October - Tennessee Education Association

P.T. Miller: “My Association Is Not What’s Wrong With Public Education”
By P.T. Miller
I
am a second-career educator, in
my 13th year of teaching following
retirement from the Air Force. When
I joined the school system, I joined
the Clarksville-Montgomery County
Education Association, TEA and NEA.
It’s my professional organization. I felt the
need to join. I don’t necessarily agree with all
that NEA is doing in the political arena, but I
do believe they have the best interests of our
nation’s children at heart.
My local association is important to me—it
gives me peace of mind. Sometimes peace
of mind costs a little bit of money. Our dues
went up a little bit, but that’s ok with me. It’s
important to know that someone was in my
corner when the legislature began to “reform”
education in Tennessee. I’m not sure what
happened. When I thought about it, I felt like
I was being attacked by my state legislature.
Did I do something wrong?
When I reflected long and hard about what
I might have done, I realized that all I ever
did was show up at work on time, ready to be
fired any minute and gave a damn about my
kids. And I got attacked for doing that. I don’t
think I’ve ever done anything against our
legislators. I have noted that in Tennessee, it felt like the only
group getting hammered was the teachers.
I can’t disagree with the concept of evaluating teachers.
I was evaluated once a year. But the loss of negotiations—I
might have a problem with that. It depends on what my
local school system does. The way things are going, I feel
a little paranoid. I haven’t seen a lot of changes yet, but I’m
waiting for another shoe to drop. If there are going to be any
changes, big ones, they will come next year.
Small changes are already here. We have professional learning
communities at our schools. Now they take place during the after-school
hours. Collaborative conferencing is taking the place of negotiations. The
problem is collaborative conferencing is not binding on either side. I’m
sure they can cut your pay. The economy is not good and the school system
needs money.
But I have somebody in my corner. TEA was in my corner, debating
those bills. Collectively, we did the best we could do. At least we were at
the table. I don’t know what the evaluation system and all the other laws
would look like if TEA wasn’t at the table. Some people complain that the
Association can’t do anything for them. Maybe they haven’t asked or taken
action themselves.
From B-52 bomber to geography classroom — Former B-52 bombardier P.T. Miller doesn’t shy away from teacher evaluation. He wants to make sure teachers
are treated fairly. Miller is looking to enlist math teachers across the state to help decipher the TVAAS formula he received from the state with TEA’s help.
I know at least I can go to CMCEA and TEA and seek help if
something happens to me. I value this support and I’m willing
to pay for it.
There is some progress with efforts to improve
evaluation. At least in this school system, this year they are
finally going to count the student’s TCAP score as 15% of
the second-semester grade. I know in my school system and
nationally they say that education of a child is a team effort,
which includes the parents, the student and the teacher.
Even so, I feel like I’m the only one being held responsible.
Honestly, I feel like I’m the only one they could reach out and touch. I don’t
mind being accountable, but I’m not sure TVAAS is the best way to do it.
When I wanted to know what the TVAAS formula is, I couldn’t find out
and neither could anyone else in my school system. I know it’s generally
based on the kids’ TCAP scores, but I don’t know where the achievement
part fits in. It’s been decided that TVAAS is the best measure of a teacher’s
effectiveness.
If it’s a mathematical formula, tell me what it is. Why is it not on the
school system’s website? How come all I get is a number and some assurance
that there’s a formula and I should trust it? I’m not even sure the school
system knows what it is.
So I asked TEA through my UniServ Coordinator Rhonda Thompson, and I
got it. It’s 14 pages of mathematical equations
and I’m not sure I’ll be able to grasp it all, but I
can try.
I understand that being evaluated is
important. When I moved here and began
looking for a school for my children, good TCAP
scores meant good schools, and bad TCAP scores
meant bad schools. Nothing else matters, it’s a
perception, and perception is reality. I’m just a
little gun-shy about this evaluation because I
feel like I was attacked for doing my work.
I’m not the typical teacher, so I may have a
better outlook on the current state of affairs
than some of my colleagues. I’ve only been
teaching for 12 years and I’m near the end of my
career. If it gets bad enough, I’ll quit and I’ll be
eligible to collect Social Security and retire. It’s
not bad yet, but I’m waiting for the other shoe
to drop.
Eighty percent of expenses in school systems
are salary and benefits, and money’s tight. If
they feel like cutting my compensation, they
can do it. I might be able to accept it, but only
if everyone takes a pay cut, from the top down.
But if I had kids in college thinking about being
a teacher, I would advise them against it in this
environment. Teaching is certainly not as much
fun as it used to be. I don’t know what it was
like in the 1970s, but I know it wasn’t this stressful.
I came out of the military after 22 years and I always thought I could
be a teacher. I’ve been teaching geography to seventh-graders for the last
seven years. I had forgotten how hard it was to be that age. It’s just flat
hard being 12 or 13 years old, even if you have a perfect home life. But my
kids show up every day. I know those parents send me the best kids they
Statewide Member Benefits
Webinar Held in Springfield
TEA members took part in the member benefits webinar held at
Robertson Co. central office in Springfield. The September meeting involved
13 local associations, allowing members from Memphis, Johnson City,
Hamilton Co., Knox Co., Sevier Co. and others to watch and learn remotely.
When you are
As part of the event, a new TEA member from Hamilton Co. won a $100
fuel card and a $50 restaurant gift card. For more information about the
benefits of being a member of your local association, TEA and NEA, visit
confident
www.neamb.com. Above, left to right: Tammy Artz, president of Robertson
you can take the lead.
Co. EA, talks with TEA board member Margaret Thompson. Below, Carolyn
McClain Johnson, NEA Member Benefits specialist for the Tennessee region,
shares the stage with Duran Williams, TEA membership coordinator.
Confident investors looking to save on fees
should look at NEA Valuebuilder ® DirectInvestSM have, and I’ll work with them. Some days are better than others, but most of
the time they’re pretty good.
Before I was a teacher, I was a B-52 bombardier. It’s a big airplane,
but the office wasn’t very accommodating. They have a lot of room for Now you can choose an NEA retirement program that you direct yourself and save on
bombs and fuel, but not much room for the six guys who flew in that thing. the cost of a financial advisor. NEA Valuebuilder
My station was in the lower deck with no lights. It was always dark. In
an uncomfortable seat. But Uncle Sam treated me pretty well. For the
first seven years, I made more money from military retirement than I did
teaching school.
In my heart, middle school is where I want to be. All I know after my
many years in the Air Force and education, if there is anything wrong with
public education, it’s not my Association.
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4 October 2011 Share your story: asmirnov@tea.nea.org
You should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the mutual funds available under the NEA Valuebuilder Program before inv
P.T. Miller teaches geography at Rossview Middle School in Clarksville may obtain and a prospectus is that contains this and other information about the mutual funds by calling our National Service Center at 1-800-NEA-VALU (632-8258). You s
the prospectus carefully before investing. Investing in mutual funds involves risk and there is no guarantee of investment results.
a member of Clarksville-Montgomery Co. EA.
The NEA Valuebuilder Program provides investment products (the “NEA Valuebuilder products”) in connection with retirement plans sponsored by school districts and other employers of NEA m
individual retirement accounts established by NEA members. Security Distributors, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (collectively “Security Benefit”) make the NEA Valuebuilder products availab
program pursuant to an agreement with NEA’s wholly owned subsidiary, NEA’s Member Benefits Corporation (“MBC”). Security Benefit has the exclusive right to offer the NEA Valuebuilder pro
the program, and MBC generally may not enter into arrangements with other providers of similar investment programs or otherwise promote to NEA members or their employers 5 any investment p
compete with the NEA Valuebuilder products. MBC promotes the program to NEA members and their employers and provides certain services www.teateachers.org
in connection with the program. Security Benefit pa
fee to MBC based in part on the average assets invested in the NEA Valuebuilder products under the agreement. You may wish to take into account this agreement and arrangement, including a