Tue
May 15 2012
09:06 pm
By: Tamara Shepherd
Lots and lots about clashes erupting in TN.
(The TN chapter of StudentsFirst, which claims to have provided "a political firewall of support for legislators who have continued to back a controversial 2010 law (on)...teachers' and administrators' evaluations," has as many lobbyists on the Plaza these days as TEA has? Didn't know that...)
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Topics:
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Discussing:
- Alcoa Hwy construction to extend to 2030 (2 replies)
- Smith & Wesson noise problem (3 replies)
- Are Chat bots a waste of time? (1 reply)
- Musicians dropping out of President's Freedom Concert Series (1 reply)
- It's time for new blood in Congress, Barnett in - Burchett out (1 reply)
- Burning Down The House... (2 replies)
- Behind Lege Lies (1 reply)
- Peace (1 reply)
- Speak your truth, fight and believe. (1 reply)
- Large banks have too much AI data center debt? (1 reply)
- GOP misleading on federal health care funding (1 reply)
- Feds indict civil rights group (3 replies)
TN Progressive
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- Pellissippi Parkway extension delayed again (BlountViews)
- Blount County early voting record turnout (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
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- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
- July 4, 2024 - aka The Twilight Zone (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
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Knox TN Today
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- 6/19 HEADLINES: News and events from Knox, World, USA, Tennessee & Historic Notes (Knox TN Today)
- Unmasking bright futures for pets at Mask-Fur-Ade 2026 (Knox TN Today)
- Belmont Blooms (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
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- Cocke County firefighter allegedly attacked during flooding in Parrottsville (WATE)
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State News
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Wire Reports
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- U.S.-Iran talks postponed as Vance cancels trip and Israel intensifies strikes in southern Lebanon - NBC News (US News)
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- DHS to Scrap Use of Seven Warehouses for Detention Centers - WSJ (US News)
- 'Not the old sleepy agency’: Energy regulator dives into fight over data center connections - Politico (Business)
- Key FDA committee unanimously recommends its first vaccine since 2023 - NPR (Business)
- Luigi Mangione’s attorneys say they are withdrawing psychiatric defense - CNN (US News)
- Prediction: These Will Be Micron's and Sandisk's Stock Prices by the End of 2027 - Yahoo Finance (Business)
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Lost Medicaid Funding
To date, the failure to expand Medicaid/TennCare has cost the State of Tennessee ? in lost federal funding. (Source)
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Students first
Should they not have lobbyists?
Students first
Should they not have lobbyists?
Students first
Should they not have lobbyists?
*
Did I say they shouldn't? Shouldn't? Shouldn't?
*
Why does StudentsFirst think TN teachers should be evaluated 4X annually--and newer teachers 6X annually--when our First to the Top law calls only for a teacher's single annual evaluation?
My son attends a local high school employing 85 teachers, such that the school's principal now has to conduct AT LEAST 340 teacher evaluations annually over the 173-ish day school year.
That's two teacher evaluations per day, every day, if not more.
Why, Zach? Zach? Zach?
*
And after you've attempted a plausible explanation for why any teacher should be evaluated up to 6X annually--or for why any principal should conduct two teacher evaluations daily, on each and every day of the school year--I have a second question:
TCA 49-1-302 enacting the new teacher evaluation law does not specifically advise that charter schools may not request waivers from the law of the Education Commissioner. Neither does TCA 49-13-105, which lists regs the EC cannot waive for charters, make any mention of his inability to waive the new teacher evaluation law for charters. A couple of education associations I've spoken with about this oddity share my perception that the EC CAN therefore entertain a charter school's request for a waiver from the new law.
Why would we want to allow that of charter schools?
Shouldn't teachers in both traditional AND charter schools be evaluated 4 to 6X annually, Zach? Zach? Zach?
Students first
Sorry. I don't know why my last post went up three times.
TEA has eight registered lobbyists?!? Since when?
As far as I know, TEA has only two full-time lobbyists on staff, Jerry Winters, who is retiring this year, and Antoinette Lee.
Students First- Michelle Rhee tapeworm
A mutant tapeworm was discovered in Conn and Missouri that, once ingested by it's hosts in the state legislature and departments of education, it feeds on public education expenditures. It grows in size relative to its diet. Scientists are calling it MichelleRheeTapeworm. The MR worm is nearly indistinguishable from the common tapeworm Cestoda. Unlike it's cousin Cestoda that needs 2 hosts to survive, the MR worm does not need an intermediate host. Once it infects the anus of it's first host, it spreads to other hosts through a handshake. Some scientists suspect MR mutates into new forms as soon as it is transmitted, making it difficult track and eradicate. Scientists suspect the source of the outbreak was in FL; Jeb Bush patient zero. There is some dispute as some have evidence that patient zero is Joel Klein, Rupert Murdoch's lawyer. (link...)
It has spread through the south and is now infecting up to 23 states and Washington, DC.
(link...)
(link...)
Follow up: MRtapeworm
It's appetite is insatiable.
(link...)
Memphis is the next city to be hollowed out by corporate edu-reformers:
(link...)
Lobbyists
The TEA has been a effective lobby over the years. The landscape in Nashville has changed dramatically over the last few years and the TEA need to adapt. Sadly it appears as if they have doubled down on there old ways. Thus, they should not be surprised if they continue to get the same results for their efforts.
Meaning what?
That TEA should buy into legislation or an evaluation system that is not good for Tennessee's public schools and public school teachers? The landscape has changed, because we have an anti-public education faction in the legislature that is salivating over the prospect of privatizing Tennessee's schools. TEA is pro-public education and pro-public education employees. Period. If you give up lobbying for the things in which you believe and which will actually help build better public schools, just because you're desperate for the crumbs that the legislature will throw, you aren't TEA. You're PET.
OK. I see now. If you are not
OK. I see now. If you are not a TEA member, and you are a teacher, then you are not for public education.(sarcasm)What about teachers who choose to be a member of other professional organizations? My point is simple. The legislature is and most likely will remain in control of Republicans for the foreseeable future. Would it not be wise to support some Republican that have supported most of your agenda in the past and continue to do so. It seems to me the TEA is doubling down on the other side. When you do this, don't expect legislators to bend over backwards to help. This would be true in reverse if you switched the names.
TEA does support Republicans.
TEA and its local affiliates have donated money and given endorsements to Republican candidates for years, but they have to vetted as pro-public education Republicans.
After all, why would TEA support people who want to destroy the very institution that is its raison d'etre? You don't see the NRA going out of its way to give money or support to gun control advocates.
TEA contributions
Please name some that had opposition in the General election. All I am saying is "if you are going to shoot at the King, make sure you hit the mark".(not literally) If not, don't expect him to do you any favors.
And again, I ask...
"What's your point?" If you're trying to suggest that TEA should give money or an endorsement to someone like Debra Maggart or even Glen Casada, who personally tried to extort campaign contributions from TEA prior to the 2010 elections, then that's a foolish suggestion, and no sensible person would pay any attention to it.
last post
Horrible grammar.Should read "needs" and "their". Typing to fast..
Horrible grammar.........and spelling. Right you are.
It's hard to take a person seriously in an education thread who has spelling and grammar errors in virtually every post. It makes him look like a political shill instead of an advocate for the education of our children.
Just sayin.
New edu-reforms doomed to fail
Zach,
The AMA employs doctors to lobby.
The ABA employs lawyers to lobby.
TEA employs teachers to lobby. Until now.
The "new" education reformers employ private profiteers to lobby.
Reading comprehension question. Select the correct answer:
Why would the "new" edu-reformers lobby for invalid, unscientific, expensive, exclusionary education mandates that are doomed to fail children in public schools?
a. Hubris
b. Ignorance
c. Greed
d. Political aspirations
e. All of the above
Lobbyists
jcgrim,
Check your facts. Most of the organizations you listed hire professional lobbyists. These lobbyists may be lawyers but in many cases they are not. I doubt any of them are classroom teachers. I would hope a classroom teacher would be too busy educating children to be walking the halls of the Capitol.
But, but, but, it's for the kids!
Zach, under the pretext of edu-reforms, may you and your friends prosper off the backs of our poorest children by funneling UNACCOUNTABLE tax dollars to third parties (e.g. felon Michael Milken's TEAM/TAP fraud.) Sleep well.
Jonathan Kozol, Harpers (2007)
(link...)