Since I Been Gone
“The workings of the human heart are the profoundest mystery of the universe. One moment they make us despair of our kind, and the next we see in them the reflection of the divine image.”
― Charles W. Chesnutt
My humblest apologies for being AWOl the last two weeks. Sometimes the Dad portion of my life takes over and time becomes a scarce quantity.
Between, baseball tournaments and the CMA festival, my hands were full. CMA turned out to be a lot of fun, while travel baseball continues to provide a steep learning curve. The boy played well, but we got run-ruled for all 6 games. Hopefully, next week will be better.
But enough chatter about my personal life, we got lots to talk about.
Commissioner Schwinn is gone, though she still resides in Tennessee, and former Assistant Commissioner Sam Pearcy is keeping the commissioner seat warm for the incoming commissioner, Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds. Reynolds is slated to take the reins on July 1st but has spent little time in the volunteer state since her pending appointment was announced.
Last week two more of the state education department's mainstays decided they'd prefer life in the private sector. Eve Carney, recently promoted to Deputy Commissioner, and Megan McLeroy, chief state support officer, went ahead and stuck their notice in. Both, for all intents and purposes, will be wrapping up their service come June 30th.
Neither has announced a future destination nor has Pearcy or Gonzales announced any replacements. Just the nebulous, "The department plans to reassign Carney’s and McLeroy’s responsibilities to existing staff by the end of June."
That could prove challenging considering the lack of experienced administrators still employed by the TDOE. What they probably meant to say is, "we have identified a number of private vendors capable of assuming the responsibilities of the two."
Carney will be the hardest to replace, during her plus 10-year tenure she has become the department's go-to person on shitty jobs. Like that old Life cereal commercial, the mantra around the TDOE has become, "Get Eve to do it. She'll do anything."
Carney was cursed with the burden of loyalty. Back in the early days of the Schwinn debacle, many tried to get her to join them on the exit ramp. Carney apparently felt a commitment to the work and likely felt things would improve, so she stuck it out. Only to be given a token award by a non-profit whose influence in Tennessee appears to be waning, and a front seat to the temporary coronation of Pearcy.
Behind the scenes, McLeroy picked up the slack for the jet-setting Schwinn. Since the California diva was seldom available for the mundane tasks of meeting with the state's local superintendents, it was up to McLeroy to provide support. By most accounts, the chief support officer did an admirable job.
With the two gone, the only people with any real experience remaining are Chief Counsel, Christie Ballard, and Pearcy. That might be a bit of a problem and not one that's going to get solved anytime soon.
Say you are a high-flying rockstar in analyzing student data. You are gainfully employed, but always open to new adventures. The TDOE comes calling and offers an opportunity to move to Tennessee. Hmmm...you think. I could stay here in my semi-unfulfilling job, or I can relocate to another state and take a job with an understaffed agency that has been a shit-show for the last four years, headed up by a woman who is an unknown entity with, at max, a three-year contract.
Forgive me, but that does not sound appealing. I think I would just sit this one out and say, "Call me in three when you get a new governor."
In order to succeed a leader needs followers, and Reynolds's cupboard is bare.
That's where speculation starts to turn toward maybe luring previous employees back into the fold. Topping that list is Elizabeth Fiveash. She previously was the Assistant Commissioner for Policy & Legislation for the Tennessee Department of Education. Arguably popular with state legislators, she now works for the Tennessee Charter School Association.
Speculation is, that Gonzales will focus on expanding choice opportunities in Tennessee. If true, there seems to be some natural affinity here.
Here's another name, causing some chatter - Amy Owens. Previously she served as Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Research at the Tennessee State Board of Education. She is now the Director, Digital Policy at ExcelinEd. If you are taking notes at home, that is the same organization that employs Lizzette Gonzales Reynolds.
Those are just a couple of the names floating out there. The bottom line remains, that if Reynolds doesn't find herself some Indians quickly, her tenure as Chief is going to be a rocky one.
- - -
Did you ever take over for someone that everybody thought was kicking ass? You know, that person that made everyone believe that everything was good, and then when you took over you found receipts stuck in the back of the desk, unpaid invoices, and a stack of unreturned calls scattered throughout the office?
Now that Schwinn is out the door, some of that is happening at the TDOE, starting with her much-vaunted Grow Your Own Program.
Penny has spent the better part of the last year telling folks how fantastic and historical this program is. She's even talked some other states into trying to replicate Teennessee's program. But in the rush to self-congratulate, here's something that everybody has forgotten.
You gotta do the work.
Many of the state's Educator Preparation Providers have been doing this work longer than the state. They've also been doing it at a pretty high level. As a result, what they need is support, not leadership. That was supposed to be the role of the recently created Grow Your Owner Center at UT Knoxville. But when was the last time you saw the state actually take a support role?
As the program enters its 3rd year, things are getting a little hinky and the state is starting to balk at what they feel they should be paying, pushing for a three-semester program as opposed to the previous six. Along those lines, there has been an additional push for individual providers to adopt a competency-based model, where students could earn credits simply by demonstrating competency in a subject.
Grow Your Own Center spokesman Sissy Garner says, "Competency-based education is a fundamental tenet of apprenticeship programs, where candidates earn related instruction credits for demonstrating on-the-job competencies. It also helps reduce the cost of related instruction, allowing programs to serve more apprentices with existing funds. Competency-based education is consistent with the USDOL-approved competency-based Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship Program, ensuring the curriculum is learner-centered and adaptive to the changing needs of students, teachers, and districts."
Garner adds, "However, competency-based education is not being mandated." She said, "We have offered our EPP partners the option to shift their current Grow Your Own programs to a competency-based model of instruction – consistent with sustainable funding strategies and innovative programmatic opportunities. The Tennessee Grow Your Own Center is aiding our partners who choose to make the transition—offering workshops, toolkits, and one-on-one collaboration."
Some ain't buying it and accuse the GYO center of speaking out of both sides of their mouth - saying that the choice is not mandatory while applying pressure to comply.
Last year the program received $20 million for a two-year grant that ends in September 2024. In May 2023, the Governor approved $5 million in recurring funding for the Grow Your Own program. Yet, EPP programs are still awaiting funding figures for the upcoming semester. Some are starting to wonder aloud, just how much funding remains. An answer that is not forthcoming.
Garner pushes back, saying, "GYO will not be taking seats away from the education providers." She counters, "In fact, $16M has been provided to 9 EPPs (UT and non-UT campuses) to ensure scale and impact statewide. We are surveying providers to see what programs they will offer in the fall, how many students they can enroll, and how many students will be enrolled. GYO funding is a reimbursement model. If an education provider has unused seats, those funds will be re-distributed to other providers to ensure we are reaching the most students."
There have been persistent rumors of providers considering pulling out. Recently it was rumored that UT-Knoxville was ending its participation. At this time UT is still a participant.
All of this may just be growing pains in a program that has shown promise. But it couldn't come at a worse time for a program designed to combat a growing state teacher shortage.
“We have seen a great teacher exodus in Tennessee education in the last few years,” says Kathryn Vaughn, president of the Tipton County in Education Association. “Many teachers retired early during the pandemic, and others left to take care of their own children, as the costs of childcare continue to soar. School safety, low teacher pay, and the slew of new laws legislating our classrooms have made teaching in TN unsustainable. We are losing teachers to better-paying neighboring states, and to other professions that offer more work-life balance.”
Vaughn, a Tennessee educator for over 17 years, says, “Unfortunately, Tennessee is losing teachers so fast, we are struggling to replace them, especially in high-needs areas like special education, science, and math. Tennessee needs to do better at attracting new teachers, retaining qualified teachers, and keeping them in their classrooms.”
Hopefully, all of this is just a blip on the radar, and the program can begin to perform as designed.
- - -
Metro Nashville Public School (MNPS) Director Adrienne Battle took her charges on a field trip last week. The district paid for principals, executive officers, and some support staff to travel to Louisville for a night. While there, principals were treated to a presentation on the importance of not letting the cash slip away.
A marketing specialist reminded them that, "Every student in a school represents money for your school." Lose a student, lose about 14k.
In that light, they were instructed to, "make the ask", about enrollment, so students can be secured before a charter grabs them. "Don't give them an excuse to make another decision."
Every day, the battle over public education feels more and more like adults fighting over a pile of money.
Remember, it is all about the kids.
- - -
The Tennessee Education Association, along with the Knox County, Lawrence County, and Metropolitan Nashville Education associations, have filed suit over recent legislation that ends payroll deduction for union dues, while increasing teacher pay. TEA alleges that the law violates the Tennessee Constitution, specifically the portion that prohibits a bill from becoming law if it “embraces more than one subject.”
The plaintiffs are requesting that the courts grant an injunction against the law while it is heard in court. The law is scheduled to go into effect on July 1.
This is one that baffles me, if they win, what do the labor organizations win?
For its part, MNEA has already been making great strides toward transferring members to bank account billing. There will be some growing pains throughout this process, but ultimately freeing the union from the district could ultimately serve to empower the organization. It's harder to disagree with an entity that exerts control over your chief revenue stream, then it is with a completely independent entity. Lawmakers may have unintentionally provided the means for more aggressive labor representation.
Fighting the soon-to-be-enacted law just delays the process and serves to hamper the transition. Sometimes it is not enough to be right, you have to be prudent as well.
- - -
German kids turning 18 this year are set to receive a nice present from the German Government. Germany's 18-year-olds have been invited to register on an app called the "KulturPass," to receive €200 ($216) from the government. The pass can be spent on a variety of cultural activities of their choice, including museum visits, films, theater, and concerts.
The money can also be spent on physical objects like records and books, and even on musical instruments — although the money must be spent "locally," excluding non-German streaming and subscription services. Large online retailers such as Amazon, streaming services such as Netflix, or music platforms like Spotify, will be excluded from the "KulturPass."
The program emulates other European programs and is a recognition of what was lost by young people to the COVID pandemic.
- - -
I love how the education world wheel turns. In 2015, Shawn Joseph left Prince George County Schools to become the MNPS Director of Schools. Shortly thereafter, Millard House became the superintendent for Clarksville schools. He was poached by Houston a couple years ago to become their Supe. This year, the Texas Department of Education took over Houston schools, and House washout of a gig.
This week - drum roll please - he was named the director of schools for Prince George County Schools.
Presumably, the highly touted Dr. Shawn Joseph was unavailable, or uninterested in the position.
Write your own punchlines.
- - -
It is no secret that I'm a big fan of blogger, Peter Greene. Over the last year or so, I haven't read his always-worthy writing with as much devotion as I have previously. Like many of my favorite education writers, politics have become more of a focus over policy. Some may argue that you can't separate the two, but I'll continually argue that both the elephants and the donkeys have provided their fair share of bad policy, and continue to do so.
I don't mind the slanted views as much as I do already knowing the ending. If I can gauge where we are going within the first three paragraphs, I'm usually breaking off. Especially, if the subject is so-called, "culture war" issues.
It's amazing that just last century we could be friends with people and not know their entire political belief system. But I digress.
This week Greene produced a piece that I read almost to the conclusion, and it left me thinking afterward. While there is much I agree with, some bring me cause for pause.
In it, he puts forth:
So while we can agree that the classroom should be a safe space for students, we have little agreement on what safe means. I'd say there's a big difference between "place where you can question what other folks say" and "place where nobody can question what you say." There's a big difference between "free to speak out" and "free from having to hear anyone else speak out." There's a big difference between "I can challenge other peoples' beliefs" and "Nobody can challenge my beliefs."
And he's right. But the problem is, nobody thinks they are denying anybody anything. Both sides feel like they are the ones providing open discussion when the truth is a little different. Furthermore, both sides want you to live in a perpetual state of fear and distrust.
In his piece, Greene cites the case of Jenna Barbee, the teacher who showed some fifth graders a movie with gay characters in it. He doesn't believe that Barbee crossed the line. He'd argue that banning the movie is the greater offense. How do all students feel safe in a classroom if their own (or their family's) identity is rendered invisible or declared? And yet, for some on the anti-inclusion side, any acknowledgment that LGTQ persons exist is "ramming it down our throats."
I don't know. We are talking twelve-year-olds here, and any conversation around gay characters is ultimately going to involve sexual interactions. I'm not sure that 5th grade is an appropriate age for that. You may, hence the chance of disagreement.
Now if a sound argument is presented, and a modicum of trust is established between the teacher and me, I'd probably take no issue. But if I'm not given a choice, and if I object it's framed as being because I'm denying the existence of gay people...yea, I may take offense to that.
The world exists in technicolor but we are continually trying to make it monochrome.
For me, the biggest issue with all of this is a failure to include me in the conversation, coupled with a lack of consideration for my family's values. We often ask for others to accept us, while failing to accept others. Acknowledging, and discussing, is not an endorsement.
In his piece, Greene writes:
Nor is the discussion made easier by people who are not consistent within their own belief system. Some folks argue both that adult concerns should not take priority over student needs and also that parental rights must be prioritized. You can't do both. Nor is there any question at this point that the parental rights movement is concerned only with certain select parents. It's hard to have any kind of meaningful discussion with people whose words don't really mean what they say.
I'm not sure what to make of that.
In some ways, he describes me to a tee. My opinion is constantly shifting as information becomes available, or even how I'm feeling that day. I often can't describe what falls under parental purview versus societal. The statement also fails to recognize that not all of us are as well-read, and educated as others. For some conceptualization of their ideas isn't as easy as it is for others. Should they be excluded from the conversation solely based on their inability to clearly define their position?
I find that argument troubling.
Why do we assume every disagreement comes from a place of malfeasance?
Perhaps people are inwardly grappling with their own personal views, and they are internally evolving. It took former President Obama nearly a decade to evolve on gay marriage. Why do we assume others aren't undergoing a similar metamorphosis?
Years ago when SEL started taking off I asked multiple proponents, how do you resolve a misalignment between a family's personal belief and that espoused by school leaders? None could answer, save for one.
"With lots of conversation."
The one thing we are most unwilling to provide.
Greene concludes with, "If you are privileging the promotion or prevention of Certain Ideas over the growth and nurture of young minds, then those young minds are not really your primary concern, no matter what you say."
That's what we call the money shot.
It's an internal conversation we all need to have.
And it needs to be ongoing.
Because sometimes, we are just picking and choosing who we are comfortable with making feel uncomfortable.
- - -
Putting this blog together requires a great deal of time and resources, If you think it’s valuable, your support would be greatly appreciated.
A huge shout-out to all of you who’ve already lent your financial support. I am eternally grateful for your generosity. It allows me to keep doing what I do and without you, I would have been forced to quit long ago. It is truly appreciated and keeps the bill collectors happy. Now more than ever your continued support is vital.
If you are interested, I’m sharing posts via email through Substack. This has proven to be an effective way to increase coverage. Readers have the option of either free or paid subscriptions. Paid subscriptions will potentially receive additional materials as they become available. Your support would be greatly appreciated.
If you wish to join the rank of donors but are not interested in Substack, you can still head over to Patreon and help a brother out. Or you can hit up my Venmo account which is Thomas-Weber-10. I don’t need much – even $5 would help – but if you think what I do has value, a little help is always greatly appreciated. Not begging, just saying, Christmas is right around the corner.
If you’d like less opinion and more news, check out my writing for The Tennessee Star. It’s a bit drier but equally informative.