Exit Interview With Beloved Teacher - Tennessee Education ...
Exit Interview With Beloved Teacher - Tennessee Education ...
Exit Interview With Beloved Teacher - Tennessee Education ...
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Published by the TENNESSEE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION<br />
May 2012 Vol. 43, No. 9 www.teateachers.org<br />
Local Associations<br />
Reading Well<br />
<strong>Exit</strong> <strong>Interview</strong> <strong>With</strong> <strong>Beloved</strong> <strong>Teacher</strong><br />
Prevail in Court<br />
page 12<br />
TEA Members Run<br />
For State Legislature<br />
page 4
Speaking out with you<br />
Gera Summerford, President<br />
Let’s Get to Know Ourselves Better<br />
My husband has a phrase he uses sometimes. He says, “We don’t<br />
know who we are.” Because he’s also a teacher, I usually hear it when<br />
we talk about ourselves as educators.<br />
I might disagree. I believe we know who we are in our schools.<br />
We’re the people who entered this profession with a passion for<br />
helping children and a desire to impact the future. We drive school<br />
buses, plan lessons, soothe away tears, prepare<br />
meals, and assess learning. We try to be both a<br />
role model and a mentor to kids who may have<br />
neither at home. We have the experience and the<br />
expertise, the know-how and the knowledge, to<br />
encourage and nurture and instruct and coach<br />
and inspire our students to be the best they can<br />
be. We know our students count on us—and we<br />
would never let them down.<br />
So why do we let ourselves be teased into<br />
denying what we know? We let ourselves be the object rather than the<br />
subject in the grammar of public education. We act as if the changes<br />
and reforms are happening to us, when in fact we should be making<br />
change happen.<br />
In this sense, maybe we don’t know who we are. We don’t know the<br />
potential impact and influence and power we can have. We think we<br />
are only pawns in the game of education reform when we should be<br />
the players. We often see ourselves in isolation, powerless to direct<br />
our own professional lives.<br />
How can we act with confidence and authority to take the lead<br />
in our profession? How do we give our very best for our students and<br />
their future? What must we do to protect the basic right to public<br />
education in the face of corporate interests? How do we turn our<br />
frustration into action?<br />
First of all, we must share the responsibility of providing a quality<br />
public education for every child. It’s my duty to not only give my best<br />
effort for my students, but also to share my skills and seek support<br />
from fellow educators. When I know my instruction was successful,<br />
I share the plan and the enthusiasm with my peers. When I know<br />
it could have been better, I ask for help from a colleague. We must<br />
create and use the collective knowledge we share.<br />
We must also share the responsibility of electing the right people<br />
to public office. We know that all elected officials, from local school<br />
boards to state legislators to the President, make decisions that<br />
directly impact our ability to provide quality instruction. To advocate<br />
for our students and ensure we get the resources we need to provide<br />
quality instruction—we must elect the right people.<br />
In the new environment in our schools and in our politics, it’s<br />
more important than ever that we act as one. We must know who<br />
we are—not just as individual educators, but as a collective body of<br />
professionals. Together, we must create the synergy that occurs when<br />
we combine our skills and our talents, our dedication, our passion<br />
and our votes.<br />
Throughout the coming months, we’ll be asking you to make<br />
commitments and take action to elect the right people for public<br />
education. Thomas Jefferson said, “Do you want to know who you<br />
are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”<br />
Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. It can. It will.<br />
Al Mance, Executive Director<br />
Looking Ahead: All In<br />
No organization—whether a family, church, association or<br />
neighborhood watch group—lives a totally pleasant, trouble-free<br />
existence. I can’t think of any person who’s led a trouble-free life<br />
either. We are always competing with the elements of human nature<br />
and Mother Nature to successfully manage our existence. To succeed<br />
in the face of adversity, we must ask, “What are we to do about it?”<br />
We can expect a positive result if we adopt the<br />
commitment to be all-in. In other words, all of us<br />
will join in the effort to respond.<br />
We remember well the massive amount of<br />
anti-teacher legislation passed by the 107th<br />
General Assembly in 2011, and we will not forget<br />
until it is changed.<br />
Those who proposed and voted for the<br />
infamous repeal of teacher negotiations and<br />
for five-year probationary periods showed no<br />
empathy for the teachers who have to live with the result. These<br />
legislators pressured TEA to give more money to their political party<br />
and then took away teachers’ right to influence the teaching and<br />
learning environment. They pursued their self-interest through their<br />
raw exercise of power.<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong>s do not have the freedom to advocate purely in their<br />
self-interest. We are morally and ethically obligated to advocate<br />
for the education of all<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong> students and<br />
their futures. We shirk<br />
these moral obligations if<br />
we empathize with those<br />
who acted against public<br />
education and the future<br />
of <strong>Tennessee</strong>’s boys and<br />
girls. That would be a<br />
“In 2012 every teacher<br />
and <strong>Tennessee</strong><br />
citizen should vote for<br />
education.”<br />
failure of nerve resulting in a weakened public education system.<br />
We’ve heard from teachers across the state who said they voted<br />
for some of the legislators who passed the damaging legislation—but<br />
they never will again. I hope they mean it. No professional teacher<br />
should vote for any legislator who voted against them and the children<br />
they teach. Political party is irrelevant.<br />
In 2012 every teacher and <strong>Tennessee</strong> citizen should vote for<br />
education. This means voting for candidates of any political party<br />
who respect teachers and public education and are committed to<br />
correcting the excesses of the last General Assembly. All in.<br />
The recent legislature held the power of office granted by innocent<br />
citizens who trusted them not to attack. We were wrong to do so.<br />
Now we have the power to change who represents us in public office<br />
and we must exercise it as never before. It will take all of us working<br />
together in every voting district in the state. It will take simple things<br />
like placing signs in your yard, going door-to-door to speak with<br />
neighbors and spending a few hours making telephone calls on behalf<br />
of a candidate who actively supports teachers and public education.<br />
It may be as simple as standing on a corner handing out campaign<br />
literature or writing notes to acquaintances asking them to vote for<br />
the education candidate, your candidate. Everything you do will help.<br />
Get ready. We are all-in and you count.<br />
teach (USPS 742-450, ISSN 15382907) is published<br />
monthly (except for June, July and December) by the<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong> Association, 801 Second Avenue<br />
North, Nashville TN 37201-1099. Periodical postage<br />
paid at Nashville, TN. The subscription price of $3.65 is<br />
allocated from annual membership dues of $254.00 for<br />
active members; $127.00 for associate, education<br />
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and $10.00 for student members. Member of<br />
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Postmaster: Send address changes to teach,<br />
801 Second Avenue North,<br />
Nashville, TN 37201-1099.<br />
MANAGING EDITOR: Alexei Smirnov<br />
asmirnov@tea.nea.org<br />
PUBLISHER: Alphonso C. Mance<br />
MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS: A.L. Hayes<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
801 Second Avenue North<br />
Nashville, TN 37201-1099<br />
Telephone: (615)242-8392,<br />
Toll Free: (800)342-8367, (800)342-8262<br />
Fax: (615)259-4581<br />
Website: www.teateachers.org<br />
BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />
PRESIDENT: Gera Summerford* (800)342-8367<br />
VICE PRESIDENT: Barbara Gray* (901)353-8590<br />
SECRETARY-TREASURER: Alphonso C. Mance (615)242-8392<br />
DISTRICT 1 Leisa Lusk (423)928-6819<br />
DISTRICT 2 Melinda Reese (423)587-2120<br />
DISTRICT 3 Karen Starr (423)628-2701<br />
DISTRICT 4 Tanya Coats (865)637-7494<br />
DISTRICT 5 Sandy Smith (423)991-8856<br />
DISTRICT 6 Beth Brown* (931)779-8016<br />
DISTRICT 7 Bonnie T. Dixon (931)967-9949<br />
DISTRICT 8 Kawanda Braxton (615)554-6286<br />
DISTRICT 9 Erick Huth (615)973-5851<br />
DISTRICT 10 Guy Stanley (615)384-2983<br />
DISTRICT 11 Melanie Buchanan* (615)305-2214<br />
DISTRICT 12 Debbie D’Angelo (731)247-3152<br />
DISTRICT 13 Ernestine King (901)590-8188<br />
DISTRICT 14 Sarah Kennedy-Harper (901)416-4582<br />
DISTRICT 15 Stephanie Fitzgerald (901)872-4878<br />
ADMINISTRATOR EAST Johnny Henry (865)509-4829<br />
ADMINISTRATOR MIDDLE Margaret Thompson<br />
(615)643-7823<br />
ADMINISTRATOR WEST Charles Green (901)624-6186<br />
HIGHER EDUCATION Derek Frisby (615)898-5881<br />
BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER EAST Paula Hancock<br />
(865)694-1691<br />
BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER MIDDLE Alzenia Walls<br />
(615)230-8144<br />
BLACK CLASSROOM TEACHER WEST LaVerne Dickerson*<br />
(901)416-7122<br />
STATE SPECIAL SCHOOLS Vacancy<br />
ESP Christine Denton (931)647-8962<br />
TN NEA DIRECTOR Stephen Henry* (615)519-5691<br />
TN NEA DIRECTOR Diccie Smith (901)482-0627<br />
TN NEA DIRECTOR Diane Lillard (423)478-8827<br />
STEA MEMBER Caryce Gilmore (865)640-6590<br />
TN RETIRED Gerald Lillard (423)478-8827<br />
NEW TEACHER Candra Clariette (615)506-3493<br />
* Executive Committee<br />
TEA HEADQUARTERS STAFF<br />
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Alphonso C. Mance; ASST. EXECUTIVE<br />
DIRECTOR, AFFILIATE SERVICES: Mitchell Johnson; ASST.<br />
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PROGRAM SERVICES: Carol K.<br />
Schmoock; TEA GENERAL COUNSEL; Vacancy; MAN-<br />
AGER OF BUSINESS AFFAIRS: Stephanie Faulkner; IN-<br />
FORMATION TECHNOLOGY & SYSTEMS MANAGER, Galen<br />
Riggs; MANAGER OF UNISERV & BARGAINING COORDINATOR:<br />
Donna Cotner; STAFF ATTORNEYS: Katherine Curlee, Virginia A.<br />
McCoy; MANAGER OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: Jerry Winters;<br />
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS ASSISTANT: Antoinette Lee; MANAGER<br />
OF COMMUNICATIONS & GRAPHICS: A.L. Hayes; WEB MASTER &<br />
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Amanda Chaney; MANAGING EDI-<br />
TOR & COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Alexei Smirnov; MANAGER<br />
OF RESEARCH & INFORMATION: Melissa Brown; RESEARCH & IN-<br />
FORMATION ASSISTANT: Susan Ogg; MANAGER FOR INSTRUCTION<br />
& PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Terrance Gibson; INSTRUCTION<br />
& PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATORS: Susan Dalton,<br />
Nicki Fields; COORDINATOR OF MEMBERSHIP & AFFILIATE RELA-<br />
TIONS: Duran Williams.<br />
UniServ Staff contact information<br />
can be found on page 12.<br />
2 May 2012<br />
Leaving it to the Young’uns<br />
After 39 happy years and one not so much, Charles Wallace heads for the exit<br />
On a quiet, cloudy Tuesday in May, two<br />
weeks before the end of the school<br />
year, Charles Wallace paces resolutely<br />
through his classroom at Ashland City<br />
Elementary School as he explains words<br />
such as “indignant” and “cautions” to his students.<br />
Wallace makes a calculated stop near a boy who is<br />
having difficulty reading a complicated passage,<br />
then pauses near a girl whose mind seems to have<br />
wandered away from the book page. He picks up<br />
another student’s pencil off the floor, places it on<br />
the desk and says, quietly, that if the pencil falls for<br />
the fourth time, he might have to take it away. <strong>With</strong><br />
immaculate pacing and seamless transitions, Wallace<br />
switches from reading Beverly Cleary’s “The Mouse<br />
and the Motorcycle” to writing assignments, sails<br />
swiftly through the bathroom break, then back to<br />
more reading and recess.<br />
In his 40th year at Ashland City Elementary,<br />
Wallace is a celebrated teacher and master of all<br />
disciplines, having taught special education, grades<br />
one through four, math and Title I reading. A big<br />
advocate for teaching English through reading,<br />
Wallace challenges his students to think, imagine<br />
and learn, but he is afraid that as he retires, younger<br />
teachers are given no opportunity to foster creativity<br />
in students.<br />
Wallace didn’t plan to retire this year, but a<br />
stress-related medical leave caused him to rethink<br />
his plan.<br />
“The previous 39 years I loved my job,” he says. “I<br />
have not loved my job this year. I’m not saying I hate<br />
it, but it has been extremely stressful. The thrill is<br />
not there any longer.”<br />
Wallace had planned to teach two more years, but<br />
with the pressures from the legislature, mountains<br />
of paperwork, and three changes of the email system<br />
during this school year, he decided to leave the<br />
classroom. And it’s not just his district, where the<br />
superintendant announced his departure the day<br />
before our interview.<br />
“I know a lot of teachers who are retiring or going<br />
into other areas,” Wallace says, convinced that the<br />
people making decisions about public education<br />
today “don’t respect our knowledge.”<br />
“I’ll tell you what to do, and you’ll do what I tell<br />
you, and then I want you to show me that you did it<br />
the way I told you”—that’s the approach he says he<br />
has witnessed every day this school year.<br />
When asked about the new teacher evaluation<br />
system, Wallace says he finds many of the procedures<br />
unfair, despite the fact that he’s done very well on<br />
Charles Wallace talks with his students at Ashland City Elementary School in May.<br />
his evaluation. Just don’t get him started on the<br />
prospect of adding 35 percent from the results of the<br />
TCAP test to his evaluation score. Wallace’s students<br />
recently finished TCAP, and it pained him to observe<br />
that many kids just marked through the answers<br />
without much thought.<br />
“I had one student who finished a 69-minute test<br />
in 12 minutes,” Wallace says. “That tells me, they<br />
don’t care. And until they care, it’s not going to show<br />
accurately.”<br />
<strong>With</strong>out hesitation in his voice,<br />
Wallace says that if he were in<br />
college now, he would not choose<br />
to be a teacher. And if he were a<br />
student, he would hate it.<br />
A veteran of Cheatham Co. EA, Wallace agrees<br />
with the sentiment that students cannot be inspired<br />
to care about test results and teachers cannot<br />
be improved through legislative acts. Instead of<br />
erecting walls around teachers, Wallace’s colleagues<br />
say <strong>Tennessee</strong>’s lawmakers would do well to visit<br />
Ashland City Elementary and other classrooms<br />
across the state, where they will see how children<br />
actually learn, and hear about Wallace’s students<br />
who were inspired to achieve great things in life. One<br />
local doctor is eternally grateful to Wallace for the<br />
inspiration to dream big.<br />
“He came to our retirement tea and thanked<br />
me for giving him the self-confidence to believe he<br />
could do anything he wanted to do,” Wallace says.<br />
“He graduated valedictorian of his high-school and<br />
received a full medical scholarship.”<br />
Wallace says it was his ability to inspire students<br />
through project-based learning that hooked and<br />
inspired the future doctor. “We made foods out of salt<br />
dough, we studied the human body and did all these<br />
reports,” he says. “There’s no time for that anymore<br />
if you’re planning to cover all the standards you have<br />
to cover.”<br />
<strong>With</strong>out hesitation in his voice, Wallace says that<br />
if he were in college now, he would not choose to be<br />
a teacher. And if he were a student, he would hate it.<br />
“I loved school when I was a kid, but now all we do<br />
is teach the standards and test. There’s no time for<br />
projects.”<br />
So what are the younger teachers to do? What<br />
can be done for teachers who, like Charles Wallace,<br />
came into the classroom with a passion and talent to<br />
educate children and impact their future?<br />
“We have to buckle down and do the best job<br />
we can do,” says Ashland City Elementary teacher<br />
Melanie Buchanan, whose classroom is across the hall<br />
from Wallace’s. “This, too, shall pass.”<br />
As we observe students playing during recess,<br />
teachers share their opinions about their working<br />
conditions and the need to preserve what they have.<br />
Wallace looks over the school playground, perhaps<br />
trying to guess which child will become a doctor, or a<br />
teacher, but he is interrupted by a couple of students<br />
running a bit too fast.<br />
“Tammy, be careful, don’t fall,” he says, and<br />
jumps into the conversation about current social<br />
studies materials. He has more stories to tell.<br />
www.teateachers.org<br />
3
Chattanooga Educator’s Idea Wins National Award<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong>’s teachers are stepping up to reverse<br />
Dickerson, who teaches English as a second<br />
even have a science portion yet. They are refusing<br />
the anti-public schools agenda at the State Capitol. As language and is a science coach at Northfield<br />
to see educators as experts in the field and hold us<br />
of the April 5, 2012, filing deadline, 11 TEA members in Elementary School in Murfreesboro, is especially vocal accountable for things we don’t teach—which is very<br />
nine counties have accepted the challenge of running about the lack of attention currently given to testing disturbing.”<br />
When given a chance to voice their thoughts<br />
“Because students love to compete in online workplace and the 21st century economy,” said<br />
for the General Assembly.<br />
ESL and special-needs students.<br />
Dickerson encouraged TEA members to donate to<br />
on how gaming can be used in student learning, games and interactive phone apps, any way of Harriet Sanford, president and CEO of the NEA<br />
local campaigns in support of pro-public education<br />
measures and candidates. “Our students and<br />
TEA Members Run for State Legislature communities deserve professional teachers and<br />
educators have an unlimited number of ideas. To<br />
highlight some of the best, the NEA Foundation, in<br />
partnership with the U.S. Department of <strong>Education</strong><br />
incorporating those activities into the fabric<br />
of the classroom is sure to engage students and<br />
create an interest in content learning,” Brown<br />
Foundation. “So we asked educators to share,<br />
discuss, and evaluate ideas about how to use<br />
these tools to support classroom instruction. We<br />
Most of the candidates are grassroots politicians<br />
“The governor<br />
small classrooms where teachers are involved in their<br />
and Microsoft Partners in Learning, recognized said. “Whenever I cover new material, I can hear discovered educators who are using technology<br />
fed up with current measures aimed at silencing<br />
came to our school<br />
community, which is what research suggests.”<br />
Kimberly Brown, a physical science teacher at students discussing which games would go along in fun, creative ways. By initiating this discussion<br />
teachers’ voices in favor of corporate interests and out- last year and<br />
Tommy Scott Price, who teaches at Coffee Co.<br />
Signal Mountain Middle School in Chattanooga. She with the new ideas and how they plan to present and knowledge sharing, we hope to help educators<br />
of-state virtual schools. Shelby Co. EA member James announced our scores.<br />
Central High School and is a member of Coffee Co. EA,<br />
was selected by her peers and a panel of experts them.”<br />
better equip their students with the skills they’ll<br />
Coley is an incumbent, while Mark Maddox of Weakley Unfortunately, the<br />
said that his desire to represent teachers caused him to<br />
for posting one of the top ten ideas and will receive The NEA Foundation uses crowd sourcing on need to be successful in college, work, and life.”<br />
Co. EA is seeking to return to the legislature.<br />
current accountability<br />
run for a state house seat.<br />
the NEA Foundation’s Challenge to Innovate (C2i) the Department of <strong>Education</strong>’s innovation portal<br />
Brown is also a member of the C2i community<br />
“I’m running because good teachers can no longer model doesn’t take<br />
“After the 2011-12 legislative sessions, I didn’t feel Gaming Award along with a cash prize of $1,000. as a way to ensure that educators have a voice of some 1,000 educators and others, which is<br />
sit quietly and watch bad politicians destroy our schools into account that our<br />
that our elected officials represented the interests of<br />
Brown’s idea, “Curriculum APPlications,” is in determining new instructional strategies. hosted on the Department of <strong>Education</strong>’s Open<br />
and shortchange our kids’ future,” said Gloria Johnson student population<br />
teachers in our area. I decided to throw my hat into the<br />
an ongoing classroom activity, in which students Continuing a multi-year partnership, the<br />
Innovation Portal.<br />
of Knox Co. EA. “The anti-teacher legislation influenced<br />
my decision to run.”<br />
Sandy Smith, a veteran member of Hamilton Co.<br />
changes year-to-year,”<br />
Dickerson said. “I<br />
have a new student<br />
Luke E. Dickerson of<br />
Murfreesboro EA<br />
race and give people a choice in District 47. I would like<br />
to take a real teacher’s perspective on education reform<br />
to the state House.”<br />
use popular, interactive gaming apps to identify<br />
relevant science concepts that they are learning in<br />
class. Students create mini-posters to be displayed<br />
Foundation partnered with Microsoft to solicit and<br />
share ideas on how gaming could be integrated into<br />
the curriculum to meet students where they are<br />
Members of the community help the NEA<br />
Foundation and its partners identify and solve<br />
education’s most pressing classroom problems.<br />
EA, said her retirement from active teaching this year in my classroom who<br />
The complete list of TEA members running for state<br />
on a section of the classroom wall called the<br />
highly engaged while improving their learning. Brown’s idea was selected from a pool of 157<br />
coincided with an opportunity to seek public office. is a refugee from a third-world country. He can’t even legislature this year:<br />
“leader board,” and receive points based on their “Game-based learning and interactive<br />
nominees across 38 states and five countries by<br />
“The representative in my district never had<br />
count to six in his native language. Testing him under SD 6 – Evelyn Gill (D), Knox County<br />
written explanation of the concept and how it technology like this can help build technological their peers and a panel of educational experts.<br />
opposition and voted straight down the party line<br />
where education was concerned,” Smith said. “He’s not<br />
very knowledgeable in public education and hasn’t been<br />
receptive to teacher’s concerns. As I retire, I hope to<br />
make a difference in the state legislature.”<br />
Smith said her decision was fueled by what she<br />
witnessed during last year’s legislative session, when a<br />
slew of anti-teacher bills became law. Like many of her<br />
peers, Smith said teachers have to influence education<br />
policy for the sake of students and the future of our<br />
state.<br />
Luke Dickerson of Murfreesboro EA said teachers<br />
lost their voice when collective bargaining rights<br />
were taken away by elected officials during the 2011<br />
legislative session.<br />
“My campaign is about bringing the community<br />
and parents back into the classroom,” Dickerson said.<br />
“The Republicans say they want less government and<br />
less bureaucracy, but teachers have been dealing with<br />
the current system is not an effective measure of his HD 8 – Grady Caskey (R), Blount County<br />
HD 13 – Gloria Johnson (D) Knox County – open seat<br />
progress.”<br />
HD 18 – Anthony Hancock (D) Knox County<br />
Dickerson sees right through Governor Bill Haslam’s HD 30 – Sandra Smith (D) Hamilton County<br />
rhetoric about improving science education.<br />
HD 34 – Luke Edward Dickerson (D) Murfreesboro<br />
“Our science program is being cut due to the lack HD 47 – Tommy Scott Price (D) Coffee County<br />
HD 76 – Mark Maddox (D) Weakley County<br />
of funds and we’re forced to look at alternative grants,”<br />
HD 78 – John Paul Wood (R) Robertson County – open seat<br />
Dickerson said. “<strong>With</strong> the governor saying they are HD 81 – Conneye T. Albright (D) Tipton County – open seat<br />
pushing STEM education, the new PARCC exam doesn’t HD 97 – James Coley (R) Shelby County, incumbent<br />
In Spite of Hurdles, Many Wins for<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong>s in 2012 Legislative Session<br />
TEA successfully advocated for <strong>Tennessee</strong>’s proposal would have eliminated state funding for<br />
teachers during this year’s legislative session. possibly hundreds of teaching positions (HB 2348/<br />
Among major wins in 2012:<br />
SB 2210)<br />
• Passage of a bill to ensure that teacher<br />
• Defeat of a bill which would have allowed<br />
evaluation ratings are not public records (HB 1908/ individuals who could pass a subject area test to be<br />
appears in the game.<br />
and communication competencies valued in the<br />
Visit www.neafoundation.org for details.<br />
They took your right to bargain!<br />
They What took will they your try right to to take bargain! next?<br />
What will they try to take next?<br />
You can help STOP this<br />
You by can protecting help STOPyour this<br />
byTEA protecting membership! your<br />
TEA membership!<br />
so much paperwork and micromanagement since the SB 1447)<br />
licensed as teachers (HB 3059/SB 2298)<br />
Republicans have come into office. My campaign is also<br />
• Passage of additional funding for the BEP,<br />
• Defeat of legislation which would have<br />
about seeing students as individuals who need a special including a 2.5% salary increase for BEP funded provided a dubious state-paid liability insurance<br />
plan in order to succeed.”<br />
While stressing the need to change the current<br />
teacher and principal evaluation system, Dickerson<br />
said he regrets that the outgoing crop of <strong>Tennessee</strong>’s<br />
legislators refused to fund alternative evaluation<br />
models which were provided across <strong>Tennessee</strong> school<br />
districts.<br />
“We can’t continue to do the same thing,” he said.<br />
“We’ve tried a lot of assessments. They are a good<br />
measure of accountability, but our kids and parents<br />
come to us with different needs. We need to give<br />
struggling students more after-school support. This<br />
is where I want to see our state spend more money,<br />
teachers (HB 3835/SB 3768)<br />
policy for teachers (HB 2170/SB 2478)<br />
• Passage of a bill to prevent abolition of<br />
• Defeat of a bill to mandate a statewide<br />
position in order to avoid due process provisions of uniform school start date (HB 1805/SB 1471)<br />
the tenure law (HB 2738/SB 2693)<br />
• Defeat of a proposal which would have<br />
• Passage of a resolution to require broad- provided vouchers for private and parochial schools<br />
based input on possible changes to the teacher (HB 388/SB 485)<br />
evaluation system (HJR 520)<br />
Many thanks to all members who contacted<br />
• Defeat of Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposal to raise legislators about these important issues. These<br />
class size and eliminate the state teacher salary successes demonstrate that, together, we can<br />
schedule. In addition to raising class size, this accomplish great things for public education.<br />
Are You Registered to Vote? Register in person<br />
Sign up for<br />
TEA Representatives will attend.<br />
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The process takes just minutes.<br />
TEA TEA Automatic<br />
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Dues Pay! Safe. Secure. Easy to do!<br />
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All it takes is a voided check.<br />
not on evaluation and testing. We have enough of that<br />
already.”<br />
at public libraries, county clerk’s offi ces or visit www.tn.gov/sos<br />
For more information call TEA at 800.342.8367 ext. 213 or visit www.teateachers.org<br />
For more information call TEA at 800.342.8367 ext. 213 or visit www.teateachers.org<br />
4 May 2012 5<br />
EDUCATORS<br />
EDUCATORS<br />
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DUTY-FREE<br />
A B A T E D<br />
A B A T E D<br />
LUNCH<br />
LUNCH<br />
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CLASS SIZE<br />
CLASS SIZE<br />
I N C R E A S E D<br />
I N C R E A S E D<br />
TEA<br />
RETIREMENT<br />
RETIREMENT<br />
C O M P R O M I S E D<br />
C O M P R O M I S E D<br />
COLLECTIVE<br />
COLLECTIVE<br />
BARGAINING<br />
BARGAINING<br />
TENURE<br />
TENURE<br />
D E S T R O Y E D<br />
W E A K E N E D D E S T R O Y E D<br />
W E A K E N E D<br />
TEA Representatives will attend.<br />
The process takes just minutes.<br />
www.teateachers.org
<strong>Teacher</strong>s Elect New Leaders, Pledge to Vote for <strong>Education</strong> in 2012 Elections<br />
More than 600 educators from across the<br />
state gathered at the Nashville Convention<br />
Center on May 11-12 as local delegates to<br />
the <strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong> Association’s 2012<br />
Representative Assembly.<br />
The Representative Assembly is TEA’s<br />
highest governing body and consists of<br />
delegate-members who are elected locally by<br />
their peers. This year, the delegates elected<br />
several new officers. The delegates also honored<br />
outstanding educators and citizens, set the<br />
organization’s budget and legislative priorities<br />
2012-2013 Don Sahli-Kathy<br />
for the upcoming year, and adopted resolutions<br />
and business items introduced by delegates.<br />
Woodall Scholarship Winners<br />
New this year was an emphasis on the<br />
upcoming 2012 election. Attendees were asked<br />
to sign a pledge card vowing to register to vote,<br />
Sons & Daughters Scholarship<br />
($1,000)<br />
remember the legislative attacks on teachers<br />
in 2011 and vote for education interests – not<br />
political affiliation – in 2012. TEA gathered<br />
nearly 600 signatures.<br />
TEA Executive Director Al Mance (left), President Gera Summerford (middle) and Vice President Barbara Gray (right) speak at the TEA Representative Assembly in May.<br />
Victor Kuehn<br />
Wayne County High School,<br />
son of Amelia Kuehn,<br />
TEA President Gera Summerford of Sevier Co.<br />
Wayne County <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
Sen Andy Berke (D-Chattanooga) receives the 2012 Friend of<br />
<strong>Education</strong> award from Jerry Winters, TEA manager of government<br />
relations.<br />
EA and Vice President Barbara Gray of Shelby Co.<br />
EA were each re-elected for two-year terms.<br />
Melanie Buchanan of Cheatham County was<br />
elected to the National <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
(NEA) Board of Directors.<br />
Elected to the TEA Board of Directors were<br />
FTA Scholarship ($1,000)<br />
Krista Tate<br />
Obion County Central High School<br />
Wendy Bowers of McNairy County, Thomas<br />
Emens of Memphis, Suzie May of Haywood<br />
Minority Scholarship ($1,000)<br />
TEACHER<br />
APPRECIATION<br />
DAY<br />
Don’t miss out on the celebration<br />
and these great perks:<br />
County, Lauren McCarty of Sevier County, Allen<br />
Nichols of Rutherford County, Michael Plumley<br />
of Bradley County, Tommy Scott Price of Coffee<br />
County, Tanya Thomas-Coats of Knox County and<br />
Theresa Wagner of Metro Nashville.<br />
Elected to the TEA Fund for Children and<br />
Public <strong>Education</strong> (TEA-FCPE) Executive Council<br />
were Kenneth Emerson of Haywood County, Lynn<br />
Eubanks of Blount County, Nancy Holland of<br />
Metro Nashville and Pamela Hopkins-Witzel of<br />
Delegates discuss agenda items.<br />
Newly elected officers appear on RA stage.<br />
Ashley Delavega<br />
David Crockett High School<br />
STEA Scholarships<br />
President ($1,000)<br />
Marilauren Anderson<br />
UT Martin<br />
FREthanyogifbagwitbonu<br />
coupotusathevent<br />
Sneapeeamust-havneitem<br />
foyouclassroom<br />
Hamilton County.<br />
Julie Hopkins of Metro Nashville was elected<br />
as Middle <strong>Tennessee</strong> administrator on the TEA<br />
board of directors. Kenneth Martin of Metro<br />
$1,000 Winner<br />
Jessica Blair<br />
UT Knoxville<br />
Timtcatcuwitcolleague<br />
* F R EE<br />
gift<br />
bagavaila<br />
blefor<br />
the<br />
fi rst<br />
100<br />
teac<br />
hers.<br />
<br />
Whilsupplielast.<br />
Date/Time:<br />
Saturday, August 4<br />
9 AM to noon<br />
Nashville was elected as Middle <strong>Tennessee</strong> black<br />
classroom teacher and Clinton Smith from UT<br />
Martin was elected as the Higher <strong>Education</strong><br />
classroom teacher.<br />
Erick Huth of Metro Nashville was elected<br />
Middle <strong>Tennessee</strong> member on the Board<br />
of Trustees of the <strong>Tennessee</strong> Consolidated<br />
Retirement System. Elected to the Local<br />
<strong>Education</strong> Insurance Committee as Middle<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong> member was Rebecca Jackman of<br />
Clarksville-Montgomery Co.<br />
TEA delegate signs a voter registration pledge.<br />
Delegates line up to vote on the morning of May 12.<br />
$500 Winner<br />
Jared Copeland<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong> Technological University<br />
$500 Winner<br />
Sophie Celino<br />
East <strong>Tennessee</strong> State University<br />
6 May 2012<br />
7<br />
www.teateachers.org
TEA Honors Outstanding <strong>Teacher</strong>s, Supporters of Public <strong>Education</strong><br />
Beth Brown (right) of Grundy Co. EA<br />
receives the Distinguished Classroom<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong> award from TEA President<br />
Gera Summerford during the luncheon<br />
ceremony at TEA on May 11.<br />
The <strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong> Association presented awards<br />
to <strong>Tennessee</strong> educators and supporters of public education at<br />
TEA’s Annual Awards Luncheon prior to the TEA RA.<br />
TEA recognized the 2011-12 Distinguished Classroom<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong>s. This year’s winners are Mary Brockett (Knox<br />
County), Beth Brown (Grundy County), Debbie D’Angelo<br />
(Henry County), Allen Nichols (Rutherford County) and Elaine<br />
Weaver (Franklin County).<br />
Beth Baker (Metro Nashville) and Priscilla Davis (Johnson<br />
County) were awarded the Distinguished New <strong>Teacher</strong> award<br />
in their schools earlier in May. This new award is the first of<br />
its kind to honor new teachers in <strong>Tennessee</strong>.<br />
During the early morning faculty meeting at H.G. Hill<br />
Elementary on May 9, the stunned Baker said she thought the<br />
delegation that came through the door to present the award<br />
was there to take away the school principal.<br />
“I thought they were going to take Connie away,” said<br />
Beth Baker, the Distinguished New <strong>Teacher</strong> Award recipient,<br />
referring to Connie Gwinn, the H.G. Hill Middle School<br />
principal who led the faculty meeting when TEA President<br />
Gera Summerford walked in with Metro Nashville <strong>Education</strong><br />
Association President Stephen Henry. “Wow!” Baker said. “I<br />
feel like a seventh-grader. I don’t know what to say.”<br />
Marilda Smith (Robertson County) received the award<br />
for 2012 Distinguished <strong>Education</strong> Support Professional.<br />
The Distinguished Administrator Award recipients are<br />
Julie Hopkins (Metro Nashville) and Julie Thompson (Knox<br />
County).<br />
Metro Nashville EA member Beth Baker receives the Distinguished New <strong>Teacher</strong> award from TEA President Gera<br />
Summerford (middle) as H.G. Hill Middle School Principal Connie Gwinn applauds.<br />
TEA President Gera Summerford presents the Distinguished<br />
Administrator award to Julie Ann Hopkins (above), principal<br />
of Buena Vista Elementary School in Nashville and member<br />
of Metro Nashville EA. Marilda Smith (below) of Robertson<br />
Co. EA receives the Distinguished <strong>Education</strong> Support<br />
Professional award.<br />
Melanie Buchanan of Cheatham County was recognized as<br />
TEA’s nominee for the 2011 National <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.<br />
The E. Harper Johnson Human Relations Award for the<br />
layperson category was awarded to Gregory Ramos, an<br />
attorney in Nashville. The Student <strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong><br />
Association (STEA) was recognized in the association<br />
category.<br />
Crystal Harper of Memphis received the Susan B. Anthony<br />
Award for her work in support of programs and achievements<br />
for women and girls.<br />
The $1,000 Sons and Daughters Scholarship was<br />
presented to Victor Kuehn (Wayne County High School).<br />
This year’s $1,000 Future <strong>Teacher</strong>s of America Scholarship<br />
recipient is Krista Tate (Obion County Central High School).<br />
Ashley Delavega (David Crockett High School) received the<br />
Minority Scholarship.<br />
Student TEA President-elect Marilauren Anderson<br />
(University of <strong>Tennessee</strong> Martin) and Jessica Blair<br />
(University of <strong>Tennessee</strong> Knoxville) both received $1,000<br />
STEA scholarships. STEA also awarded $500 scholarships to<br />
Sophie Celino (East <strong>Tennessee</strong> State University) and Jared<br />
Copeland (<strong>Tennessee</strong> Technological University).<br />
TEA’s 2012 Friend of <strong>Education</strong> Awards were presented to<br />
Sen. Andy Berke of Chattanooga, in the individual category,<br />
and the Governor’s Books From Birth with Imagination<br />
8 May 2012 Library, in the organization category.<br />
9<br />
www.teateachers.org
Mike Blankenship, agriculture<br />
education teacher at North Knox<br />
Vocational School, has never met a<br />
broccoli or tomato plant he didn’t<br />
like.<br />
Now he is helping students and their families<br />
gain a deeper appreciation for sustainable<br />
and nutritious foods through the Food for All<br />
(FFA) grant sponsored by the Howard G. Buffett<br />
Foundation.<br />
A longtime instructor for the North Knox FFA<br />
the donation of a tandem-load of topsoil from<br />
Claiborne Hauling, a local trucking business.<br />
This soil will come in handy when Blankenship<br />
and crew begin planting their Better Boy,<br />
Celebrity and Beef Master tomatoes. “These<br />
types have resistance to diseases, thanks to their<br />
genetics,” he says. “They are a good-tasting<br />
tomato.”<br />
Specializing in horticulture and landscaping,<br />
Blankenship presides over a program in which<br />
students take at least three classes (such<br />
comes from,” says Blankenship. “There’s some<br />
background that they don’t realize exists. That’s<br />
where we can help.”<br />
Blankenship says the “a-ha” moments come<br />
almost every day, and not just from the students.<br />
<strong>Teacher</strong>s have told him that they enjoy eating<br />
peas, but have never seen what a pea vine looks<br />
like, or expressed bemusement at the fact that<br />
broccoli stems are ok to eat.<br />
“Call it agriculture literacy,” he says. “That’s<br />
why the <strong>Tennessee</strong> Department of Agriculture and<br />
Jamie Vollmer delivers keynote<br />
speech at Spring Symposium.<br />
By Amanda Chaney<br />
Springtime at TEA always includes two<br />
important professional development<br />
conferences – the TEA Spring<br />
Symposium and the Johnella Martin/<br />
TEA Statewide Minority Affairs<br />
Conference. Together, these two events reach<br />
nearly 400 teachers from across the state.<br />
The 16th Annual Spring Symposium was<br />
held March 16 and 17 at the Park Vista Hotel in<br />
Gatlinburg. This year’s theme, “The Quest for<br />
Excellence,” encouraged participants to move<br />
beyond their comfort zones to be the talented,<br />
caring and committed educators <strong>Tennessee</strong>’s<br />
students need.<br />
The Symposium’s keynote speaker, Jamie<br />
Vollmer, energized attendees Friday night with<br />
his opening remarks about building public<br />
TEA UniServ Coordinator Forestine Cole looks to<br />
the past in her presentation as “Sis. Sylvia, retired<br />
educator from Senatobia, Miss.”<br />
Spring Conferences Educate, Inspire <strong>Teacher</strong>s<br />
TEA members share best practices, delve into stress management<br />
Planting the Seeds<br />
Savings and Discounts<br />
support for public education. “We need four<br />
things for success in our schools, and it is all<br />
about our communities,” Vollmer said. “We<br />
Of Agriculture Literacy<br />
TEA Member Benefi ts ................................................................ 800.342.8367<br />
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., CT, M-F 800.342.8262<br />
615.242.8392<br />
must have community understanding, trust,<br />
permission to change and support.”<br />
Saturday included a variety of sessions<br />
TEA Access Benefi ts ...................................................................866.245.4552<br />
including topics such as implementing Common<br />
10<br />
and veteran Knox Co. EA member, Blankenship<br />
spends more than his allotted time with students,<br />
which often leaves evening hours for office work.<br />
When we caught up with him in May, Blankenship<br />
was still at the office at 9 p.m., preparing a field<br />
trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C., and<br />
making sure that everything is in place for the<br />
next school day.<br />
As part of the $2,500 grant, Blankenship has<br />
created a lineup of year-long service-learning<br />
projects focused on developing and implementing<br />
sustainable programs to help fight hunger in the<br />
local community.<br />
Since grant winners were announced at the<br />
beginning of March, Blankenship and his students<br />
have planted broccoli, radishes, butter crunch<br />
lettuce, salad greens, and sugar snap peas.<br />
“There’s a lot of collateral learning going on<br />
when students ask questions about a certain way<br />
a plant grows,” he says. “Our big push will be this<br />
fall when we have our other beds in production—<br />
an additional 600 square feet of growing area.”<br />
Requiring plant beds at least 10 inches in<br />
depth, Blankenship is happy to have assistance<br />
from some of the career and technical education<br />
students. “Toward the end of school there’s a lot<br />
of volunteering going on,” he says, grateful for<br />
May 2012<br />
www.teateachers.org<br />
as Introduction to Horticultural Science,<br />
the Department of <strong>Education</strong> came together in<br />
Horace Mann Insurance (west of I-65) ......................................214.548.1714<br />
Greenhouse Management and Floral Design) that<br />
the career and technical area.”<br />
(east of I-65) ......................................615.708.4048<br />
count toward a CTE cluster, which is a component www.horacemann.com Happily married to his wife Joy, a longtime<br />
of the NEA Member 28 units Services of credit Center required ....................................................800.637.4636<br />
for graduation. Knox Co. EA member who teaches at Holston<br />
He 8:00 sees a.m.-8:00 his mission p.m., ET, M-F in 9:00 popularizing a.m.-1:00 p.m., the ET, Sat. www.neamb.com Middle School, Blankenship makes it a joy to talk<br />
understanding NEA Financial Services that basic ...............................................................877.721.9398<br />
farming can be done by about sustainable nutrition and is eager to share<br />
anyone. (Car Rental “Agriculture Programs, Credit and Card commerce Programs, Investments, are the two and Loans) more details about his current projects. If you are<br />
words NEA Insurance on our state Operations seal, Services yet some .......................................... of the younger 800.523.5877 interested in finding out more about his work,<br />
students (Life Insurance don’t understand Programs, Medical where Insurance their Programs, food etc.) 800.541.4119 email asmirnov@tea.nea.org.<br />
(For detailed benefi ts and the most current information, please visit the corresponding websites.)<br />
Pictured above, left to right:<br />
Stay Connected Through Social Media<br />
Fresh radish harvest;<br />
Stay connected to the <strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong> Association through any of<br />
Hanna Davis, Ryan Cox and Mike<br />
our social media connections by visiting any of the following websites:<br />
Blankenship attend to a raised<br />
broccoli bed;<br />
www.facebook.com/<strong>Tennessee</strong>EA<br />
Micalee Segers shows off a fresh<br />
crop of broccoli with love.<br />
www.twitter.com/TEA_<strong>Teacher</strong>s<br />
www.youtube.com/<strong>Tennessee</strong>EA<br />
www.fl ickr.com/photos/teateachers<br />
www.pinterest.com/TEAteachers<br />
16<br />
Attendees enjoy a breakout session.<br />
Left to right: Rhonda Lankford (Greene Co. EA), Jill<br />
Davis and Tiffany Burcham (Humphreys Co. EA), and<br />
Comeshia Williams (Shelby Co. EA).<br />
Attendees with NEA Vice-President Lily Eskelsen (center).<br />
Core State Standards, virtual learning, the<br />
politics of education and other best practices.<br />
The Symposium ended with remarks from<br />
NEA Vice-President Lily Eskelsen compelling<br />
attendees to have “obnoxious pride in yourself<br />
as a teacher.”<br />
The next weekend, TEA members again<br />
gathered for a weekend of professional<br />
development and fellowship. The Johnella<br />
Martin/TEA Statewide Minority Affairs<br />
Conference was held in Chattanooga on March<br />
23 and 24 at the DoubleTree Hotel.<br />
This year’s event was all about empowering<br />
educators to face – and beat – the challenges<br />
that come with being an excellent teacher. The<br />
two-day event kicked off with opening remarks<br />
from Metro Nashville principal Ronald Powe.<br />
His passionate words encouraged teachers to<br />
face their challenges head-on and to always<br />
persevere.<br />
Saturday was filled with five different<br />
sessions covering everything from the latest<br />
technology to differentiated teaching to stress<br />
management techniques.<br />
Please visit the TEA website to learn<br />
more about these events and the many other<br />
professional development opportunities<br />
provided by TEA throughout the year.<br />
Paula Hancock, Evelyn Gill, Robin Curry and Antoinette Williams<br />
(Knox Co. EA) attend Minority Affairs Conference.<br />
To view more photos, scan this<br />
code with your smart phone’s QR<br />
reader to visit the TEA website or<br />
go to www.teateachers.org.<br />
11<br />
www.teateachers.org
<strong>Teacher</strong>s in Sumner, Hamilton and Dickson<br />
Counties celebrated big legal wins last month as<br />
courts supported teachers’ rights to engage in<br />
association activities.<br />
On April 3, 2012, the Sumner County Board of<br />
<strong>Education</strong> approved a settlement of a federal court lawsuit<br />
filed last year by the Sumner County <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
(SCEA) and its president Alzenia Walls.<br />
SCEA filed the lawsuit in response to the restrictions<br />
imposed by the Sumner Co. school board on the activities<br />
and communications of the SCEA and its representatives.<br />
The SCEA and Walls claimed that those restrictions violated<br />
the First Amendment and <strong>Tennessee</strong> state law. In late<br />
December, the federal court issued an injunction against<br />
the Sumner Co. school board as a result of some of those<br />
restrictions.<br />
“This is a good settlement for the SCEA and for teachers<br />
in Sumner County,” Walls said. “It vindicates the principles<br />
that led us to believe at the outset that this lawsuit was<br />
necessary. We are especially gratified that the director<br />
welcomed our proposal to meet regularly to discuss<br />
educational and employment concerns. We hope board<br />
members will choose to join us in those meetings and that<br />
this will mark the beginning of an improved relationship<br />
between the Sumner County Board and its teachers.”<br />
Under the terms of the settlement approved by<br />
the parties, the director of schools sent a letter to all<br />
teachers clarifying that the law allows teachers and<br />
their associations to engage in many activities and<br />
communications that the board previously restricted. The<br />
board also agreed to restore payroll deduction of SCEA<br />
dues and to reimburse the SCEA to the tune of $50,000 for<br />
attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred by the association in<br />
pursuing the case.<br />
In an effort to improve relationships between the<br />
administration of the school system and its teachers,<br />
the director of schools agreed to participate in meetings<br />
with SCEA representatives at least quarterly to discuss<br />
educational subjects and teachers’ concerns.<br />
In Hamilton County, Chancery Court Judge Frank Brown<br />
ruled that the county school system cannot refuse to<br />
negotiate “reopeners” with the Hamilton County EA under<br />
the current contract. The April ruling includes a temporary<br />
injunction, which said HCEA is likely to prevail in the<br />
lawsuit.<br />
HCEA claimed in its March lawsuit that the school system<br />
was obligated to honor the current contract, which is set<br />
to expire in 2014, in spite of the bill passed by the state<br />
Three TEA Locals Prevail in Court<br />
legislature last year that outlawed contract negotiations<br />
between teachers and school boards.<br />
“The Hamilton County Board of <strong>Education</strong> shall comply<br />
with the parties’ presently existing collective bargaining<br />
agreement which predated the effective date for PECCA,”<br />
Chancellor Brown wrote in his ruling. “And the Hamilton<br />
County Board of <strong>Education</strong> is temporarily enjoined, pending<br />
further Order of the court, from refusing to negotiate the<br />
“reopeners” covered by the parties’ collective bargaining<br />
agreement.”<br />
In a similar case in Dickson Co., Chancellor George<br />
Sexton ruled that the Dickson County EA’s contract with<br />
the local school board remains in effect through June 30,<br />
2013, ordering the board to return to the bargaining table<br />
to negotiate the reopeners, including teacher pay and<br />
benefits.<br />
Patricia Hudson, Dickson Co. High School teacher and<br />
chief negotiator for DCEA, told The Tennessean that the issue<br />
was more about losing basic rights than it was about money.<br />
“This has never been about money,” Hudson said. “This<br />
was about our right to negotiate. When we received the<br />
information from the state department at first it didn’t even<br />
address those counties that had standing contracts. Then<br />
they put out an addendum which did address those counties<br />
that had standing contracts, and it clearly said that they<br />
should continue to negotiate as they always had.”<br />
TEA Calendar of Events<br />
June 1 Deadline for submitting nominations<br />
for Don Sahli-Kathy Woodall Graduate<br />
Scholarship<br />
June 6-9 TEA Summer Leadership Academy and<br />
Political Academy, Franklin<br />
June 29/July1 NEA Board of Directors,<br />
Washington, DC<br />
June 30-July 5 NEA Annual Meeting, Washington, DC<br />
July 4 Independence Day<br />
July 21 TEA Board of Directors, TEA Building<br />
July/August Local AR Membership Training (as<br />
scheduled by UniServ Staff)<br />
September 3 Labor Day<br />
September 15 <strong>Tennessee</strong> Urban <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
Council<br />
September 28-29 STEA Leadership Conference, Nashville<br />
Need information, services?<br />
Mitchell Johnson<br />
Assistant Executive Director for Affi liate<br />
Services<br />
Donna Cotner<br />
Manager of UniServ<br />
<strong>Tennessee</strong> <strong>Education</strong> Association<br />
801 Second Avenue N., Nashville, TN 37201-1099<br />
(615) 242-8392, (800) 342-8367, FAX (615) 259-4581<br />
UniServ Coordinators<br />
District 1 — Harry Farthing, P.O. Box 298, Elizabethton,<br />
TN 37644; phone: (423)262-8035, fax: (423)262-<br />
8053; Assns: Carter, Hancock, Hawkins, Rogersville,<br />
Johnson, Sullivan, Bristol, Kingsport, Northeast State<br />
C.C. District 2 — Jennifer Gaby, P.O. Box 70, Afton,<br />
TN 37616; (423)234-0700, fax: (423)234-0708; Assns:<br />
Cocke, Newport, Elizabethton, Greene, Greeneville,<br />
Unicoi, Washington, Johnson City, ETSU. District<br />
3 — Tina Parlier, P.O. Box 74, Corryton, TN 37721;<br />
(865)688-1175, fax: (865)688-5188; Assns: Claiborne,<br />
Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Sevier, Union, Walter<br />
State C.C. District 4 — Jon White, Knox County<br />
<strong>Education</strong> Association, 2411 Magnolia Ave., Knoxville,<br />
TN 37917-8289; (865)522-9793, fax: (865)522-9866;<br />
Assns: Knox, UT-Knoxville, Pellisippi State C.C., TSD.<br />
District 5— Jason White, P.O. Box 5502, Oak Ridge, TN<br />
37831; (615)521-1333; Assns: Anderson, Clinton, Oak<br />
Ridge, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Morgan, Scott,<br />
Oneida, York Institute District 6 — Reba Luttrell, 503<br />
Cardinal St., Maryville, TN 37803; phone/fax: (865)983-<br />
8640; Assns: Blount, Alcoa, Maryville, Monroe, Sweetwater,<br />
Loudon, Lenoir City, Roane, Roane State C.C.<br />
District 7 — Jim Jordan, P.O. Box 4878, Cleveland,<br />
TN 37320; phone/fax: (423)472-3315; Assns: Bledsoe,<br />
Bradley, Cleveland, McMinn, Athens, Etowah, Meigs,<br />
Polk, Rhea-Dayton, Cleveland State C.C. District 8 —<br />
Theresa Turner, 4655 Shallowford Rd., Chattanooga,<br />
TN 37411; (423)485-9535, fax: (423)485-9512; Assns:<br />
Hamilton County, Chattanooga State C.C., UT-Chattanooga,<br />
Department of Higher Ed. District 9 — Jeff<br />
Garrett, 801 Second Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37201;<br />
(615)242-8392, ext. 228, or (800)342-8367; Assns: Coffee,<br />
Manchester, Tullahoma, Franklin, Grundy, Marion,<br />
Sequatchie, Van Buren, White, Warren. District<br />
10 — Shannon Bain, 1001 Rhett Place, Lebanon, TN<br />
37087; phone: (615)547-7769, fax: (615)547-7879;<br />
Assns: Clay, DeKalb, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett,<br />
Putnam, Smith, Trousdale, TTU. District 11 — Arthur<br />
Patterson, 101 Copperas Court, Murfreesboro, TN<br />
37128; phone: (615)907-9912, fax: (615) 907-5490; Assns:<br />
Cannon, Sumner, Wilson, Lebanon S.S.D., Volunteer<br />
State C.C. District 12 — Susan Young, P.O. Box 422,<br />
Madison, TN 37116-0422; phone/fax: (615)865-9700;<br />
Assns: Cheatham, Rutherford, Murfreesboro, MTSU,<br />
TSB, TN Department of <strong>Education</strong> District 13 —<br />
Forestine Cole, Ralph Smith, Metro Nashville, 531<br />
Fairground Court, Nashville, TN 37211; (615)726-1499,<br />
fax: (615)726-2501; Assns: Metro Nashville, Nashville<br />
State C.C., TSU, Department of Higher <strong>Education</strong><br />
District 14 — Rhonda Thompson, 801 Second Avenue<br />
North, Nashville, TN 37201; (615)242-8392, ext. 321, or<br />
(800)342-8367; Assns: Clarksville-Montgomery, Robertson,<br />
APSU District 15 — Miley Durham, P.O. Box<br />
10, Lawrenceburg, TN 38464; phone/fax: (931)766-7874;<br />
Assns: Bedford, Giles, Lawrence, Lincoln, Fayetteville,<br />
Marshall, Moore, Motlow State C.C. District 16 —<br />
Jackie Pope, 2326 Valley Grove Dr., Murfreesboro, TN<br />
37128; (615) 898-1060, fax: (615) 898-1099; Assns:<br />
Lewis, Maury, Williamson, Franklin S.S.D. District<br />
17 — Cheryl Richardson-Bradley, 801 Second Avenue<br />
North, Nashville, TN 37201; (615)242-8392, ext. 233,<br />
or (800)342-8367; Assns: Decatur, Dickson, Hardin,<br />
Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Perry, Wayne District<br />
18 — Maria Uffelman, P.O. Box 99, Cumberland City,<br />
TN 37050; phone/fax: (931)827-3333; Assns: Benton,<br />
Carroll (West Carroll) Central, Clarksburg, Huntingdon,<br />
McKenzie, Gibson, Bradford, Humboldt, Milan, Trenton,<br />
Henry, Paris, Stewart, Weakley, UT-Martin, FTA<br />
District 19— Lorrie Butler, P.O. Box 387, Henderson,<br />
TN 38340; (731)989-4860, fax: (731)989-9254; Assns:<br />
Chester, Hardeman, Henderson, Lexington, Jackson-<br />
Madison, McNairy, Jackson State C.C. District 20<br />
— Karla Carpenter, P.O. Box 177, Brunswick, TN 38014;<br />
(901)590-2543, fax: (901)382-1433; Assns: Crockett,<br />
Dyer, Dyersburg, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion,<br />
Union City, Tipton, Dyersburg State C.C. District<br />
21 — Zandra Foster, 3897 Homewood Cove, Memphis,<br />
TN 38128; phone/fax: (901)377-9472; Assns: Fayette,<br />
Shelby, Southwest Tenn. C.C., University of Memphis.<br />
District 22/MEA — Ken Foster, Executive Director;<br />
MEA UniServ Directors: Marilyn Baker, Susanne<br />
Jackson, Terri Jones, Tom Marchand, Herman Sawyer,<br />
MEA, 126 South Flicker Street, Memphis, TN 38104;<br />
(901)454-0966, fax: (901)454-9979; Assn: Memphis.<br />
www.teateachers.org<br />
www.nea.org<br />
12 May 2012