June2014 teach singlepages

Published by the TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION June 2014 Vol. 45, No. 7 www.teateachers.org

TEACHER LICENSES

PROTECTED

2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SUCCESS!

D E T C E T PRO

Teacher licenses shall not be based on TVAAS scores.

Attack on profession overturned by law.

TEACHER CONTROL OF PLANNING PERIOD

Tennessee law now guarantees individual duty-free planning time for teachers.

TVAAS CAN’T CORRUPT OBSERVATION SCORES

Forced correlation of TVAAS and observation scores now against the law.

TENURE AND OTHER RIGHTS PROTECTED Effort to suspend most education laws, including TCRS participation, stopped.

PRIVATIZATION DEFEATED

Speaking out with you Gera Summerford, President

Carolyn Crowder, Executive Director

My Wish List, With Best Wishes to You

Let’s Get to Work

In the four years I’ve been TEA President, public education in Tennessee has seen tremendous change. Now it’s time for new leadership at TEA and I’m proud to congratulate our incoming officers, President Barbara Gray and Vice President Beth Brown! I cannot say their work will not be challenging, but I do want to share my wish list for the future. If even a few of these wishes come true, I believe we can begin to fulfill the dream of great public schools for every student.

• I wish that tax structures will be designed to truly invest in our children and our future. Too many children come to school hungry or tired or sick. Too many teachers spend hundreds of dollars out of their own pockets to supplement their classroom needs. Those who push for ever-higher standards and performance must realize that investment in public education means much more than maintaining the BEP. • To appreciate the complex work of educators and begin to understand how high-level decisions impact our ability to educate children, I wish all elected officials would experience it in person.

Anyone who makes education policy decisions should spend at least one full day per year in a school, including at least two hours in a classroom observing a teacher.

• I wish that policy-makers at all levels, from the White House to the statehouse to the local boards of education, will recognize that any improvement or reform in education must be implemented by those who work in the schoolhouse. Education reformers see only data; teachers see children. Slow down and listen to teachers!

• I wish the rhetoric with which we speak of teachers and schools will shift away from the over-emphasis on testing results. I’m so tired of hearing people speak of “most effective teachers” and “highest-performing schools” when the only thing they know about either is the score on some arbitrary test. We must raise public awareness about the limited nature of such results. True accountability uses a variety of multiple measures in assessing students, schools, districts and teachers.

• Since the real experts are the educators themselves, I wish that we will encourage our exemplary teachers to share their expertise and knowledge. I know there are many among us who will welcome the opportunity to be teacher leaders, providing mentoring, instructional leadership and support for our colleagues. As TEA develops the Teacher Leader Network, I hope to see my vision fulfilled: collaboration, training and support provided for teachers by teachers.

With change there is always an element of uncertainty. I could not have predicted all the changes I would encounter between 2010 and 2014. As we look to the future, I am confident TEA will continue to thrive with the direction of our new leadership. In the midst of change, what remains the same is TEA’s commitment to be the voice of public school educators advocating for excellence in and the promise of great public schools in Tennessee. Best wishes!

A successful movement starts with common goals and a plan, so I was pleased in January when the TEA Board gave me the goals I was to use to assist the rest of the organization in making the changes we need to make going forward. Here are those goals.

GOAL I: TEA will increase member recruitment, retention and engagement.

We have started a statewide EYE advisory group (Engaging Young Educators). This group has analyzed why educators new to the profession join and get engaged.

We are assisting members in Shelby County as they transition into municipal school districts.

All of you helped us implement a member engagement petition drive to pressure the governor to sign our bill that outlawed the use of TVAAS in licensure decisions. We got 11,674 signatures and the governor signed the bill.

GOAL II: TEA will foster a culture of organizing to empower interdependent leaders.

Who is an interdependent leader and what is an Interdependent Leadership model? Many call it the “snowflake model” of organizing that other movements have used successfully to overcome opponents who may be able to outspend them but cannot compete with a good “ground game”.

Imagine a snowflake with a person in the middle of it representing state TEA leadership. Imagine people on the diamond points as the district local leaders – stemming out from them are the building leaders. We want a snowflake like this in every local – and in every building. We will create ACTion teams in buildings – and not just one or two ARs. Part of the Action Team make up will be a new leadership role for those interested in instructional advocacy. We are calling these folks Teacher Leader Organizers (called TLOs for short).

GOAL III: TEA will improve its visibility and communication.

What have we done since January? We started with the TEA Road Trip which communicated our cause to locals and communities across the state and started the momentum that influenced our wins during the legislative session.

Instead of just email updates, we sent legislative posters to reps throughout the session. We worked at “rapid responses” and a combination of media strategies on breaking news to gain the most coverage.

GOAL IV: TEA will build partnerships and coalitions with parents, families, communities, businesses and other stakeholders.

How many of you saw and utilized the TEA parent survey cards on testing this spring?

Preliminary results show over 80 percent of respondents agree the number of standardized tests should be reduced.

Going forward, we will continue our “Teach the Students – Not the Tests” campaign.

GOAL V: TEA will be a leader in professional and instructional advocacy.

The TLO program is aimed at building an active network of instructional advocates. Once the TLO network is formed and working, TLOs will serve on member training cadres and a TEA Think Tank to recommend positive alternatives to the reform movement.

We have launched two lawsuits on the misuse of TVAAS and are in the process of putting together a third. These suits show that TEA will fight in the legislature and in the courts for the professional integrity of our members.

teach (USPS 742-450, ISSN 15382907) is published in August, September (online only), October, Nov/Dec (online only), Jan/Feb, March/April, and May (online only) by the Tennessee Education Association, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville TN 37201-1099. Periodical postage paid at Nashville, TN. The subscription price of $3.65 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).

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MANAGING EDITOR: Alexei Smirnov asmirnov@tea.nea.org ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Carol K. Schmoock EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER: Carolyn Crowder

2 June 2014

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: Gera Summerford* (800)342-8367 VICE PRESIDENT: Barbara Gray* (901)867-6015 SECRETARY-TREASURER: Carolyn Crowder (615)242-8392 DISTRICT 1 Leisa Lusk (423)794-6247 DISTRICT 2 Lauren McCarty* (865)385-5220 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 Ashley Evett (847)338-0580 DISTRICT 8 Kawanda Braxton* (615)554-6286 DISTRICT 9 Theresa L. Wagner (270)776-1467 DISTRICT 10 Larry Proffitt (423)608-7855 DISTRICT 11 Wendy R. Bowers (731)645-8595 DISTRICT 12 Suzie May (731)779-9329 DISTRICT 13 Ernestine King (901)590-8188 DISTRICT 14 Tiffany Reed (901)412-2759 DISTRICT 15 Tom Emens (901)277-0578 ADMINISTRATOR EAST Johnny Henry (865)712-3199 ADMINISTRATOR MIDDLE Julie Hopkins (615)822-5742 ADMINISTRATOR WEST Charles Green (901) 826-6256 HIGHER EDUCATION Clinton Smith* (901)230-4914 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER EAST Paula Hancock (865)694-1691 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER MIDDLE Kenneth Martin (615)876-1948

BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER WEST Sarah Kennedy-Harper (901)416-4582 STATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS Vacancy NEW TEACHER CandraClariette (615)298-8053 ESP Stephanie Bea (901)265-4540 TN NEA DIRECTOR Melanie Buchanan* (615)305-2214 TN NEA DIRECTOR Diccie Smith (901)482-0627 TN NEA DIRECTOR Diane Lillard (423)715-0568 STEA MEMBER Parris Malone (901)406-9188 TN RETIRED Gerald Lillard (423)473-9400 * Executive Committee

TEA HEADQUARTERS STAFF EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR:CarolynCrowder;ASST.EXECUTIVEDIRECTORS, TerranceGibson;CarolK.Schmoock;DuranWilliams; MANAGEROF BUSINESS AFFAIRS:StephanieFaulkner;INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY &SYSTEMSMANAGER,Galen Riggs;MANAGEROFLEGALSERVICES: Steve McCloud;STAFFATTORNEYS:JohnAllen,VirginiaA. McCoy,

MaryCampbell;MANAGEROFGOVERNMENTRELATIONS:JimWrye; GOVERNMENTRELATIONSCOORDINATOR:AntoinetteLee;WEBMASTER &COMMUNICATIONSCOORDINATOR:AmandaChaney;MANAGING EDITOR&COMMUNICATIONSCOORDINATOR:AlexeiSmirnov; INSTRUCTION&PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENTCOORDINATORS:Susan Dalton;COORDINATOROFMEMBERSHIP&AFFILIATERELATIONS: ShannonBain. ADVOCACYHOTLINECOORDINATOR:CynthiaWood.

UniServ Staff contact information can be found on page 12 or by scanning the Quick Response code below.

Tennessee’s Teachers Elect New Leaders Nearly 800 educators from across the state gathered at the Nashville Convention Center May 30-31 to elect a new president and vice president of the Tennessee Education Association. This year marked the 81st annual Representative Assembly for the state’s largest professional association for educators.

Barbara Gray, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools administrator, was elected TEA president. Gray has served as the association’s vice president for the past four years. She has been in the education profession serving Shelby County Schools since 1972, where she currently works as an assistant principal at Northaven Elementary School. Gray has been an active member of the Shelby County, Tennessee and National Education Associations for

many years.

Beth Brown, an English teacher at Grundy County High School, was elected TEA vice president. Brown has been an active member of the Tennessee Education Association since she began her career.

She has served in numerous leadership roles at the state and local levels of the association.

The Representative Assembly is TEA’s highest governing body and consists of delegate-members who are elected locally by their peers. This year, the delegates elected several new officers in addition to the president and vice president positions. The delegates also honored outstanding educators and citizens (see story on page 7), set the organization’s budget and legislative priorities for the upcoming year, and adopted resolutions and business items

Barbara Gray, a Memphis-Shelby County Schools administrator, was elected TEA president.

introduced by delegates.

Elected to the TEA Board of Directors were Dennis Kimbrough of Memphis-Shelby County, Alicia Ann Thompson of Hamilton County, Michael Carvella of Oak Ridge, Joe Crabtree of Johnson City, Caryce Gilmore of Robertson County, Jessica Holman of Knox County, Kevin King of Williamson County, Shawanda Perkins of Hamilton County, and Debbie Ponder of Tennessee School for the Blind.

Elected to the TEA Fund for Children and Public Education (TEA-FCPE) Executive Council were Ramona Bird of Washington County and DeWayne Emert of Anderson County.

Sammy Jobe of Memphis-Shelby County was elected West Tennessee member on the Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. Elected as Local Education Insurance Committee contact for West Tennessee was Mary Lou Marks of Benton County.

All newly elected officers will assume office on July 1, 2014.

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TEA members verify their credentials prior to entering the 2014 TEA RA polling station.

Rep. Harold Love Jr. (D-Nashville) speaks to TEA members during the commemoration of Brown v.

Board of Education at the 2014 TEA RA.

Rosemary Winters and Susan Simmons of Memphis-Shelby Co. EA visit during a break in RA action.

4  June 2014

TEA Instruction & Professional Development staffer Linda Holmes (right) helps members with their purchases at the TEA store .

Banner Year for Public Education

TEA Wins Big in 2014 Legislative Session, Sets Stage for Future Wins Thursday, April 17, marked the end of what turned out to be a very successful session for public education, students and teachers. Thanks to the many calls, emails and visits by educators statewide and the tireless work of TEA’s government relations team, many important bills were passed and several damaging bills were defeated.

Please take a minute to read through the list of legislative victories Jim Wrye and Antoinette Lee, TEA’s powerhouse government relations team, won for you this session.

Legislation passed

education or doctor of philosophy.

• 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.

• 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.

TEA’s bill to protect individual planning time for teachers passed the General Assembly unanimously.

• TVAAS barred from licensure - TEA’s bill to prohibit the use of TVAAS in teacher licensure decisions passed the General Assembly with overwhelming support. TEA delivered a petition with 11,674 signatures to Gov. Haslam asking him to sign the bill to treat educators as professionals.

• 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 2014-15 school year. The state will instead issue a request for proposals to find a new test best suited to Tennessee students.

• Salary schedule reinstated - TEA’s bill to reinstate the state minimum salary schedule valuing years of experience and advanced degrees was amended and passed. The amended version states 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 school year, with such schedule containing steps for each year 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

Legislation defeated • 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 this 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.

• Parent-trigger law changes - A bill to change the state’s parent-trigger law by lowering the percentage of parent votes required to take over a public school died in the House Budget subcommittee when bill sponsor Rep. John DeBerry was unable to get a motion from the committee to even hear the bill.

• Achievement School District enrollment - Rep. DeBerry’s other bill, one to open enrollment to the Achievement School District outside its zone, met the same fate. He was unable to get a motion in the House Budget sub-committee to even discuss the bill.

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Parent to Teachers: Please Don’t Give Up

“We love our teacher because she has instilled a love of learning

By Chelle Baldwin I am a parent of two girls in third and fourth grades and also the in our daughter.”

From a personal perspective, I can tell you that my fourth-grade chair of the Director’s Parent Advisory Council for Metro Nashville daughter has autism and an intellectual disability. I have refused Public Schools. Because of that role and my education advocacy to put her on portfolio in order to give her a shot at a diploma. That work, I have a good understanding of the constraints you are means she takes the TCAP and will take PARCC next facing in your work. I’m in the small percentage of year. She is below proficient, which hurts her parents who actually know what the TEAM model “Please don’t give up... teacher’s score. I carry a tremendous amount is and one of the few who understand how flawed Now more than ever, we of guilt knowing that doing what is best for my it is. Parents aren’t the ones who clamored for or child is hurting the very person who is helping need committed, universitycurrently support the reforms that have come down her academically, socially and emotionally. trained educators who from the federal and state levels. Most parents When I find her off in her room reading books see our children for who are not even aware of everything you are dealing out loud to herself, it is not reflected in her they are and what they can with. I know you are under enormous pressure to teacher’s observation or test score. There is no become instead of what hit a rubric set for you by people who do not have a standardized test that will measure the impact they can do on a test..” class made of up kids whose last meal was a school her teacher has had on her. lunch the day before or who didn’t get to bed until My youngest child is in the third grade. Every midnight or year about this time of year since she was in kindergarten, have learning disabilities or are she gets teary-eyed every morning on the way to school. She is off-the-charts smart. What you upset about the realization that her school year is coming to a close need to know is that parents do and she will have to leave that teacher behind and move up to a not care what your TEAM score new class. There is no observation or standardized test to measure is. We care how you connect how every teacher over the past four years has touched her heart. with and educate our kids.

My children’s capacity to be happy and to become productive Here are some things I never members of society cannot be measured by a number any more than hear parents say. your ability to educate and impact lives can be measured by a TEAM “Wow, I’m so glad my score. third-grader is taking the I know the climate has become unbearable. I personally know standardized test so I will know too many great educators who are looking at their options. As a if they will be college- and parent I am asking - maybe even begging - all of you to hang in career-ready.” there. Please don’t give up on the system or our children because “I am excited they are we need you. Now more than ever, we need committed, universityputting up student data on trained educators who see our children for who they are and what classroom walls so I can see they can become instead of what they can do on a test.

Chelle Baldwin how many kids are proficient or Many parents like me are doing our flat-level best to turn the not. It’s so great that our school does test prep every week.” reform madness around through education advocacy on the local “Our teacher is terrible because she doesn’t read the standards and state levels. I encourage you to be honest with parents about to the class with the ‘I can’ statement. My kid is really struggling what is going on in education. I haven’t met a teacher yet who because of that.” wasn’t masterful at putting on a smile in the face of adversity. But Here are some things I do frequently hear from parents. understand that people cannot advocate if they are not aware there “I am thrilled our child got Mrs. Smith because she has a is a problem or what the problem is. Parents appreciate you and will reputation for taking kids where they are at and working with them fight for you because we know that you fight for our kids every day.

And we thank you for that. individually to advance them all while honoring their spirit.”

“Our fifth-grader has so much anxiety over the standardized Chelle Baldwin chairs the Director’s Parent Advisory Council for Metro-Nashville tests but his teacher is so great about making sure the class does Public Schools and is vice president of Tennesseeans Reclaiming Educational not feel pressure over it and that helps our child.”

Excellence.

6 June 2014

TEA Members, Friends of Education Receive Honors The Tennessee Education Association presented awards to Tennessee educators and supporters of public education at TEA’s Annual Awards Luncheon and the Representative Assembly May 30.

TEA recognized the 2013-14 Distinguished Classroom Teachers. This year’s winners include Lisa Jo Anderson of Robertson County, Paula Hancock of Knox County, Crystal Harper of Memphis-Shelby County, Steven Hinkle of Hamilton County, Guy Robert Mauldin of Johnson City, Crystal Laura Nelson of Benton County and Jeannine Renfro of MetroNashville.

Clinton Smith of the University of Tennessee at Martin was recognized as the 2014 Distinguished Higher Education Faculty Member for his hard work and dedication to the Student Tennessee Education Association.

Andrew Lewis Gaskill of Cheatham County, Chelsea Joan Helmick of Maury County and Jason Lee Hilbelink of Metro-Nashville were awarded the Distinguished New Teacher award. This award honors teachers in the first years of teaching who go above and beyond for their students.

Derick Bell of Memphis-Shelby County received the award for 2014 Distinguished Education Support Professional. The Distinguished Administrator Award recipients are Kimber Lee Halliburton of Metro Nashville and LaFrederick Thirkill of Hamilton County.

Scan the QR code below to watch video messages from the Distinguished Educator award winners.

Beth Brown of Grundy County was recognized as TEA’s nominee for the 2013 National Education Association Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.

The E. Harper Johnson Human Relations Award in the layperson category was awarded to Gregory Ramos, an attorney in Nashville. The Student Tennessee Education Association was recognized in the local association category.

Mary R. Brockett of Knox County received the Susan B. Anthony Award for her work in support of programs and achievements for women and girls.

TEA’s 2014 Friend of Education Awards were presented to Rep. Joe Pitts of Clarksville in the individual category, and the Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education in the organization category.

Lisa Jo Anderson, Robertson Co. EA Distinguished Classroom TeacherMiddle Tennessee “My focus shifted from bulletin boards to shoes on my students’ feet and food on their tables. The test scores aren’t going to come unless students are excited about learning.”

Derick Bell, Memphis-Shelby Co. EA Distinguished Education Support Professional “My association has been a great help in visualizing my career, helping us work together as a team at my school. I would like to encourage all ESPs to stay positive and motivated.”

Andrew Lewis Gaskill, Cheatham Co. EA Distinguished New Teacher, Grades 9-12 “Music is the biggest inspiration in my life. I find that music brings freedom and I hope to share that passion with my students. I hope their love for music expands throughout their community and the world.”

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8 June 2014

Kimber Lee Halliburton, Metro-Nashville EA Distinguished Administrator-Middle Tennessee “When I was a little girl, I used to set my dolls out to teach them lessons. I didn’t want to be anything but a teacher. This award means a lot. I became a member 26 years ago as a brand new teacher, fresh out of college. Being a member of TEA helps to foster the collaboration between teachers and administrators.”

Paula Hancock, Knox Co. EA Distinguished Classroom TeacherEast Tennessee “It’s an honor to represent other educators across the state. I feel that teaching is the second highest calling one can have in their life after preaching. Our success is attributable to the success of others.”

Chelsea Joan Helmick, Maury Co. EA Distinguished New Teacher, Pre-K-Grade 4 “My involvement in TEA has kept me in the loop. It’s very important for young educators to be involved in TEA. I’ve been teaching for two years and my heart and soul are in education. It’s nice to be recognized for doing a good job.”

Jason Lee Hilbelink, Metro-Nashville EA Distinguished New Teacher, Grades 5-8 “I draw a lot of professional growth from the NEA, TEA and MNEA publications.

Learning from the experiences of other great teachers has had a profound impact on my growth as an instructional leader.”

9 2014,

www.teateachers.org

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10 June 2014

Financial tips from NEA Member Benefits:

Insurance Coverage for Summer Storm Damage

By Sandra Block When insurers assess water-related damage, a lot depends on whether the water came from above or below. In general, if the damage was caused by winddriven rain that came in through your roof, windows or doors, your insurance will cover the cost of repairs.

But if the damage is caused by flooding, a far more common problem during storm season, your homeowners insurance will not cover it.

The only way to protect yourself from flood-related damage is to buy flood insurance from the federal National Flood Insurance Program.

Premiums range from about $200 a year to more than $2,000, depending on your area’s risk of flooding.

Never assume you don’t need flood insurance just because you don’t live in a coastal area. In 2011, torrential rainfall from Hurricane Irene caused widespread flooding throughout the Northeast.

Vermont was hard hit, and many of the victims didn’t have flood insurance. “A lot of Vermont residents never thought they’d be involved in major flooding,” says Richard McGrath, chief executive of McGrath Insurance Group, in Sturbridge, Mass.

You can purchase federal flood insurance through a local insurance agent.

Don’t wait until storm clouds gather to buy a policy; typically, there’s a 30-day waiting period before premiums take effect. For price quotes, go to FloodSmart.gov.

Sewage backup. If heavy rains overwhelm your storm-water system, sewage could back up into your house -- an expensive and smelly mess. Most standard homeowners policies don’t include sewagebackup coverage, but you can purchase a rider that will pay for $10,000 to $20,000 of damages for about $50 to $75 a year, McGrath says.

Damage from trees. Old-growth trees lose their charm in a hurry when lightning, wind or heavy rain knocks them down. If the tree hits your house, garage or other insured structure, the damage is usually covered by your homeowners insurance, says Jeanne Salvatore, spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute.

Damage from a neighbor’s tree -- or even from one a block away that was uprooted in a windstorm -- is also covered.

If your insurer believes your neighbor contributed to the problem by failing to take care of the tree, it may try to collect

You may be able to recover some of the costs your insurance doesn’t reimburse when you file your taxes.

against your neighbor’s policy, Salvatore says. In that case, you could get a break on all or part of your deductible. But it works both ways: If your tree damages your neighbor’s property, you could be held responsible. Your insurer could refuse to cover damage to your property if it believes you were negligent.

Most policies won’t pay to remove a tree that falls in your yard but doesn’t hit anything -- although you may be eligible for some coverage if the fallen tree blocks your driveway or prevents you from getting into your house.

Get a tax break? You may be able to recover some of the costs your insurance doesn’t reimburse when you file your taxes.

Losses from hurricanes, floods and other disasters that aren’t covered by your policy are deductible, as long as you itemize. You won’t be able to deduct the entire amount of your losses, however.

First, you’ll have to reduce the amount of your loss by $100. Then, you can deduct only the amount that exceeds 10% of your adjusted gross income. For example, if you suffered $20,000 in unreimbursed losses and your AGI is $100,000, you would subtract $100, then subtract $10,000 (10% of your AGI) from the $19,900 balance, bringing your deduction to $9,900.

NEA Member Benefits © 2014 The Kiplinger Washington Editors 11 www.teateachers.org

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

We Won’t Give Up

By Dennis Van Roekel On June 13, when political ideologues were running full-page ads attacking teachers and calling kids garbage — I was in the small town of Emporia, Kansas helping to dedicate a memorial to educators who made the ultimate sacrifice for their students. The headlines in the last few days have been dominated by political attacks against public school educators, while scant attention was paid to a cherished child who lost his life to yet another gun attack in a school.

It’s easy to get discouraged when the rhetoric of our opponents dominates the headlines and the airwaves.

But I, like you, don’t look at the world through the pages of USA Today or the headlines in Politico. I see the world through the eyes of the students I have taught and the eyes of educators who you and I work with every day to fight for great public schools for every student.

We look through their eyes and see those attacks, those headlines and get angry.

Angry at a system that would vilify dedicated educators who get up every day with one focus — helping their students succeed.

Angry at a system that’s narrowly focused on small silver-bullet solutions while blind to the larger problems of poverty, inequity and the growing gulf that separates students from the opportunity to succeed.

And yes — I get angry at corporate interests that would rather see public schools as a billion-dollar enterprise and our children as commodities to be profited from rather than a public good and the driving force for excellence AND equity.

I have a message for those people who would seek to reduce children to a test score and teaching to a technological transaction.

You are mistaken if you think we will see your attacks and get discouraged, that we will read the

headlines and give up.

You may put students in the name of your campaigns but that doesn’t mean you really care about the millions of children in our public schools.

If you did truly care, you would look at the more than half of public-school children who live in poverty and wage your crusades against the inequity in our economy.

If you truly cared, you would look at the deteriorating conditions in schools across this country and aim your fire at politicians who have starved our schools of the resources to succeed and then punished them for their failures.

If you truly cared, then you would see the scourge of violence that has once again taken away a young life and run your full page ads demanding action to end the plague of gun violence in our schools and communities.

Yesterday those opponents of public education were celebrating their political wins and driving their version of the story on education hoping that in declaring victory we - educators, our association would concede defeat.

But what they don’t realize is that I am a teacher. I, like the millions of educators across this country, won’t give up on our kids.

I will continue to fight for them, and for the educators across this country who dedicate themselves to fulfilling the promise of another generation of students.

This association won’t give up until we have brought together everyone who believes in the promise of great public schools for all and we’ve declared victory for our kids.

I, like you, won’t give up because we are educators.

We are NEA. Dennis Van Roekel is NEA president.

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)234-0700, fax: (855)299-0723; Assns: Cocke, Newport, Greene, Greeneville, Unicoi, Washington, Hamblen, Johnson City. District 3 — Tina Parlier, P.O. Box 70288, Knoxville, TN 37938-0288, (865)6881175, fax: (865)518-3104; Assns: Claiborne, Grainger, Jefferson, Sevier, Union, Scott, Campbell, Oneida (in Scott Co.). District 4 — Janet Abrams, Assns: Knox,TSD, District 5— Jason White, P.O. Box 5502, Oak Ridge, TN 37831; (615)521-1333, fax: (865)301-8366; Assns: Anderson, Clinton, Oak Ridge, Blount, Alcoa, Maryville, Lenoir City, Loudon. District 6 — Jim Jordan, P.O. Box 4878, Cleveland, TN 37320; phone: (423)472-3315, fax: (855)299-5674; 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 — Chris Brooks, P.O. Box 3629, Chattanooga, TN 37404; phone: (615)332-2636, fax: (866)483-2514; Assns: Clay, Cumberland, Fentress, Jackson, Morgan, Pickett, Putnam, Overton, York Institute, TN Tech.

Univ, 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)630-2605, fax (855)3208755—; Assns: Rutherford, Murfreesboro, Sumner, MTSU, Macon, Smith, Trousdale. District 11 — Cheryl Richardson-Bradley, P.O. Box 354, Goodlettsville, TN 37070; (615)630-2601, fax: (888)519-4879; Assns: Wilson, Lebanon, FSSD, Williamson. District 12 — Miley Durham, P.O. Box 10, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464; phone: (931)766-7874, fax: (913) 762-9391— Assns: Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Lincoln, Fayetteville, Maury, Wayne, Marshall, Perry. District 13 — Forestine Cole, Vacancy, Metro Nashville, 531 Fairground Court, Nashville, TN 37211; (615)726-1499, fax: (855)299-5837 (Cole), (855)299-4968 (Smith); Assns: Metro Nashville, TN School For The Blind. District 14 — Rhonda Thompson, TEA 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201; phone: (615)354-3305, fax: (888)519-7331; Assns: Clarksville-Montgomery, Robertson. District 15 — Maria Uffelman, P.O. Box 99, Cumberland City, TN 37050; phone: (931)827-3333, fax: (855)299-4925; 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 — Karla Carpenter, P.O. Box 177, Brunswick, TN 38014; (901)590-2543, fax: (855)299-4892; —Assns: Crockett, Dyer, Dyersburg, Gibson, Humboldt, Milan, Trenton, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, Union City, Tipton Weakley. District 18 — Zandra Foster, 3897 Homewood Cove, Memphis, TN 38128; (901)377-9472, fax: (855)320-8737;—Assns:, Shelby, Fayette. District 19 — Assns: Memphis Education Association — Ken Foster, Executive Director; MEA UniServ Directors: Susanne Jackson, Terri Jones, Tom Marchand, 126 South Flicker Street, Memphis, TN 38104; (901)4540966, fax: (901)454-9979; Assn: Memphis.

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12 June 2014