Teach - March 2012

Governor Drops

Class Size Initiative

page 8

Published by the TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION March 2012  Vol. 43, No. 7  www.teateachers.org

Virtually Zero

Honest Analysis Suggests Online Schools May Strain Finances, Contribute Little

Mandated Test Security

Guidelines for Tennessee’s Teachers page 9

Speaking out with you Gera Summerford, President

Al Mance, Executive Director

K12 Inc., Koch Industries Behind State Laws

Stand Up for Children, Public Education or Give Up

Did you ever wonder why the Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana state governments wanted to end negotiations the same year Tennessee’s legislature did? Or why so many states have passed almost identical laws weakening teacher tenure? Have you considered that there are greater forces at work than those residing in Tennessee?

These days, when I visit with teachers and other educators, I’m often asked such questions as, “Where is this coming from?” “What’s the basis for all the antiteacher, anti-public education legislation?”

As I look at what’s happened in Tennessee and other states during the last year, I recognize a trajectory that started when I was a beginning teacher—and I’m afraid it’s nearing its target.

For years I’ve heard NEA leaders say that those who want to privatize our schools would start by attacking us. Because we, the teachers, are the protectors of free public education for all children. We believe the best way to prepare children to live in diverse communities and a thriving democracy is to provide quality public schools where all children are welcome. Our opponents, however, have a different idea and an orchestrated plan to divert public education funds to corporate interests.

If you doubt, as I did back in the 1980’s, that such a conspiracy exists, look no further than ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. Backed by such groups as the Friedman Foundation, Pearson Publishing, Sylvan Learning, and K12 Inc., as well as such huge corporations as the Koch Companies, Reynolds American, ExxonMobil, Kraft Foods and others, ALEC brings state legislators and corporate interests together to share model legislation that moves state law toward privatization of public schools.

For example, the “virtual schools “ law passed in Tennessee last year to create online schools was brought to us by ALEC’s Education Task Force, led by Mickey Revenaugh of Connections Academy and Lisa Gillis of K12 Inc. Both of these virtual school companies have a vested interest in the legislation. K12 Inc. (whose CEO earns $2.6 million) won the no-bid contract in Union County to create the Tennessee Virtual Academy. Is that a good use of taxpayer money?

Other model legislation developed by ALEC and carried to state legislatures around the country promote charter schools, vouchers, increased student testing and reporting, alternative certification for teachers, performance pay, and tenure reform. ALEC’s description of its Great Teachers and Leaders Act reads, “…tenure is revocable following two consecutive years of insufficient growth. The Act requires principals to be evaluated annually with 50 percent of the evaluation based on student achievement and their ability to develop teachers in their buildings and increase their effectiveness.”

Sound familiar? Do we really want ALEC writing our laws in Tennessee?

As we review the actions of the 107th General Assembly and prepare for Election 2012, we need to make sure we look beneath the surface to find the roots of our problems. We must remember our purpose and work together to protect public education. We need to identify those legislators who are members of ALEC. And we need to support lawmakers who think for themselves and truly represent the people who elect them.

When we elect citizens to office, we give them a defined period of time to enact laws, rules and regulations to protect and support us.

We depend on them to act in our best interest and to be responsible for their actions. The laws they pass have an impact on our lives.

The Tennessee constitution establishes the state’s obligation to provide a free public school system for Tennessee boys and girls. The General Assembly is charged with the responsibility to build and support that system.

The state generally attempted to meet its obligation. After ESEA/NCLB became federal law, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a limited charter school law. The original law provided an alternative for boys and girls who attended schools that were in the ‘restructuring’ phase under ESEA/NCLB. Since then, the General Assembly took all limits off.

Thus began the slide down a slippery slope.

The repeal of teachers’ voices in negotiating teaching and learning conditions and school system policies about transfers, teacher evaluation, student discipline, workload, curriculum, class size, incentive pay programs and other professional issues accelerated the slide.

Increasing the probationary period from three to five years and raising the standard for teachers to achieve employment protections caused further damage when fair dismissal became a reward, rather than a fundamental right, of teachers who meet the expectations of their employment.

Early this year, the governor proposed legislation that, if passed, would wipe out the state’s minimum salary schedule for teachers and eliminate the average class size requirements for students. Money saved by increasing class sizes would be used to fund incentive pay schemes that could not be discussed under the rules of the new Collaborative Conferencing law.

Most of the legislators participating in these attacks seem to assume that expertise in their chosen vocation translates well into other fields. This flawed thinking appears to have resulted in a lack of respect for teachers.

Unfortunately, too many of us played a role in putting these legislators into position to do the damage caused by their flawed policies.

Legislative events of the past two years should be defining lessons for every educator. Tennessee’s teachers and education support professionals must resolve this will never happen again. We are dedicated to the proposition that every Tennessee student has the right to a high quality free public education. We believe all teachers have the right to apply their professional skills to the achievement of that goal. Therefore, we must do everything within our power to elect public servants who also support these goals.

The Tennessee House of Representatives and half the Senate will stand for election in November. Those who are committed to the mission of public education must begin persuading spouses, children, parents, neighbors, friends and church members to vote for education in 2012.

Strong public schools are our best hope for a bright economic future for Tennessee boys and girls. It is the unbiased equalizer for all Tennesseans and the best chance to ensure our democratic form of government will endure.

Let us each do our part. We owe it to the children.

You count.

teach (USPS 742-450, ISSN 15382907) is published monthly (except for June, July and December) 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 $254.00 for active members; $127.00 for associate, education support and staff members; $16.00 for retired members; and $10.00 for student members. Member of State Education Editors Conference (SEE).

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MANAGING EDITOR: Alexei Smirnov asmirnov@tea.nea.org PUBLISHER: Alphonso C. Mance MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS: A.L. Hayes

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)353-8590 SECRETARY-TREASURER: Alphonso C. Mance (615)242-8392 DISTRICT 1 Leisa Lusk (423)928-6819 DISTRICT 2 Melinda Reese (423)587-2120 DISTRICT 3 Karen Starr (423)628-2701 DISTRICT 4 Tanya Coats (865)637-7494 DISTRICT 5 Sandy Smith (423)991-8856 DISTRICT 6 Beth Brown* (931)779-8016 DISTRICT 7 Bonnie T. Dixon (931)967-9949 DISTRICT 8 Kawanda Braxton (615)554-6286 DISTRICT 9 Erick Huth (615)973-5851 DISTRICT 10 Guy Stanley (615)384-2983 DISTRICT 11 Melanie Buchanan* (615)305-2214 DISTRICT 12 Debbie D’Angelo (731)247-3152 DISTRICT 13 Ernestine King (901)590-8188 DISTRICT 14 Sarah Kennedy-Harper (901)416-4582 DISTRICT 15 Stephanie Fitzgerald (901)872-4878 ADMINISTRATOR EAST Johnny Henry (865)509-4829 ADMINISTRATOR MIDDLE Margaret Thompson (615)643-7823 ADMINISTRATOR WEST Charles Green (901)624-6186 HIGHER EDUCATION Derek Frisby (615)898-5881 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER EAST Paula Hancock (865)694-1691 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER MIDDLE Alzenia Walls (615)230-8144 BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER WEST LaVerne Dickerson* (901)416-7122 STATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS Vacancy ESP Christine Denton (931)647-8962 TN NEA DIRECTOR Stephen Henry* (615)519-5691 TN NEA DIRECTOR Diccie Smith (901)482-0627 TN NEA DIRECTOR Diane Lillard (423)478-8827 STEA MEMBER Caryce Gilmore (865)640-6590 TN RETIRED Gerald Lillard (423)478-8827 NEW TEACHER CandraClariette (615)506-3493 * Executive Committee

TEA HEADQUARTERS STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Alphonso C. Mance; ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AFFILIATE SERVICES: Mitchell Johnson; ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PROGRAM SERVICES: Carol K. Schmoock; TEA GENERAL COUNSEL; Vacancy; MANAGER OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Stephanie Faulkner; INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & SYSTEMS MANAGER, Galen Riggs; MANAGER OF UNISERV & BARGAINING COORDINATOR: Donna Cotner; STAFF ATTORNEYS: Tina Rose Camba, Katherine Curlee, Virginia A. McCoy; MANAGER OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Jerry Winters; GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ASSISTANT: Antoinette Lee; MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS & GRAPHICS: A.L. Hayes; WEB MASTER & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Amanda Chaney; MANAGING EDITOR & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Alexei Smirnov; MANAGER OF RESEARCH & INFORMATION: Melissa Brown; RESEARCH & INFORMATION ASSISTANT: Susan Ogg; MANAGER FOR INSTRUCTION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Terrance Gibson; INSTRUCTION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS: Susan Dalton, Nicki Fields; COORDINATOR OF MEMBERSHIP & AFFILIATE RELATIONS:DuranWilliams.

UniServ Staff contact information can be found on page 12.

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March 2012

Who Turns the Wheels Impacting Evaluation?

State Board of Education, Legislature Wield Considerable Power

By Susan Dalton While many TEA members are ready and willing to advocate for changes to the current evaluation system, it’s sometimes hard to determine who made which decision and what can be done about it now.

It’s important for members to know who turns the wheels impacting evaluation so we can hold all parties accountable and understand how to get things changed.

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Establishes June 15 as deadline for written notice of dismissal or failure to reelect

Educator Evaluation Rule August 5, 2011

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Teacher and Principal Evaluation Policy November 4, 2011

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Fifteen-member committee created by General Assembly meets to make recommendations to SBE about teacher and principal evaluations and grievance procedure

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Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee March 2010-January 2011

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January 2010

General Assembly passes First to Top Act - which states: � Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee (TEAC) with SBE Executive Director as one of 15 members � TEAC recommendations to go to the State Board of Education (SBE) � SBE to establish guidelines and criteria for annual evaluations and grievance procedure

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TEAM model approved for state model; three alternative models approved

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of the General Assembly and the SBE. Many legislators are ard of E rd of Ed Bo oa confused about what happens to education policy once their votes are taken, and most have been o satisfied allowing the SBE to work f d E r of Edu d n Adviso oa c rd atio ry u l out the policy details. a eneral A G Members of the SBE are s ee rd of Ed oa appointed by the governor for five-year terms and may be reappointed. While one SBE e n r e e a n r e a lA G lA G s ee s ee member must be a K-12 teacher at the time of appointment, ard of Ed o all others are generally nonB educators. eneral A While SBE members never The First to the Top Act G rd of Ed s ee oa eneral A G have to face election, each state The First to the Top Act can be s ee board member has a constituency linked to a series of value-added based on his/her Congressional statutes passed in 1992, though district. Educator contact with it wasn’t until passage of the the SBE must be part of the act in January 2010 that valuesolution. TEA members need to added data was linked to annual educate policymakers — SBE evaluations for the first time. members as well as legislators — and hold them accountable.

From that point, many votes by the General Assembly, the Teacher Evaluation TEA’s State Board Contact Team also plays a crucial role in TEA’s efforts Advisory Committee (TEAC) and the State Board of Education (SBE) led us to to influence the actions of the SBE. Contact team members are all educators the current unmanageable system. who communicate directly with SBE members on a regular basis and attend While November’s legislative hearings and many meetings with legislators have raised awareness about the need for change, some legislators have hidden SBE meetings when critical issues are under consideration. They work closely with TEA’s Instruction and Professional Development staff, who research and behind the actions of the SBE and the TEAC. Some legislators conveniently monitor proposed policies. claim they were merely part of the bipartisan support for First to the Top in January 2010. First to the Top required the creation of the TEAC, with their recommendations to go to the SBE. However, that vote alone did not create the Who can change the evaluation system now? current system.

The General Assembly could choose to make 2011-2012 a pilot year for the The First to the Top Act required the SBE to adopt policies to implement evaluation, which would allow time to fix the problems with the system. It guidelines for annual evaluations of all teachers and principals and a grievance could direct the SBE to make changes under the duties and powers defined in procedure. In 2011, the General Assembly complicated the issue by tying the law, which grants the SBE the power to: tenure reforms to the SBE policies and rules on evaluations and linking tenure • Analyze the needs of public schools to effectiveness ratings determined by the evaluation system. The 2011 • Set policies for evaluating individual teachers General Assembly also extended until June 15 the date by which teachers with • Adopt policies about licensure and certification continuing contracts must be notified of their dismissal or failure of reelection, • Approve, disapprove or amend rules and regulations prepared by the which makes it more likely summative evaluation ratings can be a factor in commissioner to implement policies, standards, or guidelines of the board these decisions.

• Determine the ways and means of improving teacher, student and Some legislators recognize the flaws in the evaluation system and are school performances, and to set policies to accomplish such improvements prepared to wave the checkered flag. Others brag that Tennessee is moving The SBE could choose to revisit its own policies and rule-making relative to forward while they secretly admit that the evaluation vehicle has a motor, the current evaluation model. We expect it to do so this summer, if not sooner. gas pedal, and forward gear but seems to be lacking neutral, reverse, or even The current flawed evaluation system is the result of many cogs interacting brakes. Business leaders are on the sidelines waving the green flag. Many in a complex way. Instead of starting with a cleanly engineered, streamlined educators are considering waving the white flag which means both surrender design based on a clear vision of what the final product should be, the unwieldy and do not fire. evaluation system is the result of one decision built upon another which is layered on top of still other decisions. Non-educators creating education policy can be similar to shade-tree mechanics who never win engineering designs and The role of the State Board of Education are rarely models of efficiency.

Like any complex system, many people making many decisions got us here.

Susan Dalton is a coordinator of instruction and professional development at TEA. Much confusion results from the lack of understanding of the overlapping roles

Cogs in the Evaluation System

Makes evaluation consistent with nonrenewal change to June 15

3 www.teateachers.org

Virtually Here

Research, Critics Question State’s Foray Into Online Education Coming soon to a town hall meeting near you— politicians with more virtual schooling ideas.

Inspired by their colleagues in other states, Tennessee lawmakers rushed toward the end of last year’s legislative session to pass the Virtual Public Schools Act, which entitles private companies to receive a big chunk of Tennessee’s public education dollars.

Pioneering the field of virtual education under the new law was K12 Inc., a publicly-traded entity based in Herndon, Va. K12 Inc.’s Tennessee Virtual Academy signed a contract with Union Co. that allows the company to attract students from all over the state. As students sign up for online classes, local taxpayer funds are diverted to Union Co. and then out of state to K12 Inc., which takes roughly 96 percent of BEP funds for students participating in its distance learning programs—a hefty price tag. This school has no building, provides no meals, sporting events or face-to-face contact with a live teacher—just the online experience, yet it takes the money reserved for a given student (at least $5,387) out of the local school district where the virtual student actually lives and distributes roughly four percent of those funds to Union Co. The virtual schooling bill was passed despite opposition from our state’s more analytical legislators.

Among the bill’s most vocal critics is State Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, whose commentary in The Chattanooga Times Free Press made a strong case against rushed virtual schools legislation and K12 Inc. in particular.

“The Virtual Public Schools Act funnels thousands of Tennessee public education dollars to a convicted felon, high-profile Washington figures and millionaire executives who live around the world,” Berke wrote, criticizing Governor Bill Haslam for not thinking through the consequences prior to signing the bill into law.

“The consequences, simply put, will be devastating to our public schools. In a year marked by bills attacking teachers, the virtual schools law could do the most damage to Tennessee education. Never before have we given taxpayer money to a massive corporation and said, ‘Educate our children however you want.’ But that’s what lawmakers did with K12, a massive corporation that expects to generate $500 million in revenue this year,” Berke wrote, pointing out that K12 Inc. “is partly the brainchild of Michael Milken, a convicted felon who served time in prison for his role as the ‘junk-bond king’ in the ’80s.”

“He was banned from securities trading for life, and 4

March 2012

then paid millions in penalties when he violated that ban. Milken’s ethics seem to have rubbed off on K12, which routinely outsourced grading papers to India until bloggers caught them,” according to Berke.

On the heels of a U.S. Department of Education study, which concluded there was no evidence that K12 Inc.’s method of cyber-schooling provided any benefit over traditional schooling and after Pennsylvania’s acting education secretary demanded that a K12 Inc. school there improve its test scores or risk losing its charter, Tennessee welcomed the company to set up shop here.

According to recent reports, 1,900 kids are enrolled in the K12 Inc. Union Co. subsidiary, which serves students in grades K-8. “Twenty live in Union County, the rest of them are all the way from Memphis to Mountain City,” Union Co. Interim Superintendent Marilyn Toppins was quoted as saying on WBIR.com.

Another critic of the bill, House Democratic Leader Craig Fitzhugh, wrote in a blog post at The Dyersburg State Gazette that the virtual schools bill went too far.

“While I support virtual education programs for homebound students or for students wanting to take more advanced classes not offered in their school, I am opposed to this legislation because it promotes for-profit virtual schools as an alternative to traditional, inclassroom learning,” Fitzhugh wrote. “It is irresponsible to do this because, as the National Education Policy Center points out, we have no data to show us how these for-profit virtual schools will perform against traditional public schools. Until we have this data, it is premature to use taxpayer money to open hundreds of for-profit virtual schools.”

According to recent research from Western Michigan University and the National Education Policy Center, only a third of K12 Inc.’s schools achieved adequate yearly progress, the measurement mandated by federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

In a story published last December in The New York Times, some teachers at K12 schools said they felt pressured to pass students who did little work. Teachers have also questioned why some students who did no class work were allowed to remain on school rosters, potentially allowing the company to continue receiving public money for them. State auditors found that the K12-run Colorado Virtual Academy counted about 120 students for state reimbursement whose enrollment could not be verified or who did not meet Colorado residency requirements. Some had never logged in, according to the article.

As Tennessee lawmakers look to Colorado as a leader

in online education, an investigative report by the I-News Network, a Colorado-based news consortium and Education News Colorado suggest approaching online education entities with caution.

During the 10-month investigation of thousands of K-12 students who attend the online school, the analysis found: * Half the online students wind up leaving within a year. When they do, they’re often further behind academically than when they started. * Online schools produce three times as many dropouts as they do graduates. One of every eight online students drops out of school permanently – a rate four times the state average. * Millions of dollars are going to virtual schools for students who no longer attend online classes. * The churn of students in and out of online schools is putting pressure on brick-and-mortar schools, which then must find money in their budgets to educate students who come from online schools mid-year.

Not all virtual education options are bad. During a recent legislative session on Nashville’s Capitol Hill, TEA member Sharon Anderson, an administrator at Putnam Co. Central Office, was prepared to testify that for students living in rural areas having a viable virtual learning program is no longer a “nice to have” alternative, but an essential key to academic success.

“Why is virtual learning important for the Upper Cumberland? The Tennessee Diploma Project requires 22 credits for high school graduation and specifies four math credits including Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and a fourth year higher-level math class, as well as three science credits and two foreign language credits,” Anderson said. “Virtual learning can provide access to courses such as STEM and AP courses in areas where it is not cost-effective to offer them in a traditional format.

Most of the Upper Cumberland fits in that category.”

As lawmakers weigh more virtual learning initiatives, Sen. Berke sides with Tennessee’s teachers, urging his colleagues to proceed with caution.

The state already has a “nationally recognized online learning program, known as e4TN,” whose future is now uncertain due to K12 Inc.’s entry into Tennessee, Berke wrote. “We are entering uncharted waters in Tennessee public education. We have no precedent for transferring public education dollars to a private company with no restrictions, no expectations and no consequences.

Maybe K12 will insist that its methods will provide a solid education to prepare students for college and the workforce. To that, I simply say: Prove it.”

Legislative Contact Meetings Held

TEA conducted nine regional Legislative Contact Team meetings across the state in late January and February. Pictured left (from left to right), Knox County EA President Sherry Morgan, members Bill Bell and Scott Rhea attended the session in Knoxville.

Pictured right, Blount County EA President and Legislative Contact Team member Grady Caskey talks with Tennessee Education Association Assistant Executive Director Mitchell Johnson at a recent LCT regional meeting.

Opinion/Commentary

Taking Teacher Evaluation to the Next Step: Evaluating Students

By Mark Orman Evaluation means to teachers what grading means to their students.

Using the logic behind measuring the value of teachers’ performance, why not extend the evaluation model across the entire educational spectrum?

Let’s try it this way.

Proposed Tennessee State K-12 Schools Grading Policy for All Public Schools Dear students, welcome to Tennessee‘s state school system. Please read the following policy carefully, as the methods of grading which have previously been used to measure your school work have been realigned by the Tennessee General Assembly.

The grading scale will remain the same, but a new alignment of grades has been mandated by the Tennessee General Assembly and will be overseen by the State Department of Education.

Once a student’s information has been entered into the computer, there will be ABSOLUTELY NO effort made on the part of any official of the school system to correct any errors which may have been made in determining your grade.

To receive an A: You must do everything perfectly every day, both in class and in the school environment in general. You must be at your best no matter how you feel or what is happening in your life. The teacher must see and document you doing everything perfectly each day. If you do something which the teacher does not see, it will not count toward your grade.

Only those students getting an A in every category will have the opportunity to contribute to society in a meaningful way. There will be the same number of As given in each class as there are Fs. The grade of A will be given rarely.

To receive a B: You must be at your best every day and must demonstrate your ability to be perfect each day. The teacher must personally observe everything you do every day. Your unique talents and abilities must be subjugated to the items which may appear on the end-of-course test. Only those students who are willing to follow directions without question will be awarded a B. Only the students who make a B or better will be admitted to a college or university. There will be the same number of Bs given in each class as there are Ds. Any student who does not maintain an average of A or B for three out of every five years will not be allowed to remain on the rolls of any Tennessee Public School.

To receive a C: You must be a good, rock-solid student. You will demonstrate

that you do almost everything perfectly each day. You must be prepared to prove that you have everything you need for class and have done your homework each day.

You must never stray from the assigned topic of the day, even if a related topic piques your interest and you would like to learn more about it. You must not take the time away from the standard assigned topics to learn anything not listed in the standards book. Most of you will receive a C on your coursework. You will pass the class, and you will receive a basic diploma.

To receive a D: You must try to do the best you possibly can do, regardless of what your abilities or circumstances are or the quality of the materials. Should your parents not wish to support you or should they not have the financial means to provide for your academic supplies, you will be penalized without regard to these extenuating circumstances. Improvements which you have made over the course of the class will not be taken into consideration. Only the achievements actually seen by the teacher will be taken into consideration. There will be the same number of Ds given in each class as there are Bs. Those who receive a D will be considered unworthy to receive a passing grade. The names of these students will be posted in public places in order to encourage them to improve.

To receive an F: A predetermined number of students in each class will receive an F for the class no matter how hard they try to improve their grades or position in the class. No program of help will be provided for students who are designated as F students. The names of these students will be posted in public places in order to encourage them to improve.

Do not attempt to object to this new system of grading. The General Assembly has determined that it is completely fair and objective and must be followed. If your opinion had been valued, you would have been consulted before the policy was put in place.

This method of grading was inspired by the method used to evaluate the value of teachers across the state. It is the logical next step in the process of determining individual student’s performance.

Is it right to judge a person by such a narrow, demanding scale?

If it is fair and just for teachers, it must be fair and just for everyone else.

Next, let’s develop an evaluation system for our elected officials.

Mark Orman teaches at Columbia Central High School and is a member of Maury County EA. 5 www.teateachers.org

6  March 2012

Public Forum to Address Legislative Changes Affecting Teachers The Democratic Women of Wilson County will host its Second Annual Forum on Public Education on March 27 at 7 p.m. at Cumberland University’s Labry Hall in Lebanon. “This forum is open to everyone who is interested in the education of our children,” said Alexis Hamnett, teacher at Sam Houston Elementary and member of Lebanon Education Association.

An invited panel of experts and stakeholders will discuss the significant changes passed by the Tennessee legislature last year and the new initiatives pending during this legislative session, such as the changes to teacher evaluation and collaborative conferencing, which replaced collective bargaining by teachers.

Panelists will also discuss proposals by Governor Bill Haslam to remove the standards for class sizes and to modify the pay scales for teachers.

“The panel will discuss the impact of these initiatives on teachers, how it affects their ability to

perform at their best and what the consequences this may hold for the future of education in Tennessee,” said Hamnett, who is helping organize the public service event.

Dr. Bill McKee, professor of education and public service management at Cumberland University, will moderate the forum.

Invited guests include Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto and the mayors of Lebanon, Mount Juliet and Watertown, county commissioners and school board members.

As this event is open to the public, all interested parents and individuals are invited to attend.

The Wilson County Democratic Women have organized the forum as a public service, and it is hosted

by Cumberland University located at 1 Cumberland Square, Lebanon, Tenn., 37087. For more information, please call (615) 444.3838.

Sevier County EA member Joy Parton talks with TEA UniServ Coordinator Jason White at the recent SCEA member rally at the King Family Library in Sevierville.

Left to right: Karns Middle School Principal Cindi White, Knox Co. EA President Sherry Morgan and TEA lobbyist Antoinette Lee talk during a recent KCEA school visit. Karns Middle School had the highest percentage of cards returned during the collaborative conference vote. KCEA provided breakfast for all teachers during the morning visit.

Legislative Contact Team In Touch With Lawmakers In a recent interview with teach, Jefferson County teacher Lisa Henry said, “If politicians are getting into education, educators must get into politics.” It is for this very reason that TEA created its Legislative Contact Team.

As TEA’s Government Relations department works tirelessly in the legislature advocating on behalf of teachers, it is crucial that legislators hear directly from educators in their districts.

The LCT ensures every single Tennessee legislator receives consistent feedback from Tennessee’s teachers.

At the beginning of the legislative session each year, TEA staff host regional meetings to update LCT members about key legislation and potential challenges facing public education.

TEA encourages all educators to get involved in the legislative process. Elected officials make decisions every day that directly affect your classroom and your school. To get involved with LCT or other TEA legislative efforts, please visit the “Issues & Advocacy” section of the TEA website, www.teateachers.org.

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Educational Support Personnel

TEA Building Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:00 a.m.Building – 4:00 p.m.

TEA

_____ Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:00 4:00 p.m.

Alla.m.

ESPs– Invited

_____ $15 Refundable Registration Fee Continental Breakfast and Lunch All ESPs Invited $15 Refundable Registration Fee CONFERENCE SESSIONS: Continental Breakfast and Lunch Educational Support Personnel

TEA Building Saturday, April 21, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

( NEW LAWS: SUMMARY & EXPLANATION & WHAT CAN TEA DO FOR ME

CONFERENCE SESSIONS: ( YOUR RIGHTS: STATE & FEDERAL LAW

A Conference For Educational Support Professionals ( NEW LAWS: SUMMARY & EXPLANATION & WHAT CAN TEA DO FOR ME ( MANAGING MONEY & CREDIT

(

( YOUR RIGHTS: STATE & FEDERAL LAW RETIREMENT A Conference For Educational Support Professionals ( ( MANAGING MONEY & CREDIT SOCIAL NETWORKING DO’S & DON’TS ( RETIREMENT A Conference For Educational Support Professionals ( SOCIAL NETWORKING DO’S & DON’TS

All ESPs Invited $15 Refundable Registration Fee Continental Breakfast and Lunch

A Conference For Educational Support Professionals

www.teateachers.org

7

Governor Haslam Drops Class Size Increase, Merit Pay Initiative Opposition heard from TEA, both parties, school boards and parents Governor Bill Haslam in mid-February of schools, parent groups and individual dropped his proposal to raise class size in legislators from both parties.” schools across the state in order to fund merit Among the strongest opponents was pay for teachers.

Williamson County Superintendent Mike “TEA has been a vocal opponent of the Looney, who said the bill would have cost his proposal ever since it was announced in early district $11 million if the funding formula January,” said TEA Executive Director Al changed under the proposal.

Mance. “The legislation would have removed As the governor tells the media that he class size averages from the current law which still philosophically believes in his proposal would mean that fewer teachers would be and may make another effort to implement it funded through the Basic Education Program in 2013, teachers are encouraged to contact (BEP).” their legislators with feedback about this and Governor’s initiative would have rolled back the clock on class Many teachers raised questions about similar initiatives that threaten to decrease size regulations in Tennessee. the governor’s proposal and contacted their the quality of teaching and learning in our legislators with concerns. TEA research state. helped pinpoint the exact effect of the controversial initiative—more than 5,000 “At least for now, Tennessee’s teachers are relieved that the issue has been put teaching positions in K-8 schools alone could have been eliminated or threatened on hold, largely through the efforts of individual educators and their professional by enactment of this proposal, which didn’t generate more funds for the state organization,” said TEA President Gera Summerford. teacher salary schedule but gave local school boards “flexibility” to distribute State Rep. Craig Fitzhugh, D-Ripley, who is pushing for changes in teacher salary increases as they saw fit, possibly at the expense of other teachers. evaluation during this legislative session, told The Tennessean that he hopes “From TEA’s perspective, this initiative was not good for teachers, local the governor’s proposal to increase class size in order to fund merit pay is administrators, and most importantly for the children of the state,” said Jerry “permanently off the table.”

Winters, TEA head of government relations. “With TEA leading the charge, the class “This proposal would have disastrous effects… for all Tennessee’s children,” size proposal was met with serious opposition on many fronts, including directors Fitzhugh told the Nashville daily.

How About Them Apples?

Johnson City School Board Sides With Teachers, Sends Resolution to Governor, Legislators The Johnson City Board of Education was unanimous in its opposition to Governor Bill Haslam’s plan to raise the average maximum class size. In a meeting in early February, the board passed a resolution opposing the plan and decided to send the document to the governor’s office, the education commissioner, the Tennessee School Board Association, State Senator Rusty Crowe, as well as state Representatives Matthew Hill and Dale Ford.

Joe Crabtree, president of Johnson City EA, who spoke at the board meeting in opposition to the governor’s proposals, was elated and encouraged by the outcome of the meeting.

“To get this defeated, we had to get everyone involved—the parents, the school board, the community leaders,” said Crabtree, who teaches at Indian Trail Middle School in Johnson City. “And that’s what we did.

It’s important to point out that our board was voted the 2012 School Board of the Year by the Tennessee School Boards Association, which makes their stance even more vital and important to us.”

Crabtree said the community response following the pivotal school board meeting was “amazing.” He said he received requests from parent-teacher associations at various schools and the city-wide PTA to help draft resolutions in opposition to the ill-fated proposal.

“There’s no doubt that our efforts, as well as efforts of teachers across the state, helped defeat this initiative,” Crabtree said.

Kathy Hall, chair of the Johnson City Board of Education, told TriCities.com that the board was looking after the interests of children and teachers with their vote.

“We don’t want to lose any of our teachers because we have great teachers that do a good job, but more importantly we really feel our children are best served in smaller classrooms,” Hall was quoted as saying. “You know, five students doesn’t sound like a lot, but we have classrooms that are packed full now especially if you get eighth graders. If you get five more eighth graders in a room, it’s difficult.”

JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE BOARD OF EDUCATION

RESOLUTION REGARDING CLASS SIZES AND FUNDING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS

WHEREAS, it is the desire of the Johnson City Board of Education to provide the most effective and highest quality education to the students of Johnson City; and

WHEREAS, teachers and other educational personnel continue to face increasing expectations in regard to student achievement and are constantly striving to provide excellence in their classroom instruction and to address the needs of each and every individual student; and

WHEREAS, it is the belief of the Johnson City Board of Education, based upon data derived from several highly regarded studies, that smaller class sizes have a positive effect on student achievement and that increasing class sizes in an effort to increase student achievement and reduce educational costs would be counterproductive; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE, THAT:

SECTION 1. The Board of Education is opposed to any changes in the laws of Tennessee that will have the effect of decreasing the number of instructional positions funded by the state of Tennessee and thereby effectively increasing class sizes.

SECTION 2. The Superintendent of Schools is requested to deliver this resolution to Governor Haslam, Commissioner of Education Huffman, State Senator Crowe and State Representatives Hill and Ford on behalf of this body.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

JOHNSON CITY BOARD OF EDUCATION

______________________________ Kathy Hall, Chairman

______________________________ Dr. Richard Manahan, Vice Chairman

______________________________ Sheila Cox, Secretary

______________________________ Timothy Belisle

______________________________ Jenny Brock

______________________________ Thomas B. Hager, Jr.

______________________________ Lottie Ryans

______________________________ Dr. Richard Bales, Superintendent

Approved February 6, 2012

Knox County EA-branded “stress balls” in the shape of apples were among the most popular items during KCEA school visits last month.

A primary concern for members is the stress on classroom teachers resulting from the new state evaluation model.

8 March 2012

Mandated Test Security Guidelines

Tennessee Department of Education resource for teachers Test Administration and Security Do not allow students to take any part of the TCAP Achievement Test twice. The TCAP Achievement Test must be administered within the set state testing window. Failure to comply with the state testing window will be considered a breach of test security.

NEVER erase student responses from the student answer document.

State of Tennessee Test Security Law, per Tennessee Code Annotated (T.C.A.) 49-1-607, states: Any person found to have not followed security guidelines for administration of the TCAP test, or successor test, including making or distributing unauthorized copies of the test, altering a grade or answer sheet, providing copies of answers or test questions, or otherwise compromising the integrity of the testing process, shall be placed on immediate suspension, and such actions will be grounds for dismissal, including dismissal of tenured employees.

Such actions shall be grounds for revocation of state license. [Acts 1992, ch. 535, 4.]

State Test Security Measures The State will: • Establish security guidelines to ensure the integrity of the testing process.

• Implement safeguards to ensure test content security.

• Communicate through the System Testing Coordinator matters concerning security, material orders, and shipping verifications.

• Provide Distribution and Shipping Logs to ensure accurate inventory of test materials at the system and school levels.

• Conduct random visits during testing to ensure test security and consistency of administration.

• Provide Breach of Testing Security Report forms to document local test security concerns.

• Review submitted Breach of Testing Security Report forms and follow up as needed.

• Release student-specific test data only to authorized personnel.

State Test Security Guidelines The Public School Systems, State Special, and NonPublic Schools MUST: 1. Adopt a locally monitored test security policy that incorporates, at a minimum, these State Test Security Guidelines. This policy should include a Testing Code of Ethics for personnel to sign and leave at the district office for documentation.

2. Train all personnel involved in the testing process on State Test Security Law, Security Guidelines, local policy, and test administration procedures; retain training documentation for system records.

3. Implement check-in, check-out, and quantity verification procedures for all test materials at the system level, at the school level, and for each test

session.

4. Restrict handling of test materials to authorized personnel at all times.

5. Implement policies and procedures to prohibit all personnel from obtaining knowledge of test items or passage content before, during, and after testing.

Discussion of the test content or specific test items with students, parents, or professional colleagues is prohibited, to protect the validity of the test.

6. Return test materials immediately after each test session and when the entire administration is completed. Store test materials in a centrally located, locked room that is inaccessible to unauthorized persons.

7. Create a secure, yet positive, environment for testing. Place appropriate signage outside of test setting to limit interruptions (e.g., Do Not Disturb— Testing in Progress).

8. Conceal or remove all instructional or reference materials in the test setting that are related to the content area being assessed, such as maps, posters, student samples, bulletin board items, familiar study aids such as graphic organizers, models, or number lines that relate to subject content.

9. Turn off all electronic communication devices (cell phones, pagers, PDAs, etc.) in the test setting.

10. Ensure proper calculator use as outlined in the Test Administration Manual, making sure that calculators are cleared before and after administration of each test.

11. Confirm each student is the person named on the answer document for every testing session.

A photo ID may be required if administrators are not responsible for normal classroom instruction.

12. Require Test Administrators and Proctors to carefully adhere to all test administration and accommodation instructions, following appropriate schedules and time limits, outlined in all test directions.

13. Require Test Administrators and Proctors

to remain with the students and be observant and nondisruptive throughout the testing session.

14. Prohibit coaching students in any way during State assessments. Ensure students respond to test items without assistance from anyone.

15. Prohibit reading test items and passages by anyone other than the students being tested, unless indicated in test instructions or accommodations.

Secure assessment materials (including pilot or field test materials) shall not be read, reviewed, or analyzed at any time before, during, or after test administration.

16. Ensure that test items are not reproduced, duplicated, or paraphrased in any way, for any reason, by any person. Standard copyright laws must be maintained at all times. Test materials shall not be copied, filed, or used directly in instructional activities. Specific excerpts from the test or paraphrased portions of the test may not be used to create study guides or classroom resources.

17. Maintain confidentiality of student-specific accountability demographic information and test results at all times.

18. Document test security concerns, including missing materials, on the Breach of Testing Security Report form.

19. Failure to report a breach of security compromises the integrity of the testing process and should be treated as a breach of testing security.

Test Security It is the responsibility of the school system to establish a secure testing environment for all assessments.

Open lines of communication should be maintained to encourage suggestions for improvements in testing procedures and for reporting any possible testing impropriety. Upon receipt of any information concerning a possible breach of testing security, school and system administration must initiate an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances of the event. Examples of potential breaches may be found in the Tennessee Test Security Law and State Test Security Guidelines.

Tennessee Department of Education provides a chart for guidance in handling potential breach of testing security concerns. Questions should be directed to the State Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Executive Director at (615) 741-0720.

Immediately report a potential breach of test security to the System Testing Coordinator. The System Testing Coordinator contacts the State Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Executive Director to receive further instructions.

Conduct an immediate and thorough local investigation of the incident. Results of investigation should include interviews as appropriate and written documentation. Complete an Online Report of Irregularity.

Additional resources can be found at http://www. tn.gov/education/assessment/index.shtml.

9 www.teateachers.org

Join TEA: $1 Million Liability Policy, No Dues Until September 2012

1) Fill out the form at www.teateachers.org; 2) You are a new member!

Please print out and keep a copy of the form for your records.

Check with your UniServ Coordinator (refer to contact information on page 12 of this issue) for more details or call 1-800-342-8367, ext. 213 to speak with TEA Membership Coordinator Duran Williams.

members, please ask . Please indicateTEA in the appropriate area on theyour colleagues to join us by passing this information to them or posting it in your school.

A new member may start Subject Code reaping the benefits of the Spring Early Enrollment Program now.

Religion/Philosophy REPH Social Studies a member today SSSS and pay no dues until September 2012!

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TEA Vice President Barbara Gray with Shayne Elementary students.

Lawmakers, Students Read With the Cat Students from Shayne Elementary School in Nashville came to the Tennessee Education Committee hearing on February 28 to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Seuss and read “Fox in Socks.”

Accompanying the student delegation were Shayne Elementary Principal Pam Greer, literacy coach Hawaya Wilson, teachers Diana Fisher and Lovie Lester.

SCORE Undertakes Review of Evaluation System The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) announced details of the feedback process it will use to fulfill its charge from the governor to conduct an independent external review of the evaluation system. TEA is partnering with SCORE as they execute the planned feedback process.

The SCORE process will begin with eight regional roundtables across the state.

Roundtable participants will include selected TEA members who’ve been invited to serve on the panel. As the roundtables are open to the public, all TEA members are encouraged to attend the 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. event scheduled in their area to hear the comments from teachers, administrators, parents and others.

Mark your calendar now and plan to attend the roundtable in your area.

In case of inclement weather, a roundtable will not take place if the school district in that area is closed for the day.

SCORE will also be conducting an online survey beginning March 1 at http://tnscore. org/feedback/ to gather feedback on current teacher evaluation practices and policies from educators. TEA encourages teachers across

the state to participate in the online survey in addition to attending the regional roundtables.

TEA will also be sharing with SCORE the results of TEA’s online teacher and administrator surveys about the evaluation system.

Chattanooga Regional Roundtable Monday, Mar 12, 4:30-6:30PM Chattanooga State Community College Lawrenceburg Regional Roundtable Thursday, Mar 22, 4:30-6:30PM Columbia State Community College Lawrenceburg Campus Media Conference Center Memphis Regional Roundtable Monday, Apr 2, 4:30-6:30PM The University of Memphis River Room 300 University Center Jackson Regional Roundtable Tuesday, Apr 3, 4:30-6:30PM Union University Carl Grant Events Center 11 www.teateachers.org

A

recent report from the Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, Assessing the Compensation of Public School Teachers, claims that public school teachers are paid 52 percent more than fair market rates. While attentiongrabbing, this contention is based on a faulty assessment that relies on “an aggregation of spurious claims” to make its case, according to a Think Twice review released in late January.

The Heritage/AEI report pits the wages and benefits of teachers against those of similarly educated and

point: there is a 19 percent [compensation] penalty for teachers.”

Other statistical missteps in the report include erroneous calculations for benefits costs, both during employment and after retirement, which leads the authors to contend that benefit costs for teachers amount to more than their salary costs, thus more than doubling teachers’ overall costs. Keefe’s review explains why this is “a claim that cannot be reasonably supported.”

The review, which was produced by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great

Analysis: Teachers Aren’t Overpaid After All experienced private-sector workers and concludes that teachers are overpaid. But in his review of the report, Professor Jeffrey H. Keefe of Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations finds that it rests on a series of flawed and one-sided assumptions and sloppy statistical analyses.

Using these assumptions, the authors stand normal conclusions on their head. While the straightforward evidence suggests that teachers are undercompensated by about 19 percent compared with their non-teacher peers in the workforce, the report concludes that they are instead overpaid by more than twice that percentage.

Central to the original report’s argument is the claim that teachers are less intelligent than other workers of comparable education and experience. The report bases this claim on the lower scores of teachers on the Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT). Yet the AFQT is simply not an intelligence test. Further, the authors claim that AFQT scores alone can be used to compare teacher and nonteacher populations. But that conclusion relies on a data sample that’s too small to provide any meaningful long-term analyses or conclusions, Keefe points out.

In fact, “measured cognitive ability is correlated only weakly with wages and explains little of the variance in wages across individuals and time,” Keefe writes. That is, people aren’t generally paid based even on a valid IQ test; they tend to be paid based on factors such as their preparation, skills, reliability, knowledge and experience.

“The only reliable comparison in this report is its starting

Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, also uncovers in the report a significant miscalculation that doubles the supposed monetary value embedded in the customary “summers off” work schedules of teachers. The report also asserts, notwithstanding recent widespread teacher layoffs, that teachers enjoy a substantial benefit of disproportionate job security, and the authors then proceed to pull, out of thin air, a monetized value of this asserted benefit.

Keefe warns that the Heritage/AEI study isn’t merely useless, but that it could lead to “headline-grabbing claims of dramatic overpayment of teachers” that, in turn, will result in ill-informed and harmful policy decisions that further undercut support for public education.

“Any discussion of teacher compensation should be based on high-quality evidence,” Keefe warns, adding “this report does not advance that discussion.”

“Teachers have been under constant attack by conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute,” said Teri Battagliery of the Great Lakes Center. “This latest attack could result in more budget cuts to education, reduced pensions, unproven merit pay schemes and privatization of public schools. It’s important that policymakers base their decisions on sound research, not junk science from partisan think tanks like Heritage and AEI.” Think Twice, a project of the National Education Policy Center, provides the public, policy makers and the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible in part by funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice.

TEA Calendar of Events April 8 April 10

April 14 April 21 April 21 May 4 May 6-12 May 8 May 10 May 11-12

Easter Deadline for mailing to TEA administrator cluster, retired, and state NEA delegate ballots or tabulations and NEA local delegate report forms TN Urban Education Association Council TEA Resolutions Committee, TEA Building ESP Conference, TEA Building Deadline for Local Association Newsletter Contest entries Teacher Appreciation Week National Teacher Day TEA Board of Directors, TEA Building TEA Representative Assembly, Nashville

Need information, services?

Mitchell Johnson Assistant Executive Director for Affiliate Services Donna Cotner Manager of UniServ 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: (423)2628053; Assns: Carter, Hancock, Hawkins, Rogersville, Johnson, Sullivan, Bristol, Kingsport, Northeast State C.C. District 2 — Jennifer Gaby, P.O. Box 70, Afton, TN 37616; (423)234-0700, fax: (423)234-0708; Assns: Cocke, Newport, Elizabethton, Greene, Greeneville, Unicoi, Washington, Johnson City, ETSU. District 3 — Tina Parlier, P.O. Box 74, Corryton, TN 37721; (865)688-1175, fax: (865)688-5188; Assns: Claiborne, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Sevier, Union, Walter State C.C. District 4 — Jon White, Knox County Education Association, 2411 Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917-8289; (865)522-9793, fax: (865)522-9866; Assns: Knox, UT-Knoxville, Pellisippi State C.C., TSD. District 5— Jason White, Assns: Anderson, Clinton, Oak Ridge, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Morgan, Scott, Oneida, TSD, York Institute District 6 — Reba Luttrell, 503 Cardinal St., Maryville, TN 37803; phone/ fax: (865)983-8640; Assns: Blount, Alcoa, Maryville, Monroe, Sweetwater, Loudon, Lenoir City, Roane, Roane State C.C. District 7 — Jim Jordan, P.O. Box 4878, Cleveland, TN 37320; phone/fax: (423)472-3315; Assns: Bledsoe, Bradley, Cleveland, McMinn, Athens, Etowah, Meigs, Polk, Rhea-Dayton, Cleveland State C.C. District 8 — Theresa Turner, 4655 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37411; (423)485-9535, fax: (423)485-9512; Assns: Hamilton County, Chattanooga State C.C., UT-Chattanooga, Department of Higher Ed. District 9 — Jeff Garrett, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201; (615)242-8392, ext. 228, or (800)342-8367; Assns: Coffee, Manchester, Tullahoma, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, White, Warren. District 10 — Shannon Bain, 1001 Rhett Place, Lebanon, TN 37087; phone: (615)547-7769, fax: (615)547-7879; Assns: Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Trousdale, TTU. District 11 — Arthur Patterson, 101 Copperas Court, Murfreesboro, TN 37128; phone: (615)907-9912, fax: (615) 907-5490; Assns: Cannon, Sumner, Wilson, Lebanon S.S.D., Volunteer State C.C. District 12 — Susan Young, P.O. Box 422, Madison, TN 37116-0422; phone/ fax: (615)865-9700; Assns: Cheatham, Rutherford, Murfreesboro, MTSU, TSB, TN Department of Education District 13 — Forestine Cole, Ralph Smith, Metro Nashville, 531 Fairground Court, Nashville, TN 37211; (615)726-1499, fax: (615)726-2501; Assns: Metro Nashville, Nashville State C.C., TSU, Department of Higher Education District 14 — Rhonda Thompson, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201; (615)242-8392, ext. 321, or (800)342-8367; Assns: Clarksville-Montgomery, Robertson, APSU District 15 — Miley Durham, P.O. Box 10, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464; phone/fax: (931)766-7874; Assns: Bedford, Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln, Fayetteville, Marshall, Moore, Motlow State C.C. District 16 — Jackie Pope, 2326 Valley Grove Dr., Murfreesboro, TN 37128; (615) 898-1060, fax: (615) 898-1099; Assns: Lewis, Maury, Williamson, Franklin S.S.D. District 17 — Cheryl RichardsonBradley, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201; (615)242-8392, ext. 233, or (800)342-8367; Assns: Decatur, Dickson, Hardin, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Perry, Wayne District 18 — Maria Uffelman, P.O. Box 99, Cumberland City, TN 37050; phone/fax: (931)827-3333; Assns: Benton, Carroll (West Carroll) Central, Clarksburg, Huntingdon, McKenzie, Gibson, Bradford, Humboldt, Milan, Trenton, Henry, Paris, Stewart, Weakley, UT-Martin, FTA District 19— Lorrie Butler, P.O. Box 387, Henderson, TN 38340; (731)9894860, fax: (731)989-9254; Assns: Chester, Hardeman, Henderson, Lexington, Jackson-Madison, McNairy, Jackson State C.C. District 20 — Karla Carpenter, P.O. Box 177, Brunswick, TN 38014; (901)590-2543, fax: (901)382-1433; Assns: Crockett, Dyer, Dyersburg, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, Union City, Tipton, Dyersburg State C.C. District 21 — Zandra Foster, 3897 Homewood Cove, Memphis, TN 38128; phone/fax: (901)377-9472; Assns: Fayette, Shelby, Southwest Tenn.

C.C., University of Memphis. District 22/MEA — Ken Foster, Executive Director; MEA UniServ Directors: Marilyn Baker, Susanne Jackson, Terri Jones, Tom Marchand, Herman Sawyer, MEA, 126 South Flicker Street, Memphis, TN 38104; (901)454-0966, fax: (901)454-9979; Assn: Memphis.

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