For the first time in history, children have new and different ways of acquiring and accessing, deciphering and digesting information instantly. Children are now contributors, not just copiers, of existing knowledge.
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Father’s Day is hard for many reasons and for many people. In many circumstances, we have absentee fathers who are estranged from their children. There are too many men who simply were not good fathers. And in my own case, my father has long since passed away.
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A well-liked Williamson County elementary school teacher is suing the school district, alleging she was bullied and harassed into resigning. Melanie Lemon, who taught second grade at Walnut Grove Elementary, filed a lawsuit Friday in Williamson County Circuit Court. The defendants are Williamson County Schools, superintendent Mike Looney, assistant superintendent Denise Goodwin and Walnut Grove principal Kate Donnelly. The suit seeks compensatory damages and asks that the school district extend its anti-bullying policy to adults. Lemon’s resignation on May 12 prompted an outcry in the community. Supportive parents and former students started a petition of protest and quickly collected more than 1,800 signatures. Some showed up at a school board meeting dressed in black to object to how they felt the school district mistreated her. The lawsuit says that Lemon went from getting stellar observations to suddenly receiving a poor one, and that school officials falsely accused her of child abuse. A teacher for 14 years, seven of them at Walnut Grove, Lemon had tenure. The lawsuit states that Tennessee’s Teacher Tenure Act is supposed “to protect teachers from arbitrary demotions and dismissals.” At the start of the 2016-2017 school year, Lemon “became the target of a systematic plan…
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Candice McQueen walked into the job under the most difficult situation. She has done the impossible, in some of the most exasperating circumstances.
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Opinions disguised with misinterpreted data create a bias that becomes bad public policy.
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All children in Tennessee deserve an exceptional education. School improvement is only possible when accompanied within a framework of collaboration and support.
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A delay in getting standardized test results is frustrating school officials across Tennessee as they get ready to send out report cards and wrap up the year. As a result, many districts are opting not to factor in TNReady test scores for final grades. The problems come a year after a much larger debacle prompted the state Department of Education to find a new testing vendor, and is the fourth year in a row in which there has been some type of issue. Complications this year stem in part from some districts not meeting the state deadline to turn in completed tests for grading, forcing state officials to scramble to send back results. But the state could perhaps manage things better by enforcing fixed, staggered testing windows, said JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee (ProEd). The state typically sets one testing window for the entire state, which risks having numerous districts simultaneously waiting to the last minute, or past the last minute, to package up the paper tests and send them off for grading. “Calendar flexibility allowed for smoother administration of the test, but hampered the return of results,” Bowman told The Tennessee Star. In an email…
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Our society survives by the service and martyrdom of these selfless souls. Tennessee, the Volunteer State, of all the states, should be the first to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Happy Memorial Day 2017!
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Our economy goes hand in hand with quality education. A strong educational system is essential not only to the successful functioning of a democracy, but also to its very future.
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FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE (Tuesday, May 23) — Today The Tennessee Star announced its online news site has had ONE MILLION visits since its launch February 6. “The Tennessee Star is the only consistently conservative media outlet in the state of Tennessee. This is a conservative state, and Tennesseans have wanted a fact-based news site with a conservative perspective for many years. That’s what we offer, and that’s why we’ve seen such tremendous traffic,” said Managing Editor Christina Botteri. “People are smart and they want to be informed and not preached at or dictated to, and I believe that is a big part of why we are growing at such a substantial rate – especially compared to other area news outlets,” she said. Judson Phillips, a long-time conservative activist and Tea Party Nation founder agreed. “I am not shocked at the excellent performance of The Tennessee Star. While the Gannett-owned papers read like newsletters for the Tennessee Democrat Party, The Star goes after important stories that the liberal media will not touch,” Phillips said. While the raw viewership of The Tennessee Star is remarkable, media experts also recognize the impact and influence the upstart news outlet is already having at Legislative Plaza. “Attracting one…
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Local school boards reflect the needs and aspirations of the communities as well as the interests and concerns of professional and nonprofessional employees. We believe non-partisan control is what is best for our communities.
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In our opinion, an administrator’s number one objective outside the education of children is to provide support to our teachers.
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Mother’s Day is a day of celebration. This Mother’s Day appreciate the woman you call Mom, Mama or Mother. If you are celebrating a motherless Mother’s Day, regardless of the pain, try to reflect on those lessons she taught you.
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Most of us have at least one teacher that we cannot forget, a teacher who inspired us to be a better student and person. So this week, Teacher Appreciation Week, let us know about the teacher who made a lasting contribution to your life.
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The Tennessee General Assembly has unanimously passed the Teacher Bill of Rights, which proponents hope is the just the beginning of efforts to give teachers more backing in state law. “We were pleased to help lead the effort in our state on behalf of educators and our members to secure rights on their behalf,” said JC Bowman, executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee (ProEd), in a statement. But Bowman gives the credit for the bill’s success to the legislators who advocated for it. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and Rep. Jay Reedy (R-Erin). Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) was also very involved. The bill comes amid concerns about a teacher shortage in Tennessee. There are various factors for the shortage, but one that is often cited is the undermining of teachers’ authority. Teachers face disrespect from students, sometimes even violence. Teachers have also raised concerns with regulations that have stifled their voices in decision-making. The new legislation calls for teachers to be treated with respect and have their professional judgment respected. It also provides more support for when they have to defend themselves against violent students. In addition, it says that teachers should be able to review…
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I have often believed there is too much politics in public education, and that has hurt public education. Honestly I would resent having to support a political candidate because of a political label or designation, or an endorsement by an organization in which I was a member.
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Accomplishments are always a reason to celebrate, and few occasions are quite as significant as high school graduation. The most important thing you hear when you graduate will be: your name. The least important message you hear will be delivered by the graduation speaker.
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Our members define our legislative priorities and advocacy efforts, and we make sure our professional learning activities align with our member needs. We invite you to attend Leader U on June 30, 2017, at MTSU.
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Thomas Jefferson was not silent on the most effective manner to pass freedom to future generations depended on providing a quality education to our children. An educated citizenry is the roots that our republic is planted on.
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It is our belief that the state and most school districts in the state are violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by denying non-union teachers a benefit extended to the “similarly situated” union teacher.
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In America, our students are grouped by chronological age and progress together through the K-12 system. While this might make sense socially, it ignores a student’s readiness. Students who start off struggling from the very beginning often can get a better start on their formal education if retained. Being promoted with their peer group only makes sense if they can make adequate academic progress.
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The idea of a citizen-legislator has gone by the wayside and been replaced by the career politician. Unless there is more transparency and inclusion, there may well be a demand for change in leadership. For certain in 2019 there will be great change, and quite possibly the “drain the swamp” echo from 2016 will filter down to state politics in 2018. It may be time for the state to consider term limits.
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People of great accomplishment do not sit back and let things happen to them. They go out and make things happen. They pursue new or improve existing skills, insights, and ideas. If they are not learning, they understand they are not growing.
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Depending on the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, passage of this legislation protects teacher rights in Tennessee. House Bill 356 and Senate Bill 404 will ensure all 80,000+ educators have the same right across the state to gain access to payroll deduction for the organization of their choice.
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We often make mistakes when we hurry. It is inevitable. The same is true in public policy. And I have seen it first hand in public education. Cheryl Williams, the Executive Director of the Learning First Alliance, wrote: We all feel the urgency of educating our young people; it just takes time to do it right in the democratic, locally governed system we call public schools. And it takes the commitment, empathy, and collaborative support of all of us to put what is urgent into practice in a way that benefits our students and ourselves. The federal government can wave billions of dollars in front of a state and it is often incentive enough to chase the money. Meanwhile, as local school districts are having unproven ideas and theories thrust on them, we are witnessing a backlash. Educators are often angrier than taxpayers. That same federal government that can use its power to impose its authority also provides little of the monetary resources – less than 10% in most cases. In comparison to the state and local which provides the bulk of dollars used in public education. We must embrace local control, even when it means the wheels move slowly.…
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Eighty-thousand Tennessee teachers can do everything right at their school and in their classes, and one teacher can do something horrendous and give the other 79, 999 a bad name. It takes just one teacher to cause irreparable damage.
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Autism is treatable. However, children do not “outgrow” autism. Studies show that early diagnosis and intervention lead to significantly improved outcomes. The CDC believes we must promote early identification of children with ASD
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An essential objective in public education is, and must be, an educated citizenry that creates an informed electorate.
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Any state law or district policy should be designed to require equal treatment of all teacher associations. If followed correctly, the state would simply be facilitating an open playing field for all associations, and teachers themselves would make the ultimate decisions of which organization to join – if any.
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It was that desire for freedom, education and the wish to control their own destiny that so many Irish left Ireland. As a son of St. Patrick, it is important to remember we are still a country of dreamers. We may have different religious and political persuasions, but we are linked by shared necessities and joint aspirations. Education is the key equalizer.
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In a field as diverse as public education, we must all collaborate together to foster a more constructive dialogue among education stakeholders and policymakers. We share a common destiny. We have the power to create amazing change in this world and be champions for the vulnerable who cannot speak for themselves when they need us the most.
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Understanding our government and founding documents, such as the Constitution, creates a more reflective, clear-thinking, and invested citizen.
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An engaging and challenging education is the proven path to prosperity and a life-long love of learning. Teachers consistently tell us that “testing” and “preparing students for a test” are among their top concerns in our internal surveys.
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Education reform is no longer focused on students or teachers. It is focused on ancillary issues.
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More than 16 million children are growing up in poverty, meaning that 22% of all children live in families with incomes below the federal poverty level of $23,550 a year. Research has shown that children living in poverty have a higher number of absenteeism and dropout rates than those coming from middle class or higher.
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Sometimes government action creates unintended consequences. It is estimated that nearly 10 highly committed educators lose their license each year due to no fault of their own. Then have no recourse to resolve this issue. That is why we worked with Rep. Pitts and Senator Tracy to address this issue with House Bill 111 and Senate Bill 661.
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If public education is to continue to be successful, it will take all the policymakers and stakeholders working together. Our message must be about children, teachers and public education not politics or social policies not related to public education.
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America’s children are immersed in a culture of disrespect: for parents, teachers, and one another. Let’s show action on the education front by passing a Teacher Bill of Rights in Tennessee, and bring the respect back to our public schools.
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More than three decades of research shows that a focus on “process”—not on intelligence or ability—is key to success in school and in life.
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The third Monday of February is known as Presidents Day in the United States. In the beginning, the day was intended to celebrate the birthday of the first president of our country, George Washington. Today we use it to commemorate all 45 Presidents of the United States.
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The United States Supreme Court ruled in Plyler vs. DOE that children in our country here illegally have the same right to attend public schools as other citizens. In addition, these children are obliged to attend school until they reach a mandatory age. So there will be an impact in whatever state that these children reside, including here in Tennessee.
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The color of our skin has no bearing on our intellectual potential, moral character or behavior. Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.
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Respecting the authority of teachers is essential to creating an environment conducive to learning, effective instruction in the classroom, and proper administration of our local public schools.
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What devolution means is that the power to make decisions is returned to those closest to the people. Taxpayer money is spent for the needs at the local level, rather than at the national level.
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Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best that they can possibly be.
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In the name of reform and federal dollars we have often chased ideas that didn’t serve our children or educators very well. We over-test our students and put a tremendous workload burden on educators in the name of accountability.
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