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 Yesterday’s TEA Teacher Rally in Nashville was HUGE. Thousands of teachers and supporters from all over Tennessee turned out to march to Legislative Plaza, in front of the Capitol building, to tell our ELECTED representatives to vote “NO” on anti-teacher bills.
The cold, dark, rainy day did not deter the two bus-loads of Knox County teachers who went to represent our local teachers and deliver page after page of signed petitions from other certified educators.
My personal favorite moment was right before our meeting at the KCEA office on Thursday afternoon: I opened the front door for a visitor who was there to deliver petitions from her colleagues and JOIN KCEA! If the Anti-teacher sentiment keeps up, we may end up with more members than we ever imagined! (I love irony.)
The support we had from our communities was amazing and we owe a big “Thank You!” to our brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, parents, children, and friends who stood beside us Saturday. Teachers have really felt beaten-up by our legislators and some of the media. It was uplifting to see the people who turned out just to support us. Though I have tried to list the groups that came to march and stand beside us, I know this isn’t even close. Please let me know about friends we need to add.
- Students – current and former
- Parents of our students
- Teamsters
- Local 519 – Knoxville, TN
- Local 480 – Nashville, TN
- AFL-CIO
- International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
- International Association of Fire Fighters
- United Steel Workers – District 9
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
- Machinists District 711 – “Supporting our kids’ teachers”
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen – Division 239 – Knoxville, TN
- United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
- Laborers’ International Union
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers – Local 429 – Nashville, TN
- United Steel Workers of America – Local 7655 – Collierville, TN
- Nashville Peace and Justice Center
- Chip Forrester – Tennessee Democratic Party
- Chairman of the Democratic Caucus – Representative Mike Turner
Pictures are being posted here.
If you have other pictures from Saturday’s event (or Wednesday’s sign-making), please send them to me. Please send them in their original format, without compressing the individual pictures. A few at a time will work best for emailing. If you upload them to a sharing site (like Flickr), just send the link. Don’t worry about cropping, red-eye, etc. I will check each one before posting.
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Below is contact information for the Senate Education Committee.
PLEASE MAKE CONTACTS IMMEDIATELY.
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G.R.E.A.T. Folks,
I have been advised that I must purge all of our grassroots groups of business e-mail addresses. If you are receiving G.R.E.A.T. updates through your school’s “Tenn-Nash” address – ********@k12tn.net – and you wish to continue to receive them, please send to me your personal e-mail address.
One easy way to do this is to forward this message to your personal e-mail, then reply to this message from your personal account.
It is anticipated that our use of the business (school) addresses will be denied for any professional association communications.
If you are already receiving G.R.E.A.T. updates through your personal e-mail account, no action is needed.
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HB 130/SB 113 and SB 102 = Bad for Education in TN
Two bills have been filed which would have a very detrimental impact on teachers:
HB 130/SB 113 would totally repeal the 1975 Professional Negotiations Law.
Professional employees would no longer be permitted to collectively negotiate working conditions, salaries, benefits, or any other aspect of their employment. This proposal would “turn back the clock” on employee rights and must be defeated! The bill is sponsored by Rep. Debra Maggart (R-Hendersonville) and Sen. Jack Johnson (R-College Grove).
Another anti-teacher bill is SB 102 which would remove TEA from the right to choose teacher representation for the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) Board of Trustees. The choice of educators would be shifted from TEA to the speakers of the House and Senate. This bill is an attempt to dilute employee impact on retirement issues by making the TCRS Board political appointments.
TEA expects these two bills to be the first of several punitive measures introduced this session. TEA will keep members informed as other bills are filed.
It is critical that legislators hear from TEA members immediately, asking that they vote “NO” on HB 130/SB 113 and SB 102. Below are links to the actual language in the bills.
HB 130/SB 113– http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/HB0130.pdf
SB 102 — http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/107/Bill/SB0102.pdf
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HB 130 now has a counterpart in the state senate: SB 113.
These bills take away everything we have gained over the past several decades! This includes salaries, step raises, pay for unused sick leave days, sick leave, professional leave – in short: everything.
In addition, SB 102 removes our right to choose teacher representatives for our Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. This plays right along with the new governor’s plan to make huge changes in our retirement.
The meeting with TEA officials is Thursday at 5:00pm at West Valley Middle School. WE ALL NEED TO BE THERE!
It is important that we get to this meeting! The Time Is Now!
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Location Change!
TEA Regional Meeting
Thursday, January 27th – 5:00pm
West Valley Middle School
Please rally members at your school and come out to this meeting!
TEA leaders will discuss potential 2011 legislative issues and give an update on changes in the evaluation process. There will be a question and answer session as well.
Tennessee teachers are at risk to lose Bargaining & teacher tenure, among other things.
New bills were filed in Nashville today that would prohibit our payment of professional dues by payroll deduction and prohibit our Fund for Children and Public Education from making contributions to candidates for public office. We are under fire.
Present at this meeting will be Jerry Winters and Antoinette Lee of the TEA Government Relations Department, TEA President Gera Summerford, and other TEA personnel.
If you have any concern about your future as a professional educator, you will make an effort to attend this meeting.
TEA to Host Legislative, Evaluation Updates
Regional Sessions Planned Across State
TEA will again conduct a series of regional information sessions across the state in January and February, 2011, to keep you informed about important issues and potential challenges facing public education in Tennessee. Two important topics that will be discussed at each regional meeting are:
*Potential 2011 legislative issues
*An update on the changes in the evaluation process
All TEA members are invited to attend the 2011 Regional Legislative Information and Evaluation Update Sessions.
General Legislative Overview and Evaluation Updates will be presented between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
A question and answer session will follow between 6:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The sessions will include a Legislative Contact Team information update and talking points for LCT members.
The Tennessee Education Association is the voice of Tennessee’s teachers. As we prepare to address the challenges of 2011, we invite you to make plans now to hear the facts and allow your voice to be heard.
The mission of the Tennesse Education Association (TEA) is to promote, advance and protect public education, the education profession, and the rights and interests of our members.
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WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Voting is a privilege. Voting is your choice.
Early voting began April 14.
Please vote and encourage your family and friends to vote for “education friendly” candidates.
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Knox County Political Action Committee for Education (KC-PACE) is a voluntary, non-profit, unincorporated organization of individual educators and not affiliated with any political party. The members of the council are: Sherry J. Morgan – Chair, Kim Waller – Vice-Chair, and Karen Peterman – Treasurer. Each school board district is represented by the following KCEA members who were elected: Amy Arnold, Bill Bell, Mary Brockett, Mark Casteel, Tanya Thomas Coats, Catherine Gettys, Evelyn Gill, Jessica Holman, Trish Russell, and Heather Wallace. Interviews were held with School Board, County Commission, County Mayor and State Legislative candidates.
The following candidates were interviewed:
School Board
Kim Sepesi & Bill Warwick – District 7
Mike McMillan & Roy Mullins – District 8
Robert Bratton & Pam Trainor – District 9
County Commission
Amy Broyles & Don Daugherty – District 2
Jeff Ownby & Finbarr Saunders – District 4
R. Larry Smith – District 7
Mike Brown – District 9
Mike Hammond & Ed Shouse – At Large Seat
County Mayor:
Tim Burchett and Ezra Maize
Recommendations for School Board
These candidates are considered “education friendly” candidates:
School Board District 7: Bill Warwick
School Board District 8: Roy Mullins
School Board District 9: Robert Bratton
The following candidates are unopposed in the school board election:
School Board District 1: Gloria Deathridge
School Board District 4: Lynne Fugate
School Board District 6: Thomas Deakins
Recommendations for County Commission
County Commission District 4: Finbarr Saunders (Democrat)
County Commission District 5: Dr. Richard Briggs (Republican)
County Commission District 7: R. Larry Smith (Republican)
County Commission District 9: Mike Brown (Republican)
County Commission At Large Seat 10: Mike Hammond (Republican)
County Commission At Large Seat 11: Ed Shouse (Republican)
County Mayor: Tim Burchett (Republican)
The following County Commissioners are unopposed:
County Commission District 1: Sam McKenzie (Democrat)
County Commission District 3: Tony Norman (Republican)
County Commission District 6: Brad Anders (Republican)
County Commission District 8: Dave Wright (Republican)
State Legislators
State Senate District 5: Senator Randy McNally (Republican)
State Senate District 7: Steve Hill (Republican)
State Rep. District 13: Rep. Harry Tindell (Democrat)
State Rep. District 14: Rep. Ryan Haynes (Republican)
State Rep. District 15: Rep. Joe Armstrong (Democrat)
State Rep. District 19: Rep. Harry Brooks (Republican)
On June 17, TEA hosted a gubernatorial forum at Summer Leadership Academy; questions were submitted by leaders from across the state. The candidates attending the forum were: Bill Haslam, Mike McWherter and Zack Wamp. Ron Ramsey did not attend and sent Senator Jack Johnson from Williamson County to represent him. TEA will be publishing more information.
Early voting starts July 16. Please vote and encourage your family and friends to vote for these candidates. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Voting is a privilege. Voting is your choice.
Editors: Sherry J. Morgan & Jim Petrie
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THE PACEMAKER
Only a Heartbeat Away From Change
Knox County Political Action committee for Education (KC-PACE) is a voluntary, non-profit, unincorporated organization of individual educators and not affiliated with any political party. The members of the council are: Sherry J. Morgan – Chair, Kim Waller – Vice-Chair, and Karen Peterman – Treasurer. Each school board district is represented by the following KCEA members, who were elected: Amy Arnold, Bill Bell, Mary Brockett, Mark Casteel, Tanya Thomas Coats, Catherine Gettys, Evelyn Gill, Jessica Holman, Trish Russell, and Heather Wallace.
Interviews were held with School Board, County Commission and County Mayor candidates.
Questions for school board candidates:
- What is your opinion of Knox County Schools, and what is the basis of your opinion?
- How important is it to you to attract and keep highly qualified teachers in Knox County? How can Knox County Schools recruit and retain highly qualified teachers?
- What is your role as a school board member?
- What is your main priority with the school budget?
- “Race to the Top” is a federal grant that Tennessee has applied for to get money. Where do you think the “Race to the Top” money should be used best if you had input?
- What are the 3 biggest challenges facing Knox County Schools? Why are you running for school board?
- What do you believe is the most appropriate relationship between a school board member and: 1) superintendent, 2) County Commission, 3) KCEA and 4) administrators?
Questions for County Commission candidates:
- What is your perception of the educators and public schools in Knox County, and what is the basis of your opinion?
- How important is it to you to attract and keep highly qualified teachers in Knox County? Would you be willing to raise sales taxes to increase salaries and benefits of Knox County’s public school educators?
- What should the appropriate role and relationship be between the County Commission, School Board and the Director of Schools? What steps are you willing to take to maintain a cooperative relationship between the School Board and the County Commission?
- Should the County Commission have more input in the school budget? How would you involve KCEA in the process?
- “Race to the Top” is a federal grant Tennessee has applied for to get money. Where do you think the “Race to the Top” money should be used best if you had input?
The questions for county mayor were:
- What are your priorities as county mayor?
- What are your experiences with Knox County Schools?
- How do you propose to generate new revenues for Knox County?
- How can Knox County Schools recruit and retain highly qualified teachers?
- Describe your relationship with the school board and County Commission.
- What efforts would you adopt to insure a positive working relationship with each?
The following candidates were interviewed:
School Board Candidates
District 7: Charlotte Dorsey, Matthew Jones, Kim Sepesi & Bill Warwick
District 8: Mike McMillan & Roy Mullins
District 9: Robert Bratton , Max Houser, Tammy Sommers & Pam Trainor
County Commission Candidates
Jeff Ownby & Finbarr Saunders 4
Michelle Carringer 7
Duane Bias & Dave Wright 8
Mike Brown 9
Bud Armstrong & Ed Shouse At Large Seat
County Mayor:
Tim Burchett, Lewis Cosby, Tim Hutchinson, Ezra Maize and Michael McBath
The following candidates are recommended for election and are considered education friendly candidates:
School Board District 7: Bill Warwick
School Board District 8: Roy Mullins
School Board District 9: Robert Bratton
County Commission District 4: Finbarr Saunders (Democrat)
County Commission District 7: Michelle Carringer (Republican)
County Commission District 8: Duane Bias (Republican)
County Commission District 9: Mike Brown (Republican)
County Commission at Large Seat: Ed Shouse (Republican)
County Mayor: Tim Burchett (Repulican)
Early voting starts April 14. Please vote and encourage your family and friends to vote for these candidates. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. Voting is a privilege. Voting is your choice.
Knox County Political Action Committee for Education
2411 Magnolia Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37914
865-522-9793
Editors: Sherry J. Morgan & Jim Petrie
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Voter Registration Information Lookup Look up your Tennessee voting information: Polling location, district, eligibility, and more!
Benefits of KCEA/TEA Membership for Education Support Professionals
Professional TEA/NEA UniServ staff to help members when needed
Strong, effective representation if employment problems arise
Leadership training
Professional Development on issues that affect ESP members
Liability insurance protection - $1,000,000 in on-the-job coverage
Assistance in winning better pay, working conditions, job safety, and health benefits
Lobbying representation on issues important to schools and school employees
Studies and publications from TEA/NEA to keep us knowledgeable about education and our careers
Discounted insurance plans (home, life, investment) designed specifically for members
TEA/NEA discounts on credit cards, hotel/motel rates, travel, and more for members
Respect that comes with the support and backing of the largest, most effective employee organization in the country - NEA and its affiliates
Pictures See our pictures from the March 5th TEA Teacher Rally in Nashville, TN:
Rally Pictures
Legislative Action
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