Gotta Be A Better Way
“Isn't Heaven reward enough, without needing to see the damned punished?”
― Michel Faber, The Crimson Petal and the White
Tennessee's upcoming election is going to be a pivotal one. I know, everybody says that about every election, but this one really is shaping up to be a potential game-changer, or maybe it'll end in just another fizzle.
There is ample evidence to support either theory.
Republicans currently enjoy a supper majority in the Tennessee General Assembly, but thanks to Governor Bill Lee and House Speaker Sexton, Democrats have all the fuel they need to cut into that.
Between the Blue Oval City Plant, which will require 6k employees, many from out of state and likely Democrats, and his recent announcement of an expanded school voucher plan, Lee is doing everything he can to make sure the opposition has all the resources they need to win some state elections.
Sexton, for his part, has turned the General Assembly into an episode of Hogan's Heroes, with him reprising the role of Colonel Klink.
And no, I'm not calling him a Nazi, just incompetent and ill-suited for a leadership role. So please let's not all get offended, and if you've got a better example, I'm happy to take it.
How do the Democrats repay Sexton and Lee's Christmas spirit?
By doubling down on identity politics?
If you ain't a woman or a member of some kind of minority group - the smaller, the better - don't bother running. Apparently there are members of the party that still think "Tennessee needs a mother" is a winning argument.
What Tennessee needs is competent leadership...on both sides of the aisle.
Since the close of Lee's ill-fated special session on guns, a plethora of Democrat women have thrown their hats into the ring and expressed their intent to challenge Republican incumbents.
The latest is former Nashville Mayor Megan Berry, who last week announced her intent to challenge Republican Mark Green for his U.S. Senate seat.
Considering how Barry's last go at elected office turned out, this is an extremely interesting development. But did anybody for a minute think that a politician this young and this talented was done?
I've personally known Megan for a long time, and I have a great deal of affection for her. She's always been very kind to me, even when I was highly critical of her. Thin skinned she is not.
But, like most of us, she's a complex individual.
I've seen her be ruthless and borderline cruel when it comes to political opponents. Arguably she's better at campaigning than governing.
It's worth noting that current Mayor Freddy O'Connell copied her campaign playbook extensively in his successful bid for office.
But will people vote for her?
Betsy Phillips raises that question in the Nashville Scene:
"Obviously, hypothetically, I’d rather have a Democrat in that seat than a Republican. But if Barry won, I suspect there’d be a race to see who could find the juiciest terrible thing about her in order to hold it over her head, possibly to influence her vote. And frankly, I don’t think Democrats would get to her first. So how is a Democrat who votes like they're afraid of what Republicans might reveal about them that much different than a Republican?"
I’ll write in Odessa Kelly or leave it blank or something. But I can’t vote for Barry, and I am appalled that so many of you seem so eager to. Either following the law matters or it doesn’t. You can’t be outraged at the behavior of Republicans and then turn around and be all, “But overlook all those same traits in our wonderful friend, Megan Barry.” If it’s wrong, it’s wrong even when someone we like does it.
Meh...how long will her name be predicated with "disgraced"? Does she get to take off the Scarlett "A" at any time in the future, or is that a permanent brand?
At some point, a statute of limitation has to come into play.
Like many of us, Barry has made some terrible decisions. Did the ramifications of those decisions force her to grow? I don't know. I suspect we'll find out over the coming months.
I do know, that she hasn't spent the last 5 years locked in bible study, and there is likely a story or two which could emerge. But again, how is that different from any of us.
In my humble opinion, at this juncture, she deserves the opportunity to test the waters and demonstrate that she's a changed person, or at least one better suited to make decisions.
Her opponent, Mark Green, may dismiss her due to the baggage she brings to the table, but he does so at his own peril. If he has aspirations for Governor, he needs to exercise a little caution in this upcoming race.
Barry, may not beat him, but she will cut him. And she will make him bleed - money and ink. Perhaps more than he can afford.
Rarely does a wounded candidate win the election.
Perhaps that is Barry's ultimate goal.
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The war of rhetoric continues as education policy insiders continue their battle over Governor Lee's proposed expansion of Tennessee's voucher plan.
Sometimes the cost of victory is too high, and the payoff is too little. The growing fight over the Governor's voucher plan, or whatever you prefer to call it, is looking more and more like one of those instances.
The Governor keeps acting as if he's leading a clandestine operation. News Flash for you Mr. Lee, everyone knows what your ultimate goal is, so let's stop dancing around like in-laws at a Christmas party and get down to it.
This battle is not dissimilar to the recent discussion about school letter grades.
New State Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds held 10 listening sessions, convened a special advisory committee, had them meet 4 times to forge recommendations, and revised the existing formula, all in the name of parents needing an accurate picture of what schools look like. This issue was so imperative that sometime next week, a day or so before Christmas, her TDOE will announce district grades based on tests taken 9 months ago.
“School letter grades will be a powerful communication mechanism for our parents and families, which is why it is so important to ensure the calculation of the letter grade is clear and easy-to-understand, and I deeply appreciate all the stakeholders across the state who have engaged with us during this process,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “While we cannot satisfy all priorities and perspectives that were shared, we believe we have developed a calculation for school letter grades that aligned with the spirit of the law and will more meaningfully differentiate school performance to parents, and I look forward to continuing to work with our stakeholders to focus on continuous improvement and deliver the best for all our students.”
That's beautiful and stirring verbiage, but how are those grades even relevant?
It's like referring to a physical taken 9 months ago before you went on a diet and increased exercise.
"Hey look, here's a picture of you from 9 months ago. You used to be fat. Are you fat now? How do I know, but you were fat in March."
For three months, we were told how important these grades would be to parents in ensuring their children had the options available to them. Yet, everybody seems to think that it's appropriate to release these grades before Christmas.
So while the Governor is reticent to use Tennesseans Investing in Student Achievement(TISA) as a vehicle for school choice due to the public thinking he only passed TISA to fuel school choice expansion, he's fine with enforcing the premise that school letter grades are merely fuel for school choice by releasing them at a time when they are least beneficial to parents.
I'm guessing that in his mind there are degrees of hypocrisy, and the former would be greater than the latter. Or maybe he's inadvertently acknowledging that parents won't pay any attention to school letter grades, so they can be released whenever.
Here's another news flash, if we are indeed expanding school choice, parents need information about future options, not the ones they are leaving. So if we are going to do letter grades for some schools, let's do them for all.
I already know what I'm running from, tell me what I'm running towards.
Give me the information that will help facilitate me in making the most prudent choice with taxpayer dollars for my children. Don't just hand me a couple grand and turn me loose in Times Square, just praying that I don't get taken by a con man.
If a school wants to participate in the state assistance plan, then just like all schools governed by rules past by state legislators, they have to participate. If they don't, then so sad, so bad, you don't get to play.
The other option is to allow all schools to opt of rules adopted by the state board of education as set forth by the General Assembly. Do that, and we could arguably get rid of the Tennessee Department of Education and other governing bodies, thus saving even more money.
That ain't happening though now is it? Hell, try and get a legislator to even talk about the "A-F" school grading system. That's yesterday's news.
So Governor Lee probably needs to accept that there is no way his version of school choice expansion advances without his appearing hypocritical. So in for an ounce, in for a pound.
Earlier I talked about victories being too costly. The Governor's vision may come to fruition, but there will be considerably fewer lawmakers around this time next year to celebrate with him. There are a lot of sitting members of the General Assembly who are going to have to do some risk-reward calculations. For Lee's plan to advance, they will need to burn considerable political capital.
For what? Who in Tennessee is screaming for a voucher plan? Even as I search for private school options for my child, I don't hear cries of support for a new voucher plan, except for the same denizens who have been driving the train since inception.
In the last two years, the state has changed how it measures schools, how it teaches literacy, and how it licenses teachers while increasing after-school and tutoring opportunities. In doing so, millions, if not billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent, shouldn't we know if those efforts served us well before throwing open the doors to ill-thought-out voucher plans?
On the flip side, I'm equally tired of millionaires whose children never set foot in a public school telling me how well the public system is serving my kids while insinuating that I'm financially well off if I'm considering other options.
The expansion of school choice is coming. Sorry if that hurts your feelings, but it's inevitable. People have become more involved with their children, and they know there are options. Continuing to try and preserve those options for a small minority of participants, is not going to continue to work.
Just because school choice adoption is inevitable, doesn't mean that there needs to be a rush to adoption of bad past policy. Vouchers and Education Savings Accounts, are all remnants of the past, and do nothing but demonstrate a lack of forward thinking.
Any system that expands school choice, should be available to all and be put forth in a manner that limits the opportunity for abuse. It should not be a means to pick winners and losers. Transportation costs need to be considered. Tennessee's school choice plan needs to include elements that ensure a prudent use of taxpayer money, not an opportunity to reward friends and family.
Governor Lee's plan is nothing short of a refighting of Gettysburg, or any other failed battle. Its outcome is predictable, and the cost is exponential.
Tennessee can do better.
- - -
Speaking of risk/reward calculations. I used to write a whole lot about Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) when I first started this, but these days, it seems pointless.
The district continues to enact policies in the name of equity, that are counterproductive. The theory seems to be, that you can create equity by lowering opportunities for everyone. The elected board of education continues to act more in the interests of the Director of Schools, than it does of those who elected them.
Despite Dr. Battle's claim that every child is seen, that vision rarely extends to teachers and families. At some point, it all becomes an exercise in futility and the countdown to my children exiting the system begins in earnest.
But every once in a while, things transpire that can't be ignored.
Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School currently serves students in grades 7-12. It is the only school in the district with this configuration. It is one of three academic magnets in the district, Hume-Fogg High School and Meigs Middle School are the other two.
To enroll in these schools, all students must meet the required academic criteria. Those requirements are an 80 or higher GPA, no missing or failing grades, and met or exceeded expectations on TCAP.
The high schools are regularly ranked in the state's top 10. Niche listed Hume-Fogg as first, and MLK as fourth in this year's ranking of the best public high schools in Tennessee.
At Tuesday's school board meeting, district Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle unveiled plans to move 7-8th grade students to Head Middle School and rebrand that school as Head Middle School at MLK.
If Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) goes forward with their plans, MLK will become a traditional 9-12 high school. Head middle school will remain a feeder school, but will no longer be an academic magnet. In phasing 7th/8th grade out of MLK, the district will effectively reduce academic magnet middle school seats by 44%.
In informing the MNPS school board of her intentions, Dr. Battle framed the move as being the next phase of the district's ReimaginED initiative. She further pointed to increased seats at both the middle and high school level, as a benefit for students.
But for the record, created seats do not always equate to filled seats. Dr. Battle did not indicate to the board how the newly created seats at both Head and MLK would be filled.
MLK currently serves 1220 students, with 270 enrolled in 7th and 8th grade. Building capacity for MLK is set at 1500 students.
If the roughly 270 middle school students are phased out, MNPS data trends show MLK with a 9-12 enrollment of 930, putting MLK at 62% capacity.
This year, MLK received 229 applications for 7th-grade seats (Optional School Post Selection Analysis 23-24 MNPS). Of those 229 applications,106 were accepted from the pathway, 20 students were accepted from outside the pathway, and 75 students were waitlisted.
For 9th-grade seats, the district received 364 applicants, 33 were accepted via the pathway, 218 were accepted from outside the pathway, and 26 were waitlisted.
All wait lists were cleared by the start of school.
The district plan appears to be a solution in search of a problem. Out of one side of their mouth district leadership talks about a need to make all pathways uniform, while the other side talks about addressing divergent student needs.
The simplest plan, and one that would center on student needs, would be to add 6th grade to MLK or create another academic magnet that feeds into MLK.
District leadership failed to meet with school staff until 24 hours before announcing the plan to the school board. They don't plan to meet with community members until Monday, December 18th from 5-7 pm in the MLK Auditorium.
That's sure to be another exercise in "we'll tell you what you think."
Teachers at MLK have been warned against speaking out against the plan, and a student-led protest that was scheduled for yesterday before school was shut down.
Merry Christmas from MNPS.
They always say, if you don't know history you are doomed to repeat it, In the fall of 2013, then superintendent, Dr. Register, presented a similar plan. The MLK community (parents, students, faculty, etc) mobilized and successfully advocated to keep middle school seats at MLK.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
As one parent, a long-time MNPS supporter, wrote in her email to board members:
If MNPS and Dr. Battle truly believe this is a good move, they need to base their arguments on facts, not falsehoods. This change will do nothing to improve diversity at MLK 9-12. Those grades already have a lot of capacity that is not being utilized. Maybe if MNPS focused more on improving academics in zoned elementary and middle schools, MLK would fill up. MNPS instead has multiple high schools now on the state priority school list. They aren't doing anything about that OR improving diversity at Meigs and Hume-Fogg. Instead, they are actively harming MLK by lowering morale among students and teachers. It is a slap in the face to MLK middle school teachers to tell them that they can just go teach at Head without acknowledging that MLK 7th and 8th grades are a top middle school in the state (ranked higher than Meigs) and that those grades are the only ones at this school with a waitlist!
What is most offensive is how Dr. Battle and the Support Hub are actively suppressing any dissenting opinions on this change. They are presenting it as a done deal. They have solicited no stakeholder input whatsoever. The way they have handled this rises to the level of malpractice. It is incredibly offensive.
MNPS is hemorrhaging students right now. You need to be worried about enrollment, but the Board is fighting a war you've already lost. Charters are here, they are growing. Vouchers are here in this district, and they will probably grow. You are fighting for changes in the name of equity while ignoring the voices of Black and Brown families who want more academic magnet middle school options! Meigs and MLK 7-8 both have substantial waitlists, but the district is eliminating academic magnet middle school seats! Do you honestly think those families are just going to go to their zoned schools? They aren't going to go to Head if it doesn't mean that they can go to MLK for 7th. They will go to charter schools or private schools. Maybe you're ok with that, but the community at large isn't. Why don't you keep what is good and focus on serving all the kids in the district. If you're deadset on changing things at MLK, it is only fair to change them at Meigs and Hume-Fogg, too. Unfortunately, you don't want to fight that battle. MLK is an easier target.
If you'd like to watch the conversation from the 12/12 Board Meeting, please start at the 30-minute mark (
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- - -
Time to rattle the cup a little bit before I head out the door.
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