As Good As It Gets

“Her handbag, he said, was found on the scene. I made a mental note to carry out a thorough spring clean of contents of my own bag before throwing myself in front of any trains.”
― Graeme Macrae Burnet, Case Study

True confessions time here, I stopped watching Metro Nashville Public School Board meetings about 2 years ago. 

Watching them was akin to watching buggy makers embrace the creation of the gas-powered motor vehicle. Coupled with the growing disconnect between the classroom and the boardroom, I had to save my sanity. 

To think that I once ran for a seat on that board. As Garth Brooks noted, be thankful for unanswered prayers. 

For the most part, I haven't missed anything. Just a bunch of discussions about charter schools and funding, with plenty of self-congratulatory back-slaps thrown in for good measure. That is until this week. 

At Tuesday's board meeting, held immediately following a director's evaluation committee meeting, the board voted, with little discussion and no input from the public, to offer District Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle a new contract with a significant raise. 

Her existing contract, signed two years ago, won't expire until June 2026. 

It has a compensation rate of $285K. District-supplied documentation shows Dr. Battle currently earning an annual salary of $320,586. The new contract comes with a salary of $365K. That's an annual increase of $80K in 2 years. Good work if you can get it. 

The new contract does remove the provision for Dr. Battle to cash in vacation days. I know, some of you teachers and principals didn't even know this was an option. It's not really unless you are a high ranking district official. Sorry.

Removing the vacation day cash in option is good because last year, in both August and June the director cashed in $17,784 worth of days for a combined extra $35.5K. In case you are doing the math at home, that is 120 hours worth of vacay time.

To sweeten the pot for Dr. Battle, the board post-dated the contract to July 1, 2024. So she'll still kinda get the cash-in benefits this year, but retain her vacation days. 

Still why now? That issue was addressed in the Director's evaluation committee meeting, where the board delivered Dr. Battle's evaluation.

The argument was made that a compensation conversation is a natural transition out of the evaluation. Maybe that's how it works in the government employee world, but that's never held true for me, nor for other contracted employees of MNPS. 

The intent is to make this transition part of district culture. It was left unclear whether each evaluation would be followed by a new contract, or only the ones that fell mid-contract. 

The argument was put forth that this is the last year before the expiration of Battle's current contract, and the board wanted to express their pleasure with her performance.

Yea...maybe. She would still be expected to finish 2 more school years before her contract expired. No reason this couldn't have been done after next year's evaluation. Thus permitting significantly more input from both teachers and the public. 

Dr. Battle attended this meeting remotely. She was away at a conference celebrating the success of Nashville's Academy model. A model created by former Deputy Superintendent Jay Steele.

Somebody needs to write Steele a thank you note because his is the gift that keeps on giving to MNPS administrators. 

This might be splitting hairs, but I've never received an evaluation where it was delivered remotely. Especially if it was expected that we'd be talking compensation.

Throughout my employment history, if unavailable on the date of the scheduled evaluation, it was rescheduled. Evaluations are kinda important, especially since this is the only summative evaluation Dr. Batlle will receive throughout the year. The board does give 4 formative evaluations during the school year, but this is the big enchilada. 

Seems it could have been better scheduled, but maybe they do things differently in the public sphere. 

Dr. Battle's evaluation is based on four areas: ELA, Numeracy, SEL, and Transitions. Based on available data, the board felt that the Director met expectations in all four categories. 

The current evaluation is hampered by much of the most recent data remaining embargoed by the state. Instead of providing the most recent data, including TVASS scores and graduation rates, the public is supplied with a handful of "trust me, it's going to be really good data" promises. 

Now, that the contract is approved, there is no recourse if the data is less than superlative. What are you going to do?

The existing data cited in Battle's evaluation was the same data that's been polished up and spun previously. It does show growth in all subjects, but it's growth that has tailed off as the distruict becomes more removed from the pandemic. It also shows growth of the achievement gap. 

That said, board member Dr. Erin Block did pronounce at the evaluation meeting that results were, "as good as it gets."

Back in July, when this data was first released, I noted this small growth, as well as that there remained much to be concerned about with the achievement gaps. 

Achievement rates for students in ELA remain below one-third. More disturbing, is the fact that the achievement rates for Black, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students, is half of those for White and Asian students.

Furthermore, looking at growth rates, white students are growing at double and triple the rate of their counterparts. Thus ensuring an achievement gap that is only going to grow wider.

The same holds true for Math.

Here’s a little math for you, if current growth rates remain consistent, it’ll only be three years before more than 30% of Hispanic students score proficient in Math and four years for Black students. By that time, over 60% of White and Asian students will have achieved proficiency.

In other words, a district that has taken the time to create an "Equity Road Map" is in actuality rewarding a leader for growing the achievement gap. But since the esteemed Dr. Block declared that it is as good as it gets, what do I know? 

During discussion of Dr. Battle's evaluation, I was heartened to hear Board member Abigail Tylor attempt to introduce teacher autonomy to the evaluation conversation. It didn't go anywhere, but for the record that autonomy is rapidly receding in favor of scripted lesson plans and pacing guides. 

Under the current leadership team, principals and teachers have become increasingly micromanaged.

With the implementation of the ELA curriculum Wit and Wisdom, has come increased reliance on pacing guides. What that means, is every teacher in every grade needs to be on the same page for instruction with their peers.

I remember when Wit and Wisdom, the ELA curriculum, was first adopted, and proponents admitted that it was scripted, but only until teachers became familiar with the materials. After 2 - 3 years they would be free to add their own elements. Well, it's been five years, and adherence to scripted lessons is tighter than ever. As is student boredom with the lessons. 

Parents, in prepping your kids for school, it would probably behoove you to tell your kids to keep any questions that pop up during class at home. Nobody has time to stop and explore. Everybody's got to be on the same page. 

It was a little disturbing that throughout the director's evaluation, there was little data presented that related to teachers, or any other support employees. 

Kinda sends a message doesn't it?

I take further umbrage that none of the negative factors were brought up in discussing contract renewal. 

The district is currently facing several multi-million dollar lawsuits that are the direct result of actions by Dr. Battle. The district has been slow to settle these despite losing several summary judgments. Maybe now, that her contract is secured until 2028, it'll be a different settlement conversation.

I'm not arguing that Dr. Battle does or does not warrant a new contract. As always, my focus lies in the process. The process should include ample opportunity for input from all stakeholders. This process did not meet that criteria. 

In fact, board members were told during committee that they could not discuss the contract because ample notice hadn't been given. Apparently, those instructions did not carry forth to the main board meeting. 

The board repeatedly cites that they have only one employee, but they are not independent operators. Rather they are representatives of the public. How do you represent the public if you don't solicit their opinions? Surely you owe as much to the electorate as you do your one employee. 

Equally disturbing is the lack of coverage provided by the local media. You'd think that the director of a school district serving 80K students getting a new contract with a significant raise would be a headline. 

Apparently not in Nashville.

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The groundwork is being laid for the next round of Tennessee's voucher battle.

According to ChalkbeatTN, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said this week that he’ll file his chamber’s legislation on the morning of Nov. 6, the day after Election Day. He expects House Majority Leader William Lamberth will do the same.

Johnson says the Senate’s 2025 bill will again include some type of testing requirement for voucher recipients — either state assessments or state-approved national tests — to gauge whether the program is improving academic outcomes.

It's an interesting caveat, as what you measure is what gets taught. Use the same measurements and you are likely to get the same results. This argument has been a sticking point for several legislators, and will likely remain so. 

Johnson has also promised that Governor Lee plans to significantly increase education funding during the next General assembly, What that looks like has yet to be revealed.

Interestingly enough, the Williamson County Schools Board of Education, Lee's home county, voted Monday to rescind a resolution from March that voiced the board’s opposition to Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act. 

Per The Tennessee Firefly:

This reversal, which was passed through a 10-2 vote, follows the first partisan school board race in Williamson County in August that saw six new members elected to the board. Five of those departing board members made up the majority in the 7-5 vote to support the resolution last March. Only two board members, Melissa Wyatt and Eric Welch, voted “no” to rescinding the resolution and Drason Beasley, who previously supported it, voted in favor of rescinding the resolution.

Yep...looks like another Spring spent arguing about vouchers. Can barely contain my excitement. 

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