment in our students and the diminished respect for public education are issues impacting communities statewide.”

TEA Road Trip attendees will learn the facts behind why these problems exist in our schools and what the association is doing to correct these things.

The events are free and open to the public, not just TEA members.

“I encourage all of our members to check the schedule for the Road Trip event closest to you and invite your colleagues to attend with you,” said Crowder. “It is important for local communities to engage with legislators on these important issues in order to see real change at the local level. Our Road Trip event will give attendees the tools to become advocates for public education.”

All remaining Road Trip events are listed below.

Please visit www.teateachers.org/roadtrip for more details.

West

Middle

East

Thursday, Feb. 26 Jackson Bartlett

Tuesday, Feb. 24 Clarksville Tuesday, March 10 Ashland City Tuesday, April 14 Franklin

Monday, Feb. 23 Knoxville Athens Tuesday, Feb. 24 Greeneville Thursday, Feb. 26 Blountville

*The following events were canceled due to inclement weather and will be rescheduled: Chattanooga, Clinton, Dyersburg, Fayetteville, Murfreesboro and Wartburg. Check the website and Facebook for updates.

Clinton

8

PUBLIC SCHOOL TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

ADVOCATE

TEA Road Trip events are attended by educators, community leaders and parents statewide. The events also include a chance to hear from local voices.