TEA - UniServ District 7

Just finished a lunch visit and member meeting at Loftis Middle.

As we finish a week of school, please remember that there is a difference between INDIVIDUAL and COMMON planning times. Teachers in Tennessee are supposed to receive at least 2.5 hours of individual, self-directed planning time per week.

https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/orea/advanced-search/2012/2012_OREA_TchrPlanTime.pdf

Wednesday happens to coincide with the first day of the school for a lot of my members. Happy first day of school. I really hope that this day is meaningful and fruitful for you.

Hanging out with more than 100 new Hamilton County educators.

TEA's after school specials are all scheduled for the 24-25 school year! https://tnea.org/after-school

Which column best represents where you are? Which one best represents where you want to be?

A little action at Dayton City School.

Join me this summer for Empowerment 101, then follow along throughout the year to become a fully EmpowerED educator.



RSVP link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FAEAB23A4FDC43-49783459-teaempowered #/

Agitate! Educate! Organize!

https://newschannel9.com/news/local/hamilton-county-teachers-demanding-better-wages-say-proposed-pay-raise-isnt-enough #

Hamilton County teachers demanding better wages, say proposed pay raise isn't enough Soon, Hamilton County Schools will approve their 2025 fiscal budget.And someHamilton County teachers are pleading their case, saying that they are barely getti

I'm just sitting at a Starbucks right now on this Wednesday, but a few hours ago I was with a mighty contingent of red-shirted Hamilton County educators at the commission meeting as they advocated strongly for a fully-funded school system. You can hear the speeches here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9RRmI2LBcQ&t=7100s

Today was the first of what I hope to be many TEA EmpowerED sessions (my rebranded AR training)!

We kicked things off with a fun and insightful activity: creating art on chart paper with markers. The twist? Round one: no talking allowed. Round two: communication open. The difference was incredible!

This exercise wasn't just about art – it was about understanding the power of a common vision and teamwork. We took those insights and discussed how to apply organizing skills to enhance public education.

Can't wait to keep this momentum going!

If you are a TEA member (or want to be one) and are interested in attending TEA EmpowerED, just sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094FAEAB23A4FDC43-49783459-teaempowered #/

https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2024/may/10/hamilton-county-school-board-members-list/ #/questions

PS There's a poll where you can weigh in on "Should county officials give a higher share of available tax funds to schools?"

Hamilton County school board members list increased salaries, maintenance as top budget priorities | Chattanooga Times Free Press The Hamilton County school board weighed in on the district's proposed $674 million budget, with several members naming increased salaries and maintenance as their top priorities.

I read this today. It's about the difference between hope, which the author casts as active, and passive optimism.

Well worth four minutes of your day.

Why Hope Is Different Than Optimism Hope is not a positive expectation but a moral commitment.

Sharing some energy at the Hamilton County Commission meeting with Jeanette Kittredge Omarkhail. Always and forever we are in support of .

Blurry or not, it's Wednesday so it's in celebration of .

In public education, it's easy to feel dwarfed by the 'bigger fish' – those daunting challenges and decisions made without our input--and the people who make them. But when we come together through our association, we're powerful. Organized, focused, and united in our purpose, we can change the tide and steer towards positive change.

So, don't just float along – swim with intention. Get engaged. Attend a meeting. Become a member. As part of the association, you're not just another fish in the sea; you're part of a formidable school that can go fin-to-fin with any challenge. Join today: tnea.org/join-today

Tennessee Public School Advocates!

Here are some GREAT resources from EdTrust about the voucher scam winding its way through the Tennessee legislature.

Education Issue Tracker Education Issue Tracker Vouchers Funding Accountability 3rd Grade Retention

Great insight about the destructive impact of privatization on rural communities.

As a Tennessee rural educator, I fear that school voucher expansion will hurt our children - NewsBreak Allen Pratt, Ed.D., is executive director of the National Rural Education Association (NREA). The National Rural Education Association (NREA) advocates for equitable educational opportunities for the nearly 9 million students attending rural public schools across America. Tennessee has over 600,000....

We are more powerful together than we are individually. Educate. Agitate. Organize.

19 Hamilton County schools ranked among the best in the state | Chattanooga Times Free Press 19 Hamilton County campuses ranked among the state's best for the 2022-23 academic year

Rockin my at Jones Elementary School in Nashville, TN.

Every Wednesday, wear to show your support for . Track participation using the link in the comments.

Calling ALL ADMINS + TEACHERS! 📱 TEA Instructional Advocacy is hosting a panel discussion webinar with administrator members advising teachers on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6p Central. A panel of current administrators will share their best advice for educators experiencing the evaluation process. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask the panelists questions.

Register here: bit.ly/TEA-webinar

Teachers association sues Tennessee education department over race education restrictions The Tennessee teacher’s association has filed a federal lawsuit against the state education department’s restrictions on curriculum regarding race in public schools.

NASHVILLE, Tenn.— The Tennessee Education Association (TEA), on behalf of members and local education associations, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ban on payroll dues deduction for public school educators. The lawsuit names the Lee Administration and the Tennessee Department of Education as defendants and outlines how the payroll dues deduction ban violates the Tennessee Constitution. TEA is requesting a restraining order as well as temporary and permanent injunctions of the payroll dues deduction ban.

The administration’s controversial payroll dues ban – added as a separate section of a bill raising the minimum pay for educators – singled out teachers as the only public employees in Tennessee prohibited from using voluntary payroll deductions for professional organizations. The enacting date for the legislation is July 1, 2023.

“Sliding a payroll dues deduction ban in a bill to raise the minimum pay was a cynical attack on Tennessee teachers. The ban was mean-spirited, and the way it passed was unconstitutional,” said TEA President Tanya Coats. “We filed this suit to protect the rights of our members and highlight the missteps made by the administration when they pushed this attack on teachers. We look forward to our day in court.”

TEA’s lawsuit identifies several ways the payroll dues deduction section violates the state constitution:

* The inclusion of the payroll dues deduction ban with the bill’s pay-raise provision violates the single-subject requirement of the state constitution.

* The bill’s caption did not cover the payroll deduction ban.

* The caption failed to disclose that the Act amends PECCA (the Professional Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act, the state’s negotiation law) and repeals the PECCA provision allowing dues deductions to be negotiated and included in binding MOUs between school districts and professional teachers’ organizations.

* The bill negates current MOUs with local associations and violates thousands of individual membership agreements where educators signed up for payroll dues deduction voluntarily offered by their school system.

“The law is unconstitutional, and we filed suit to protect the rights of our membership to have their voluntary dues deducted from their paychecks, something they have been able to do for many decades as a matter of convenience and at no cost to school districts,” said Steve McCloud, TEA’s chief attorney. “Singling out public school educators, who are mostly female, and treating them differently than other public servants is just wrong and serves no public purpose. Tennessee’s public school teachers deserve the same respect our laws give to state employees, firefighters, and law enforcement.”

Thousands of voluntary members of TEA signed up for payroll deduction for dues and banning that practice after the fact unconstitutionally interferes with their membership agreements, jeopardizing their services and benefits.

McCloud noted more than half of Tennessee’s teachers work under the benefits of an MOU negotiated with their local school boards under PECCA. Those contracts often provide for payroll deductions for professional associations like TEA, explicitly permitted by Tennessee’s PECCA law. The administration’s bill didn’t amend PECCA, the caption didn’t cover PECCA, and the add-on payroll dues ban conflicts with PECCA and existing MOUs.