September - Tennessee Education Association

Published by the TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
May 2012 Vol. 44, No. 2 www.teateachers.org
Special Insert:
Choose How You’d Like to Receive
Your Next Issue of teach
Dynamic Duo
Bob & Karen
Holder
Lead the
Asssociation
In Campbell
County
page 4

Speaking out with you
Gera Summerford, President
Remember in November: Vote for Education
In the November elections this year, a unique opportunity
is at hand for Tennessee educators. Many of you across the
state will be able to vote for a fellow TEA member for the 108th
General Assembly. Eleven TEA members — your fellow teachers
— declared themselves candidates for the state legislature this
year. From House district 8 in East Tennessee to House district
91 in Shelby County, these teachers chose to
step up and seek election to help govern our
state. It’s an exciting time in Tennessee and
I’m very proud they’ve taken this bold step!
TEA members have not forgotten that the
107th legislature repealed the professional
negotiations law, dramatically changed
teacher tenure and removed all job security
for non-certified school staff. Educators
who have devoted their professional lives to
preparing children for a successful future are now committed
to making a difference in state government as well. Throughout
2011 and this past school year, TEA members worked hard to
convince legislators to represent their interests. We came to
the capitol in record numbers, we called and emailed and met
our state representatives in their home districts. Now, in 2012,
some TEA members are making the ultimate commitment to run
for office themselves.
Nine of the eleven have been successful in the state primary
races and they need our support in November. These proud
teachers from Knox County, Hamilton County, Coffee County,
Murfreesboro, Weakley County, Tipton County, and Shelby
County are working hard to raise money and raise awareness
for their campaigns. The support of their education colleagues
will be invaluable in the fight to win election this fall, and I
know TEA members will not let them down. If you live in these
counties you can get further information through your local
president, UniServ Coordinator or the TEA website.
As a Tennessee teacher or education support staff, you give
your energy and best effort to help children learn and grow.
You know better than anyone what’s needed in our schools
to provide a quality public education for every student. You
advocate for children and public education in the work you
do each day. Your advocacy is needed at the ballot box this
year — and every election year — to make sure our schools
and our students get what they need. Across the state, those
candidates who will listen to teachers and support public
education will need your support and your vote. They will also
need the support of your relatives, friends and colleagues,
so ask everyone you know to vote for pro-public education
candidates. It is the responsibility of every Tennessean.
TEA has always been the chief advocate for quality
public schools in Tennessee. We’ve always worked to support
education-friendly candidates. This year we must remain united
and focus our efforts like never before.
Remember in November: Vote for education! And, where
possible, vote for an educator!
Al Mance, Executive Director
Student Achievement Gives Tennessee Teachers
Reason to Stand Up and Cheer
Anytime there are indications that classroom results have
improved, it is good news. The recent release of the 2011-2012
Tennessee student test scores brought good news about Tennessee’s
students and teachers.
According to Tennessee Department of Education data, students
in grades three through eight made the following
statistically significant improvements since
2010. The percentage of students scoring
proficient/advanced in reading/language arts
rose from 44.8 to 49.9; the percentage in math
rose from 34.6 to 47.3; the science percentage
rose from 51.9 to 60.5, and social studies
increased from 79.9 to 82.9. Students completing
courses with end-of-course tests (English I,
English II, algebra I, algebra II and biology)
also showed improved test scores. These are all
statewide improvements. Bravo! Thank you, Tennessee’s teachers!
Historically, when the educational achievement of a typical
sixth-grade class is measured, researchers find a range of
approximately eight years in reading comprehension, vocabulary,
arithmetic reasoning, arithmetic computation, mechanics of English
composition, and other forms of achievement. In almost any sixthgrade
class, researchers found a pupil with first- or second-grade
reading ability and another with eleventh- or twelfth-grade reading
ability. In any grade above the primary level, we find the complete
range of elementary school achievement.
Imagine how remarkable it is then that teachers and students have
realized an average six percentage-point improvement over a twoyear
period. Despite the distractions of a new evaluation system and
other “education reform” initiatives, professional teachers continued
to teach to the outer limits of their talent and skills. In the end, the
improvements in student achievement came as the result of commonsense
changes in curriculum standards and teachers’ dedication to
helping all students achieve these new standards.
This is huge! Please take a moment to stand up and cheer for the
success of teachers and public education. Hurray!
Several teachers with whom I have spoken said that previous
lower performance was due, in part, to redundancy in the curriculum.
Students were spending up to six months each school year studying
the same material they had completed the year before. Some of that
wasted instructional time has been recouped and also helped increase
student scores.
More curriculum changes are in progress. The new state standards
are being melded with National Common Core Standards. The result
should be a curriculum that more closely parallels the learnings
measured by national standardized achievement tests. The Common
Core Standards are not a silver bullet for improving teaching and
learning. A rigorous course of study taught by well-educated teachers
who are given the freedom and resources needed to teach just might
become that silver bullet.
One thing is clear. It is the combined efforts of teachers and
students in classrooms that have resulted in improved test scores.
Nothing else comes close. Let’s hope the scores also reflect a higherquality
education.
Congratulations to you.
You count.
teach (USPS 742-450, ISSN 15382907) is published
monthly (except 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 $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).
Postmaster: Send address changes to teach,
801 Second Avenue North,
Nashville, TN 37201-1099.
MANAGING EDITOR: Alexei Smirnov
asmirnov@tea.nea.org
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Carol K. Schmoock
PUBLISHER: Alphonso C. Mance
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 Lauren McCarty (865)385-5220
DISTRICT 3 Karen Starr (423)628-2701
DISTRICT 4 Tanya Coats* (865)637-7494
DISTRICT 5 Michael Plumley (423)749-8228
DISTRICT 6 Scott Price (931)455-7198
DISTRICT 7 Allen Nichols* (615)653-6501
DISTRICT 8 Kawanda Braxton (615)554-6286
DISTRICT 9 Theresa L. Wagner (270)776-1467
DISTRICT 10 Guy Stanley (615)384-2983
DISTRICT 11 Wendy R. Bowers (731)645-8595
DISTRICT 12 Suzie May (731)779-9329
DISTRICT 13 Ernestine King (901)590-8188
DISTRICT 14 Sarah Kennedy-Harper (901)416-4582
DISTRICT 15 Tom Emens (901)277-0578
ADMINISTRATOR EAST Johnny Henry (865)509-4829
ADMINISTRATOR MIDDLE Julie Hopkins
(615)569-5742
ADMINISTRATOR WEST Charles Green (901)624-6186
HIGHER EDUCATION Clinton Smith (731)881-7167
BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER EAST Paula Hancock
(865)694-1691
BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER MIDDLE Kenneth Martin
(615)876-1948
BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER WEST LaVerne Dickerson
(901)416-7122
STATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS Vacancy
ESP Christine Denton (931)647-8962
TN NEA DIRECTOR Melanie Buchanan (615)305-2214
TN NEA DIRECTOR Diccie Smith (901)482-0627
TN NEA DIRECTOR Diane Lillard* (423)478-8827
STEA MEMBER Marilauren Anderson (731)478-5106
TN RETIRED Gerald Lillard (423)478-8827
NEW TEACHER Candra Clariette (615)506-3493
* Executive Committee
TEA HEADQUARTERS STAFF
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Alphonso C. Mance; ASST. EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR, Terrance Gibson ; ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Mitchell Johnson; ASST. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Carol K.
Schmoock; TEA GENERAL COUNSEL; Rick Colbert; MANAGER
OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Stephanie Faulkner; INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY & SYSTEMS MANAGER, Galen Riggs; STAFF
ATTORNEYS: Katherine Curlee, Virginia A. McCoy; MANAGER
OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Jerry Winters; GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS COORDINATOR: Antoinette Lee; WEB MASTER &
COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: Amanda Chaney; MANAGING
EDITOR & COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: Alexei Smirnov;
RESEARCH & INFORMATION: Melissa Brown; INSTRUCTION &
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS: Susan Dalton,
Vacancy; COORDINATOR OF MEMBERSHIP & AFFILIATE RELATIONS:
Duran Williams.
UniServ Staff contact information
can be found on page 12 or by scannig
the Quick Response code below.
Tennesee’s Teachers Impact Evaluation
Constant feedback, surveys and lobbying push for improvement
Ever since Tennessee’s teachers opted to remain
at the table as the Tennessee teacher and principal
evaluation system was being developed, TEA pushed
for a fair evaluation process and guided its members
through the pitfalls of the system’s implementation.
TEA insisted on—and succeeded in—including
the option to grieve evaluation results, circulated
30 Tuesday Reports, highlighting ongoing tweaks in
the evaluation system, conducted multiple surveys
among teachers and principals across the state, and
promoted a comprehensive seven-point plan to fix
the evaluation system in January 2012.
The July 26-27 meeting of the State Board of
Education showed that TEA’s concerns are being
heard. As Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin
Huffman congratulated teachers across the state for
“exceeding expectations against a very high bar,” he
said that more work remains ahead, such as reducing
the number of options for the 15% evaluation
component and reducing the impact of school-wide
teacher effect scores on individual scores.
“Our goal is to get more and more teachers into
an individual teacher effect category,” Huffman
said, hoping that three-quarters of teachers will be
evaluated that way “over the next couple of years.”
Why the half-baked evaluation system was put
in motion without a full trial run is still lost on most
teachers in the state, but Huffman defended the
For new and nearly new teachers
TEA President Gera Summerford (right) shares teachers’ evaluation concerns with State Board of Education
Chairman Fielding Rolston and Executive Director Gary Nixon.
move by saying that the department learned far
more from implementing the evaluation system as
opposed to continuously studying it.
Also during the July meeting, the state board
approved the application by an out-of-state charter
school entity, Great Hearts Academies, to build a
charter school in West Nashville, overturning the
decree of the Metro Nashville school board, which
voted twice earlier this year to reject the Great
Hearts application.
In one of the more contentious meetings in
recent history, state board members chose to ignore
the board staff’s recommendation. Even so, in mid-
August the Metro Nashville school board voted 7-2 to
defer the Great Hearts application in defiance of the
state board’s order.
Sharpen Your Teaching Skills at TEA’s New Teacher Conferences
Novice teachers will have two opportunities
again this year to sharpen their teaching skills and
improve their success in the classroom at TEA’s New
Teacher Conferences.
TEA’s New Teacher Conference is offered on two
Saturdays during the 2012-2013 school year, once
each semester: November 3, 2012, and February 23,
2013.
Power Teaching introduces best practices for
delivering powerful instruction to increase student
learning. This session promises to strengthen
teaching in ways that matter when it comes time for
observations under the state’s evaluation process
no matter the evaluation model used.
I Can Do It! is the highly acclaimed classroommanagement
training program that addresses one
of the most pressing issues identified by beginning
teachers and their principals. The program covers
classroom transitions, reinforcements, rules and
routines, and dealing with difficult behavior.
Both tracks offer valuable insights and
practical tips for teachers of all subjects at all
grade levels.
Each track runs all day, from 8:30 a.m. until
3:30 p.m., on both dates.
Teachers in their first three years of
classroom teaching are invited to attend either
or both conferences. Teachers earn six hours of
professional development credit for each day they
attend, a total of 12 hours for those who attend
both conferences during the year.
Registration for the new teacher conferences
can be done by mail or online. A $40 registration
fee, payable in advance, secures a spot in the
training. A discounted rate is available for those
who register for both sessions at the same time,
and an additional early bird registration discount
applies for those who register by October 6 for both
dates. The fee will be refunded to TEA members
who attend if their registration fees were paid by
personal or Association check.
More details and registration information have
been mailed to local presidents, and can be found
online at www.teateachers.org/new-teacherconference.
New teachers participate in TEA’s ‘I Can Do It!’ training.
Conference fees will be refunded to TEA members.
2 September 2012 3
www.teateachers.org

Masters of the Game
Bob and Karen Holder boost morale and expertise among
colleagues, garner a statewide membership award
Virginia McCoy, TEA Attorney:
“Don’t Wait to Ask Questions”
In other areas of specialization, attorneys
often change firms and clients. What
motivates you to remain in your position as a
“I spy, I see. I see Delaney
looking at me. Can you line up
for me so we can go outside?”
Sitting on the floor in
Karen Holder’s classroom
at LaFollette Elementary
School in Campbell County
makes us wish we were five
years old, singing about Mr.
Alligator and the apple tree,
climbing a wooden ship and
learning about new animals,
pronouncing new words and
busting out new dance moves,
excited about playtime
outdoors.
told me it wasn’t necessary, that they were members of TEA and
they were fine.”
And so it went on, with a handful of dedicated TEA members
keeping the tradition alive in the county where collective
bargaining and payroll deduction were the exclusive rights of a
competing organization.
“There was a small group of us who saw TEA as a teachers’
group. TEA is what we believe in, so we just hung together and
tried to keep going,” Karen says. “Last year we started moving
up because of the legislative changes. People saw that we had
a lot more to offer. We were on top of things. We have a UniServ
coordinator we can call on, while other organizations don’t have
a person who can connect them with the state. It’s always great
to have somebody you can turn to, and to know that somebody is
going to be here for you.”
Following the 2011 legislative changes, exclusive collective
Karen Holder, CCEA member Chris Honeycutt, who teaches math and
coaches football, and Bob Holder attend the system-wide in-service
day. CCEA set up a “welcome back” table filled with information and
giveaway opportunities.
where education policy is often set in impenetrable school board
workshops. Most of the school board members know him as the keeper
of the scoreboard for high school football and basketball games, and
they usually get an earful whenever Bob gets their attention.
“We’ve been ignored, and we think we’ve had enough,” he says.
“I’ve called the director several times to address our issues. I made
TEA staff attorney for 23 years?
I believe in public education as an essential
democratic institution and in teaching as a
valued profession. To my mind, TEA is the only
organization in Tennessee that is committed
both to preserving public education for all of
Tennessee’s children and to uplifting teachers
as respected professionals.
What caused you to become an advocate for
Virginia McCoy in her office
the rights of public education employees?
by the poster of her favorite film.
Fortuitous circumstances. I was working
as an attorney at the Tennessee Department
of Revenue, and a colleague suggested that I apply for an opening at TEA. My father
worked for Knoxville City and Knox County Schools. My mother’s family is full of
educators, including my great-grandmother, who was the first woman to sit on
Before we enter the bargaining rights were taken away from AFT, and teachers in the
eight to ten phone calls. I left voicemails. On Friday at lunchtime,
the Monroe County Board of Education and my aunt, Jean Black, who is a retired
playground, Karen checks area became more interested in joining TEA.
I told him, ‘Please don’t ignore me. I’m not going away.’ Still, no
teacher and principal from Monroe County who once served as president of her local
under every object in sight to With Bob serving as president and Karen as co-president and
answer. I think I’m going to have to go there one morning and just sit association. When I enrolled in college, I had initially intended to pursue a career as
make sure there are no bees secretary-treasurer, CCEA has stepped up its local communications
on the doorstep.”
a teacher, but was side-tracked by the law. When I was offered a position with TEA,
or other undesirable insects efforts, positioning themselves as experts in teacher and principal
The CTE issue is not the only one being ignored by the local school it seemed like my professional life was coming full circle with the opportunity to
that could upset her crew of
pre-K students. As the kids
frolic, Holder and her teaching
aide make sure that every
child is courteous during play,
managing to keep almost
everyone happy. Then we line
up, go back inside to wash
hands, sing a couple more
songs and, all of a sudden, it’s
Karen Holder (left), Campbell Co. EA secretary-treasurer and
lunchtime.
teacher at LaFollette Elementary School, and Assistant Principal
A few miles up the
Heather Smith, also a CCEA member, talk with Holder’s pre-K
road, Karen’s husband Bob
students in late August. On the cover: Karen Holder shows her
holds court in his wellness
youthful spirit on the playground; Bob Holder teaches health and
health class at LaFollette
wellness at LaFollette Comprehensive High School.
Comprehensive High School.
His students have just received
the folders with an assignment to be completed by Friday.
“If you don’t do it, you get a zero,” says Bob in a no-nonsense
tone he has perfected over decades of teaching, coaching and
stints in management at Frito Lay and Burger King.
Witnessing Bob and Karen in their teaching roles, it’s no
evaluation, grievance process and collaborative conferencing
efforts.
As of this writing, Bob is the only teacher in the county who
has grieved his evaluation results. He tells his colleagues that he’s
not afraid of being a turtle without a shell, with his neck sticking
out.
“In our school we haven’t had any training in evaluation. I filed
the grievance because I knew what to do, and that’s what I share
with our members.”
Bob is also doing battle with central office on behalf of area
career and technical education teachers, who have been recognized
as such at the state level but have not received classroom supplies
or compensation for their CTE workload.
“There’s been some harassment and denial of representation,”
Bob says. “We have CTE teachers who have retired and have not
been compensated for teaching CTE.”
One of CCEA’s new members who joined last spring has taught
CTE for 18 years, but was never paid as a CTE teacher. According to
CCEA’s estimate, these teachers are due between $1,000 and $1,500
a year in additional salary.
“When you take into account their retirement, Social Security
wages, that makes a big difference. We know 15 former teachers
authorities. Bob says the grievance he had filed on July 15, 2012, was
accepted and signed by his evaluator, yet he has received no response
from central office. With a few days left to file with the school board,
Bob is considering
submitting a copy to the
“We’ve been ignored, and we state board of education.
think we’ve had enough... I’m
Having raised three
children and innumerable
going to go there one morning students who learned in
and just sit on the doorstep.”
their classrooms, Bob and
Karen say they have their
work cut out for them to
further solidify CCEA.
Recently, they worked on the Association’s constitution, and
sought members who will work on the local’s Facebook and newsletter
outlets to help push information about the coming evaluation
changes and collaborative conferencing updates.
TEA District 5 UniServ Coordinator Jason White says the lack of
information about evaluation and grievance is partially due to the
fact that the state made last-minute changes in July, when many
school officials were on vacation.
“It’s hard to fault the local school system because the state is
represent public school teachers and employees.
Why should one join TEA today?
TEA supports public education, public school teachers and employees, and is one of
the few education organizations in Tennessee that is willing to speak truth to power on
Capitol Hill.
Why should one not be afraid or ashamed of joining TEA?
If you aren’t afraid or ashamed to be part of your profession, you shouldn’t be afraid
or ashamed to be part of the pre-eminent organization in the state that represents and
supports the members of your profession.
What are the flaws in comparing public schools in the United States to schools in
China, Finland or other countries?
I would be very happy if Tennessee was comparable to Finland and what the Finns
have accomplished in public education. But Tennessee and Finland aren’t comparable,
because the characteristics of the populations, the public support for a social safety
net, and the approach to producing a trained teaching force are very dissimilar. Plus,
Tennessee’s current leadership simply isn’t committed to providing Tennessee with the
kind of education system to which the Finns have committed for their children.
What’s wrong with trying to run public schools like a business?
You can’t send a bad batch of blueberries back to the supplier. You have to make
blueberry ice cream with whatever blueberries you happen to have on hand.
Among the many things you wish your clients did differently, what are the most
wonder that the Campbell County Education Association had a who will be involved. Last spring we brought it all to the director.
fixing the plane in mid-air,” he says.
common mistakes or oversights?
stellar year, garnering a 30-percent increase in membership, the He promised that something would be done, but it hasn’t. The
With a new, three-step grievance process in place, Bob and Karen
1. Not keeping good documentation.
highest in the state, in spite of the fact that their county is the paychecks still don’t reflect any changes.”
are hard at work helping members realize that they have options that
2. Not seeking assistance early enough in the process.
only one in Tennessee dominated by the American Federation of
At one point last year, Bob says he and a fellow teacher
could positively impact their evaluation results.
3. Not observing professional boundaries with students and colleagues.
Teachers.
accidentally witnessed grades being changed live on a school
“I’d say 50 percent of teachers in our system have never even
What is your advice to TEA members for this school year?
Karen, who has been a TEA member for 38 years, recalls
arriving in Campbell County two decades ago and being asked to
join AFT.
“I’d been told it would be a good thing to do because they were
the main bargaining unit,” says Karen. “I was encouraged to join
system’s website. The officials denied it, yet at the end of the last
school year one teacher’s paycheck was withheld for 15 minutes,
presumably due to grade discrepancies. “It was an embarrassing
situation,” Bob says.
A 13-year member of TEA who began his teaching career in
looked at their scores,” says Bob. “Because it was sent out in an email,
there are two passwords. Some teachers don’t understand the impact
that evaluations can have.”
In a county where many teachers and students don’t carry cell
phones or have Internet access at home, one-on-one communication
Don’t wait to ask questions if you are having issues or concerns. Knowledge is
power, and TEA members have access to incredible amounts of information, resources
and guidance, particularly through the TEA website, the UniServ coordinators, and
legal services.
AFT, but a couple of friends of mine with whom I’d gone to school 1976 in Coffee County, Bob sets an example of bravery in a county
is king, and Karen and Bob Holder appear to be the masters of it.
4 September 2012 5
www.teateachers.org

Teachers Overwhelmingly Choose TEA in
Collaborative Conferencing Votes Across the State
Rutherford County teachers didn’t have a
difficult time deciding who would represent them at
the collaborative conferencing table with the local
school board.
“Rutherford Education Association, of course.
Who else?” said Darrick Bowman, who teaches
history and social sciences at Siegel High School in
Murfreesboro.
Across Tennessee, teachers overwhelmingly
chose TEA members to represent them in
collaborative conferencing, which replaced
professional negotiations under the Professional
Educators Collaborative Conferencing Act (PECCA).
Critics say this mouthful of an acronym and
the accompanying legislation were designed to
weaken TEA’s influence in fighting on behalf of
school employees and to strip teachers of collective
bargaining rights. While the 107th General
Assembly succeeded in taking away teachers’ ability
to negotiate their contracts with local school
systems, some locals still have contracts in place,
and others are receiving votes of confidence from
teachers in their districts.
To secure 100 percent of the seats at the
collaborative conferencing table, REA members
reached out to at least 15 percent of teachers in
the district who said they would like for the school
board to participate in collaborative conferencing.
The Association then placed a flier in every
teacher’s hand, informing them of the upcoming
polling date and a track record of REA’s past wins on
behalf of local teachers and school employees.
“REA did an excellent job of organizing
teachers,” said Susan Young, District 11 UniServ
coordinator. “They contacted every teacher in the
Know Your PECCA Rights
The Professional Educators Collaborative
Conferencing Act (PECCA) provides
professional employees with the right to
self-organization and to form, join or be
assisted by organizations, to participate in
collaborative conferencing and to engage in
other concerted activities for the purpose of
other mutual aid and benefit.
TEA will continue to protect and defend
the numerous rights that still exist.
Under PECCA, professional employees
have the right to:
* Self-organization and to form, join or be
county and explained to them their expertise in the
field.”
In Clarksville-Montgomery County, Becky
Jackman, librarian and media specialist at
New Providence Middle School, is preparing to
send three alternates as part of the upcoming
collaborative conferencing training in September
to make sure that CMCEA always has their side of the
conferencing process covered.
“CMCEA also plans to survey their members
and to hold a training session on etiquette and
strategy,” said Rhonda Thompson, District 14
UniServ coordinator.
After 81 percent of Knox County teachers voted
last November for Knox Co. EA to represent them in
talks with the local school board, KCEA determined
that their ultimate goal is to reach a memorandum
of understanding and to be able to work for the
Percent of teacher representatives
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
assisted by organizations
* Be free of interference, restraint or
coercion in the exercise of guaranteed rights
* Be free of reprisals or threats of reprisal
for exercising their rights
* Be free of domination of interference in
their chosen organization
Local Associations have the specific
right to:
* Have access at reasonable times before
or after the instructional day to areas in which
employees work
* Use institutional bulletin boards, mail
benefits and rights of the employees of Knox
County schools.
“Even though the legislature took away
our bargaining rights, KCEA is still here for its
members,” said KCEA President Sherry Morgan. To
those locals that are yet to start the collaborative
conferencing process, her advice is to create a plan
and stick to it.
“The focus should be on getting a calendar and
a plan of action going,” she said. “It’s important to
meet the deadlines imposed by the process. Being
on the front lines of collaborative conferencing
really helps people see the benefits of being a
member of our Association. Many non-members
signed cards and voted for us. They told us, ‘We
know you are going to do something, not the other
organizations.’”
TEAMembers
Other
boxes and communication media
* Use school facilities, as permitted by
policy for community use, for the purpose of
holding meetings
* Determine organizational rules for
acquiring and retaining members
* Enter onto school grounds to contact
professional employees at times that will not
interfere with normal school operations
PECCA, in a statement of policy and
purpose, ensures the right of professional
employees to participate in collaborative
conferencing through representatives of their
own choosing.
New TEA Member Benefits Partners
Offer Superior Service, Ways to Save Money
After a long day at school, you deserve the very
best, which is why the TEA Member Benefits program
is committed to meeting your needs and those of your
family.
TEA is proud to announce the member benefits
partners listed below and welcome your feedback,
comments and suggestions of potential future
member benefits partners. Remember, no TEA or NEA
dues are used to provide these services.
1. TEA-WOWbudget.com invites you on a
secure and confidential journey to financial freedom.
Specializing in offering a financial planning system
to help teachers retire debt-free, WowBudget offers
TEA members up to a 20% savings on monthly
services if you utilize this debt reduction plan.
2. K-12 Benefits Advisors (Transamerican)
specializes in offering flexible spending accounts
to teachers. TEA members will receive up to a 25%
savings on the monthly cost of this program and the
$5.00 setup fee will be waived.
3. HERO - Healthcare Education Research
& Outreach provides a diabetes education and
screening program to adult members of the Blue
Cross Blue Shield insurance plan. In six classes, this
plan offers participants the information needed to
learn how to make daily decisions about self-care
and diabetes. HERO also works in cooperation with
PromiseCare, a company that provides discounted
pharmaceuticals in this area of healthcare.
4. TEA Night with the Nashville Predators
Would you like to see The Nashville Predators play
Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m.?
Order tickets today at www.nashvillepredators.
com/TEANight with Special Offer Code “TEANight”
Discounted rates for TEA Members:
• $26 Goal Zone (yellow seats in Sec 301-306,
329-333; regularly $35+)
• $44 Mezzanine Level includes all-you-caneat
hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, soft pretzels
Voter registration deadline for the November
general election: October 8.
Early voting period for the November election:
October 17-November 1.
Election Day: Tuesday, November 6.
Now is the time to support candidates who
support teachers and public education.
Scan this QR code to view
testimonials from your friends
and colleagues featured in the
TEA web video or visit
vote.teateachers.org.
& Pepsi products (blue seats in Sec 313-322; regularly
$58+)
• $51 Endzone Club (tan seats in Sec 201-206,
212-213, and 219-224; regularly $66+)
• $65 Lower Bowl (green seats in Sec 101-108,
112-120; regularly $84+)
5. Discounted tickets to the University of
Tennessee football games
As a TEA member, you have an exclusive
opportunity to purchase discounted football tickets
to select home games this year in honor of UT’s
Education Appreciation Games. Simply visit
www.UTTix.com, enter the promotional code and
purchase as many tickets as you need for each game.
Please call (865) 974-9585 for a three-game mini plan
that includes the Florida home game or the Alabama
home game, plus two additional home games of your
choice for just $162.
Visit www.teateachers.org for detailed log-in
instructions.
TEA President Gera Summerford (middle) visited Jefferson County schools
with District 3 UniServ Coordinator Tina Parlier (left). Summerford spoke
with JCEA member Karen Bible (right) during the visit. Karen teaches AP art
at Jefferson County High School.
Below, Summerford welcomes Holston Middle School reading teacher Kelsey
Bull at the recent Knox Co. EA new teacher luncheon. Kelsey will serve as the
new association representative (AR) at her school.
6 September 2012 7
www.teateachers.org

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National Assembly Inspires, Energizes Tennessee’s Teachers
Rosemary Winters of Memphis EA
performs with the NEA choir in a
Fourth of July celebration at the NEA
Representative Assembly
in Washington, D.C.
By Amanda Chaney
More than 9,000 educators descended upon Washington,
D.C., this summer for the National Education Association’s
Annual Representative Assembly. Tennessee’s delegates,
a group of more than 200 teachers, administrators and
education support professionals, took an active role in
the week-long event by participating in floor discussions,
important votes and even performing with the NEA choir.
The week was filled with many inspiring speeches and
nearly 100 new business items. NEA President Dennis Van
Roekel kicked things off with the keynote address.
“This has been a challenging year for our country. I know
it has also challenged you, as well as our members back
home. Not just in some states, but in EVERY state,” said Van
Roekel. “I know how hard you worked – to stand up for our
members and to serve our students, from pre-K to graduate.
And you do it each and every day – it’s who you are – it’s what
we do.”
Van Roekel went on to challenge members to stand up
for their profession and work together to “raise the level
of preparation for those coming into our profession and
improve the practice of those who are already here.”
The highlight for many attendees was a phone call from
President Barack Obama. The president called in while on the
road for his 2012 campaign bus tour across the country.
“I want you to know that I am proud of all the great work
you have done,” said President Obama. “You can’t help the
American people without helping educators. I’m proud to
stand with you, I’m proud of your support.”
Hamilton Co. EA President Sandy Hughes addresses the
national assembly.
The Tennessee delegation included eight
husband-and-wife pairs pictured below.
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8 September 2012 9
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“We know what will work,” he continued. “What will work
is if we are making an investment in a strong and growing
middle class. That starts in the classroom, the places where
you and your colleagues are teaching, and leading and
inspiring. I’m running for a second term as president to make
sure every American has a chance to get a great education
and the skills and training that today’s jobs require.”
In addition to the president’s call, attendees also
received a visit from Vice President Joe Biden and his wife
and former NEA member, Dr. Jill Biden.
The vice president immediately won the crowd over by
confessing, “I’m in love with a teacher.” He went on to say,
“You make dreams a reality. My mother and father never
doubted that I could become vice president or president of
the United States. No group of professionals can make that
possible other than the educators of this great country. You
, CONTEST
know better than anyone that our success in the 21st century
depends on our ability to educate all children. And that
starts with the women and men in our nation’s schools.”
The week’s activities also included several recognitions.
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is this year’s recipient
of the NEA America’s Greatest Education Governor Award.
Judy Near, a Colorado education support professional, won
STEA members attend the 2012 NEA RA. Clockwise from left: Chris Martin, Amy Orick, Kelly Stapleton, Brittany
the National Education Association’s Education Support
Professional of the Year. The 2012 National Teacher of the
Seal, Corbin Lester, Parris Malone, Londyn Huntley, STEA President and TEA board member Marilauren Anderson, Year was awarded to Rebecca Mieliwocki, an English teacher
LI470912
and Caryce Gilmore. Read the story about Caryce Gilmore on the next page.
from California.
www.teateachers.org

A warm welcome — Jessica Stephens (left) signs a record-breaking membership form
during Williamson County EA’s new teacher event at Franklin High School on August 2.
More than 75 new teachers joined WCEA during the event, exceeding last year’s count.
Tennessee Student Leader
Earns National Recognition
Former Student
Tennessee Education
Association President
Caryce Gilmore received
the NEA Student
Program’s Outstanding
State Student Leader
Award at the 2012 NEA
Student Leadership
Conference in
Washington, D.C.
The award recognizes
a student member who
has achieved excellence
throughout the year by
providing leadership
to the State Student
Caryce Gilmore
Program to meet the
three pillars of the
program: community outreach, professional development and political action.
Gilmore’s leadership experience includes starting a community outreach
project for STEA, lobbying with state officers in Nashville, holding a voter
registration drive at the STEA Fall Conference, serving on the TEA Board,
attending two NEA Student Program Conferences and one NEA conference.
Gilmore was also elected by her peers to serve as a student representative on
the NEA Board of Directors at the leadership conference.
Counting On Tuition Discount?
Read the Fine Print
This fall, dependents of many public school teachers will enroll in a
Tennessee Board of Regents school or one of the schools that are part of
the University of Tennessee system. Most of them will apply for a tuition
discount as provided in Tennessee Code Annotated 49:7-119.
This 25-percent tuition discount is available to a teacher’s dependent
child under the age of 24. In order to receive the discount, a form must
be completed and submitted upon enrollment. What is not on the form
are the words “retired teacher.” Whether by design or simple oversight,
these words were omitted when the law passed in 1993. Every year,
numerous new retirees are surprised to find their student is no longer
eligible for the discount because the teacher is now retired. Retiring
teachers lose the benefit of discounted tuition for their dependents.
Tennessee Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) believes there is
a difference between losing a benefit and never having it. TRTA has
fought hard for many years to correct this unfair treatment. The lobbyist
for the Tennessee Board of Regents and the UT Board of Trustees has
resisted the inclusion of retired teachers in the law providing the
discount. Please keep this significant loss of tuition discounts in mind
when planning for retirement.
Opinion/Commentary
We Are Professionals.
Let’s Get Our Rights Back
By Lisa Dammert
T
his is a plea for the restoration
of collective bargaining. bargaining. Just
because that right was
taken away from us, it
doesn’t mean that we
must surrender it. Teachers have
accepted lower salaries than
those offered by corporate
jobs under the guise that
teachers have better benefits.
That is no longer the case.
Without collective bargaining
we lose more than perks—we
lose the ability to use our strength
in numbers to negotiate for more
affordable health care coverage, life and
disability insurance. Premiums continuously
creep up as do the costs of routine health maintenance.
I know this first-hand as a cancer survivor, mother and spouse who wants the best
for her family.
Teachers and education support professionals are no longer respected as we once
were. State standards, high-stakes testing and the threat of lawsuits loom over every
one of us. These threats take away from the time we spend with students. We are stuck
in meetings and webinars to address these demands, when instead we’d rather be, well,
teaching! Our voice is no longer one of solidarity. We must unite together and let the
politicians know that we will not
surrender collective bargaining.
“It’s time to show the politicians We can only win this fight if we
work together.
the power of solidarity. We can
Several politicians are up for
collectively bargain their jobs away by re-election who have no respect
for teachers. We must show them
voting new people in... We can get our
that we remember. We remember
right to collective bargaining back.” marching in the rain. We remember
sitting outside of the legislative
sessions as our profession was
bashed. Some politicians painted us as glorified babysitters. To those politicians, I
say this: Teachers are the ones who taught you how to read, how to follow directions
and how to tie your shoes. Teachers dried your tears when you were sad and gave you
hugs to celebrate your success. During that entire process teachers unfolded the
world before your eyes. They showed you that the universe is vast and that cells are
microscopic. Teachers taught you critical thinking skills and how to get along with
other people. Babysitters just make sure the baby stays in one piece before the parents
get home.
It is time to show the politicians the power of solidarity. We can collectively bargain
their jobs away by voting new people in. Remind fellow teachers how politicians voted
on issues near and dear to your heart. Show students the legislative process in action –
vote! We can only get our right to collective bargaining back by standing up as one.
Lisa Dammert teaches at Fairview High School and is membership chair of the
Williamson County EA, www.wceateachers.com.
Scott Price (Coffee Co. EA) and Anthony Hancock (Knox Co. EA) talk
to the state delegation at the NEA Representative Assembly about
their individual campaigns for Tennessee State Representative.
Campaigns Heat Up
Tennessee’s Teachers Aim High
Nine of the eleven TEA members who stepped up earlier this year to
reverse the anti-public school agenda at the State Capitol won the primary
election in August, demonstrating strong support for teachers and public
education in communities across Tennessee.
Coinciding with the start of school, many of the candidates are balancing
day-to-day school duties along with running ever-intensifying grass
roots election campaigns, which will culminate in the November 6 general
election.
Tommy Scott Price, who teaches at Coffee Co. Central High School, said
he is grateful for the support of his colleagues and fellow citizens.
“I decided to throw my hat in the race in House District 47 because I
didn’t feel that our elected officials represented the interests of teachers in
our area,” Price said.
The 16-year member of TEA and Coffee Co. EA said that the 2011-12
legislative session delivered plenty of misguided “education reform” to
Tennessee schools. Watching the slew of anti-teacher bills become law
during the past couple of years inspired Price to bring a real teacher’s
perspective to the Tennessee General Assembly.
Together with Anthony Hancock, a fellow teacher and House District
18 candidate from Knox County, Price addressed the Tennessee delegation
during the NEA Representative Assembly in Washington, D.C., in July.
An active Knox Co. EA member since 2003, Hancock stressed the need to
reverse past legislative measures aimed at silencing teachers’ voices in favor
of corporate interests and out-of-state virtual schools.
“Educators deserve dignity and respect, and children deserve access
to high quality instruction guided by the curriculum,” said Hancock, who
teaches special education at Bearden Middle School in Knoxville. “I believe
that parents and families should be engaged in and have opportunities to
participate in the education of their children.”
10 September 2012 11
www.teateachers.org

It’s the Best Thing Since Mars Rover:
Apply for Tennessee Space Week Grant by September 24
If you are interested in the Tennessee Space Week 2012-13
learning grants, don’t forget the application deadline is September
24. TEA will award Space Week learning grants to teachers for
instructional projects and materials in grades K-12. This is a great
opportunity to demonstrate your local Association’s commitment
to academic excellence, particularly in the STEM fields of science,
technology, engineering and math. Our Tennessee Space Week
celebration will be held January 27-February 2, 2013.
What on earth is Tennessee Space Week?
Space Week is a statewide project designed to increase teachers’
and student interest and performance in the STEM fields of science,
technology, engineering and math through focus on aerospace
programs and accomplishments. Activities are co-sponsored by TEA,
the Tennessee Space Grant Consortium and the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA).
Originated in 1986, the Space Week project includes special
learning opportunities for both students and teachers. TEA
generally offers workshops that deal directly with teaching math and
science at the annual TEA Spring Symposium in March. Information
concerning other available training opportunities is disseminated
to members through TEA publications and the Scholarship, Grants &
Awards section at www.teateachers.org. Every teacher who applies
for a Space Week Learning Grant automatically receives notification
of training opportunities sponsored by Tennessee Space Grant
Consortium and NASA.
TEA awards Space Week Learning Grants to members each year,
prior to Tennessee Space Week. Since 1999, TEA has awarded over
$175,126 to association members and various school systems across
the state. These grants fund special Space Week materials and
activities. Grant awards vary in amount to a maximum of $1,000.
Applications are available at www.teateachers.org, with a
deadline in late September. Awards are mailed directly to winners in
late November or early December.
The goal of Space Week activities is to increase student interest
and performance in the STEM fields of science, technology,
engineering and math. Keeping this goal in mind, TEA strongly
encourages interdisciplinary project development as well as traditional
proposals within math and science departments across the state.
When does Space Week take place?
Following the Challenger tragedy on January 28, 1986, TEA
acted to honor the life and teaching of fellow NEA member, Christa
McAuliffe, who was aboard the Challenger as America’s first teacher in
space. In her honor, Tennessee Space Week is held each January, the
last school week preceding, or the school week including, January 28.
If you would like to be the Space Week contact for your local
Association/school, email Alexei Smirnov at asmirnov@tea.nea.org.
Provide your name, address, e-mail address (home preferred), and
telephone numbers and name of your local Association/school.
1. Application must be typed and submitted as directed on the
application form.
2. Individual K-12 teacher members, groups of members or local
associations are eligible to apply. Applications for collaborative
projects should be made in a single application. Only current
members holding a license to teach in Tennessee are eligible. Special
consideration is given to proposals from first-time applicants or
proposals that include matching funds from other school and/or
community sources.
3. Grant amounts up to $1,000 will be awarded to purchase
aerospace teaching and learning materials to be used in instructional
projects for classrooms, departments or schools. Reusable materials
are preferred, but not required. TEA encourages incorporation of
matching funds from other sources wherever possible. Learning grant
funding can change annually, and matching funds increase the impact
of your proposal.
4. Field trips, salary supplements and professional development
courses are not eligible for funding with Space Week Learning Grant
Fund; however, they can be part of a total project.
5. Applications are due at TEA by 5 p.m. (CDT), Monday,
September 24, 2012. A joint committee of TEA and the Tennessee
Space Consortium will select and notify winners. Winners will receive
their grant in November so requested items may be purchased prior to
the Tennessee Space Week in January.
6. Grant report forms and any unspent funds must be returned to
TEA by Friday, May 3, 2013, as part of the final report for each grant
project.
Tennessee Space Week – January 27-February 2, 2013.
Please mail the completed application to:
Tennessee Space Week Learning Grant
Attn: Alexei Smirnov
Tennessee Education Association
801 Second Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37201-1099
Download the TEA app @
App store or Android market
Need information, services?
Tennessee Education Association
801 Second Avenue N., Nashville, TN 37201-1099
(615) 242-8392, (800) 342-8367, FAX (615) 259-4581
UniServ Coordinators
District 1 — Harry Farthing, P.O. Box 298, Elizabethton,
TN 37644; phone: (423)262-8035, fax: (423)262-8053;
Assns: Carter, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan.
District 2 — Jennifer Gaby, P.O. Box 70, Afton, TN
37616; (423)234-0700, fax: (423)234-0708; Assns: Cocke,
Greene, Unicoi, Washington, Johnson City. 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. District
4 — Jon White, Knox County Education Association, 2411
Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917-8289; (865)522-
9793, fax: (865)522-9866; Assns: Knox, TSD. District
5— Jason White, P.O. Box 5502, Oak Ridge, TN 37831;
(615)521-1333, fax: (865)200-5254; Assns: Anderson,
Campbell, Blount, Morgan, Scott. District 6 — Jim
Jordan, P.O. Box 4878, Cleveland, TN 37320; phone/fax:
(423)472-3315; Assns: Rhea, Roane, Meigs, McMinn,
Monroe, Loudon, Bradley, Polk. District 7 — Theresa
Turner, 4655 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga, TN 37411;
(423)485-9535, fax: (423)485-9512; Assns: Hamilton
County. District 8 — Jeff Garrett, P.O. Box 1202,
Lebanon, TN 37088; (615)630-2605, fax: (855)320-8755;
Assns: Coffee, Cannon, Bledsoe, Franklin, Grundy,
Manchester City, Marion, Sequatchie, Tullahoma City,
Van Buren, White, Warren. District 9 — Shannon Bain,
1001 Rhett Place, Lebanon, TN 37087; phone: (615)547-
7769, fax: (855)715-0824; Assns: Clay, Cumberland,
DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett,
Putnam, Smith, Trousdale. District 10 — Jackie Pope,
2326 Valley Grove Dr., Murfreesboro, TN 37128; (615)
898-1060, fax: (615) 898-1099; Assns: Bedford, Marshall,
Moore, Williamson. District 11 — Susan Young, P.O.
Box 422, Madison, TN 37116-0422; phone: (615)865-
9700, fax: (615)865-9701; Assns: Rutherford, Sumner.
District 12 — Cheryl Richardson-Bradley, 801 Second
Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201; (615)630-2601, fax:
(888)519-4879; Assns: Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman,
Wilson. District 13 — Forestine Cole, Ralph Smith,
Metro Nashville, 531 Fairground Court, Nashville, TN
37211; (615)726-1499, fax: (615)726-2501; Assns:
Metro Nashville. District 14 — Rhonda Thompson,
801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201; phone:
(615)242-8392, ext. 321, fax: (615)259-4581; Assns:
Clarksville-Montgomery, Robertson. District 15 —
Miley Durham, P.O. Box 10, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464;
phone: (931)766-7874, fax: (913)762-9391; Assns: Giles,
Lawrence, Lincoln, Hardin, Lewis, Maury, Wayne.
District 16 — Maria Uffelman, P.O. Box 99, Cumberland
City, TN 37050; phone: (931)827-3333, fax: (931)827-
3330; Assns: Benton, Carroll (West Carroll) Central,
Henry, Stewart, Weakley, FTA, S.S.D. Decatur, Houston,
Humphreys, Perry. District 17 — Lorrie Butler, P.O.
Box 387, Henderson, TN 38340; (731)989-4860, fax:
(731)989-9254; Assns: Chester, Hardeman, Henderson,
Jackson-Madison, McNairy. District 18 — Karla
Carpenter, P.O. Box 177, Brunswick, TN 38014; (901)590-
2543, fax: (901)382-1433; Assns: Crockett, Dyer, Gibson,
Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion, Tipton. District
19 — Zandra Foster, 3897 Homewood Cove, Memphis,
TN 38128; (901)377-9472, fax: (855)320-8737; Assns:
Fayette, Shelby. District 20 — Memphis Education
Association — 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.
www.teateachers.org
www.nea.org
Scan this Quick Response
code for UniServ contact
information
12 September 2012