THIS WEEK'S TENNESSEE EDUCATION REPORT
EDUCATION POLITICS AND POLICY IN THE VOLUNTEER STATE
1000 Cuts
by Andy Spears / 16h
A Williamson County teacher explains what it is like to be a teacher in Tennessee right now: WATCH: “THIS IS AN ATTACK ON OUR PROFESSION. DEATH BY 1000 CUTS.” Leann White of WCEA delivers an emotional plea on behalf of TEACHERS @WCSedu ’s work session. Our schools are under attack, by design. Now @GovBillLee is steering public to privately run charters? Tell him no. pic.twitter.com/9xpdKLG6kc — T
The Smackdown with Eric Welch
by Andy Spears / 1d
Wherein a Williamson County School Board member takes Moms for McCarthyism to school: For the record, Eric has never suggested they did, or ever mentioned MFL in any connection to the removal of Maus from that district's (not school's) curriculum. Odd flex, Robin. https://t.co/4pUNA5l0Fo — Eric Welch (@EricWelchWCS) February 11, 2022 If you'd like to see the textbook that MFL does recommend right
Temporary Insanity?
by Andy Spears / 1d
House Bill 1901 sponsored by Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver (and in the Senate by Sen. Joey Hensley) would allow for the granting of temporary teaching licenses to individuals not otherwise trained in order to address the growing teacher shortage in Tennessee. The Teacher Shortage Crisis is Here Rep. John Ray Clemmons raised some serious questions about this idea when the bill came up for discussion in H
$8 Million
by Andy Spears / 2d
That’s how much groups seeking to privatize Tennessee’s public schools are spending lobbying the General Assembly, according to an analysis by NewsChannel5 . In a story on lobbying expenditures, NewsChannel5 noted that among the “big spenders” were school privatization groups: Privatization groups pushing charter schools and school vouchers: just under $8 million over the past five years. With Go
About Hillsdale
by Andy Spears / 3d
Gov. Bill Lee is proposing to hand over millions in Tennessee tax dollars to a private, Christian college in Michigan to run between 50-100 “charter schools” in the state. Exceptionally Bad Lee wants charter schools because they won’t need a voucher plan to be funded – they can just apply for charters (possibly directly from a state charter authorizer, bypassing local school boards) – and then re
Exceptionally Bad
by Andy Spears / 8d
Gov. Bill Lee made clear in his State of the State that he is a proponent of an alternative history known as “American exceptionalism.” This theory is grounded in a sort of American evangelicalism – and certainly has strong ties to far-right Christian movements. To advance his “exceptionalism agenda” Lee has announced a partnership with conservative Hillsdale College – a private, Christian school
More Questions About School Funding Reform
by Andy Spears / 9d
The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) has been closely following Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed reform of the state’s school funding formula. Following the State of the State , NPEF has some questions about how Lee’s proposal will impact Nashville. Here are some highlights: Will there be bi-partisan, transparent legislation that guides leaders across our state? Or will decisions be delegated
A Feature, Not a Bug
by Andy Spears / 10d
In his State of the State Address , Gov. Bill Lee had this to say about funds he’s dedicating to teacher compensation: We should raise teacher pay this year by $125 million, which is a well-deserved increase into the teacher salary pool. Historically, funds put in the salary pool don’t always make it to deserving teachers. When we say teachers are getting a raise, there should be no bureaucratic
