We Need to Start Making Sense
“Oh! dreadful is the check—intense the agony—
When the ear begins to hear, and the eye begins to see;
When the pulse begins to throb, the brain to think again;
The soul to feel the flesh, and the flesh to feel the chain.”
― Emily Brontë, The Complete Poems
The countdown to the next school year has begun. Twenty days from now, I'll have a daughter navigating the first days of high school. My son will be tucking his Crocs under the bed, slipping on his Nikes, and beginning the last days of middle school. The wife will start her 16 school year.
Summer has been fast, but then again it always is. As we begin making preparations, I find myself questioning and considering.
Last night I started watching this show Silo. It's on Apple, and the premise is that these people live in a "silo" where they are led to believe that the outside world is uninhabitable and no one dares venture outward, lest they die. Inside folks are controlled and even having children is subject to the approval of the state. There are giant windows that supposedly show the outside world as a gloomy barren landscape. But the reality is the world outside is actually lush, green, and very habitable.
As I watched it, I kept thinking, that's a whole lot like the world of education except that our world is made up of several silos. The charter schools got theirs, as do public and private schools.
Wonder what would happen if we suddenly tore down the silos and joined each other outside.
Like the people in the Silo in the show, more and more I'm starting to question the reality I've been sold, and wondering what it really looks like outside the public school silo.
I started this journey as a staunch advocate of public schools. Nobody fought harder against intrusion from charter school operators. But each year, I grow a little less sure of that position. I begin to doubt that a student enrolled in a public school is evidence that the republic is being preserved.
These days, I've grown tired, jaded, and somewhat cynical. The arguments that were once so ironclad, now seem flimsy. I'm starting to think that children can be educated effectively in a multitude of ways. After all we've seen generations graduate from charter schools and life goes on.
I've seen politicians pose as social warriors, and defenders of public schools, while their kids attended the best private schools that money could buy. Yet, I am expected to turn my kids over to the local school without question.
I've seen administrators argue that schools are not fully funded while stoking a check worth millions to companies that employ friends, without batting an eye or showing evidence of success.
I continue to marvel that Nashville ran Shawn Joesph out of town partially on account of his employing too many high-paid administrators. Currently, Dr. Adrienne Battle, his successor has 9, each making over $180k a year. But not an eyebrow gets raised.
Is Dr. Battle doing a better job than Dr. Joseph? Who knows, we don't have any comparative data in which to measure, and the school board is always slow to conduct her evaluation.
I've been told that I don't need to pursue enrollment in a private school in order to provide the best opportunities for my children, but then I tour one and I realize the lies I've been fed. There is no way, that public schools can match the facilities and opportunities afforded to private school kids. In athletics, they talk about passing the eyeball test, well this is an instance that failing to pass the eye test.
Part of this I believe is a natural progression. Elementary school brings such promise and hope. By the time kids reach high school parents are exhausted, they've spent years sacrificing and advocating for their children, and they look forward to the end. A time when they will no longer be part of the bureaucracy and hypocrisy that public education has become.
How many times have you heard a parent say, "Two more years and then we are done, and I can't wait", as opposed to, "Two more years and I wish we could extend it out to another year"?
The cynic in me has come to believe that the whole public vs private vs charter vs homeschooled is all part of a bigger battle over who gets the money.
I mean if suddenly 60% of kids attend a charter school will democracy suddenly crumble? Or will the Chief Strategy Officer and the Chief Operating offer suddenly have to go find new gigs?
If more and more students take advantage of private school options, we are still going to need teachers and they are still going to need to be paid.
Tennessee now has the means to calculate how much it plans to spend on each child's education. Why do we need Education Savings Accounts? If a child attends a charter school, public school, private or homeschool, there is a mechanism in place to fund that child's education.
Are we really fighting the right battles? I ain't here to bring answers, but to make you think deeper.
There's a lot to consider and the only certainty for me is the appreciation I have for the teachers and principals who continually suit up and show up. Even when it doesn't make sense, they are present, and it doesn't make sense a whole lot of the time.
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Now time for the good stuff, and unfortunately there is a fair amount of it.
We'll start with the state and work ourselves down to the MNPS.
We'll start with the formerly employed and move to those currently with jobs.
Travel records for the last quarter are now available. As she's done consistently throughout the last year of her employment, the former Tennessee Commissioner spent the 2nd quarter doing her best Willie Nelson impersonation. No, not smoking a lot of ganja. You know...on the road again...she couldn't wait to get back on the road again.
Between April and the end of May, Schwinn was out every weekend. Most of the trips were to D.C. but she threw in one to San Diego and one to NYC for good measure. The New York trip was presumably to attend a benefit hosted by the Robin Hood Foundation.
The Robin Hood Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to combatting childhood poverty issues. Last year, Robin Hood grantees conducted over 75,000 home visits to nearly 2,500 families and provided therapy to almost 1,000 children with special needs and more than 700 families with mental health needs. The only problem is, they work with kids in New York and Schwinn lives in Tennessee in a $1.8 million house. Tennessee paid $817.26 for her to help New York kids out.
Most of the reimbursements to Schwinn are minuscule, which raises the question of who paid the primary costs? Because the costs associated with the listed travel, aren't the full costs. That's an answer we'll probably never get.
I must point out that Schwinn was reimbursed for $8 while at a summit in DC on modernizing our education system. I can think of at least 5 jokes I'd like to share here, but I'm too tired to type them. Much as I would be to file an $8 reimbursement.
Luckily there is a new sheriff in town, and now the former commissioner is simply a Tennessee citizen. Maybe since the new commissioner has never most of Tennessee, she stay within our borders for the immediate future. We'll see.
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Speaking of the new Tennessee Commissioner of Education, early reports are that Lizzy Reynolds is a breath of fresh air compared to the aforementioned California girl. Several legislators report having great conversations with her and they seem very excited about the new energy she's bringing to the department.
I'm not surprised. Everybody loves the new guy, until the new guy starts acting like the old guy. Have I mentioned Candice McQueen and Kevin Huffman?
The bottom line is, she may be the most competent person in the world but there is still that one common denominator - Bill Lee. The man doesn't exactly have a winning record when it comes to hiring competent people to work in his cabinet. At least this one might actually be a Republican.
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Remember a couple years ago when Commissioner Schwinn - I know, this is a reoccurring theme, but stick with me - was out bragging on Tennessee's Grow Your Own program? Here's a quote for you if you need a refresher:
"Our teachers are heroes who have a tremendous impact on our children, and Tennessee is paving the way and has become the first state in which there is a lasting program to become a teacher for free through the Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship,” said Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “By establishing a permanent Grow Your Own model, Tennesseans are innovating to provide the opportunity to become teachers for free while earning a wage. We hope states across the country will utilize this model to combat teacher shortages, remove barriers to becoming an educator for people from all backgrounds and continue to invest in the teaching profession.”
Her partner in crime was then Chief of human capital at the TDOE, he bragged, "We want to become the first state where you can become a teacher for free and get paid to do so. That is our dream."
Well now that both he and his boss are no longer Tennessee state government employees, the dream is changing. Starting with next Fall's class, the TDOE and the Tennessee State Charter School Center will only be awarding potential students $10K/5 per year for a bachelor's degree and a teacher's license.
Considering that the average cost of a bachelor's degree with a license runs around $15k, that falls way short of the promise of becoming a Tennessee teacher at no cost.
So who's going to cover the difference? Teacher prep programs are being told that a couple options would be to either lower their tuition or bill the participating school districts. You know, since they are flush with cash.
The new changes potentially put the program at odds with its original goals. Compounding the issue is a lack of transparency by both the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center.
The Grow Your Own Center is staking out a portion that since they are part of the University of Tennessee, they are not subject to state sunshine laws. Here's their official position:
The Tennessee Open Meetings statute (Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-44-101 et seq.) applies to “governing bodies,” defined as “any public body which consists of two (2) or more members, with the authority to make decisions for or recommendations to a public body on policy or administration.” Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-44-102(b)(1)(A). At UT, our “governing body” is the Board of Trustees, and the Open Meetings statute applies only to the Board of Trustees, standing or special committees of the Board, and to bodies that are specifically identified by statute as subject to the Open Meetings statute (such as our campus Advisory Boards, see Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-9-503(a)(6)). The Grow Your Own Center is not a separate entity from UT, but rather a UT program funded by grant money from the Tennessee Department of Education. It is not the “governing body” of UT or of any public body, and thus not subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings statute.
Ironically, Center Director Erin Crisp wasn't available to answer questions this week, as she was up in Minnesota touting the virtues of Tennessee's Grow Your Own Program.
Ah...the more things change...the more they stay the same.
On a side note, for Donaldson, business is booming. He left the TDOE a couple years ago and started the National Center for Grow Your Own. Initially, it was just he and his old TDOE assistant, Naima Khandaker. It hasn't taken long for him to lure over two more former department employees. The Center is now doing work in 19 states.
Dave is definitely growing his own.
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Raise your hand if you are a Tennessee teacher with a K - whatever teaching license who is just now finding out that you have until August 1 to complete the state-required early literacy training.
This was all part of the Literary Success Act passed by the General Assembly in 2021. Here's the official wording:
The Tennessee Literacy Success Act requires that all teachers holding a license with an endorsement that allows them to teach reading in grades K-5 complete at least one approved foundational literacy skills course by August 1, 2023. The free TN Early Reading Training meets this training requirement.
If you are a candidate seeking to obtain, renew, or advance a teaching license, you'll need this or you'll be out of luck.
If you are a K-8 certified teacher with 30 years of teaching 8th grade and no plans to ever teach elementary school, you'll still need to complete this course.
No word on how many current teachers this affects, but I get a sense that there is more than one.
Never boring here in Tennessee
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This week both the Metro Nashville Police Department and MNPS indicated that they would not be applying for the $5.25 million in funding that the state is making available to districts to place school resource officers in each Nashville elementary school. The reason is, they don't have the capacity to staff the city's 70 public schools.
That won't stop MNPD from applying for the $3.375 million available to support existing positions in middle and high schools despite currently having 28 vacancies. Sounds to me like they don't have the capacity to fill those either.
The state is making up to $75K per officer available to districts for salaries, benefits, and the required 40 hours of specialized training required by law.
But hey, the district does hope to be able to staff part-time unarmed Safety Ambassadors at each elementary. These are folks who carry police frequency radios and are trained to “address armed intruders and behavioral issues.” But, as of May, most of the Safety Ambassador positions were vacant.
Starting to detect a pattern here.
You know what's needed here, don't you?
Dr. Battle needs to hire a Chief of School Safety. Another "Chief" would make everything work just right.
He could hold some discussion groups where surveys are passed out and maybe form a committee or two.
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Early voting starts today in Nashville. Voters will cast votes for Mayor and council seats. Some voters in East and South Nashville will have an opportunity to choose state representatives in special elections for Districts 51 and 52, following Republicans’ expulsion of incumbent Democrat Rep. Justin Jones and the June 4 death of Rep. Bill Beck.
A new Mayoral poll released last week shows Freddie O'Connell in the lead followed by Matt Wiltshire and Alice Rolli. That same poll showed 26% of voters remain undecided. No one is likely to get over 50% of the vote, so we are looking at a runoff.
According to the Banner, Davidson County has added 63,157 people to voter rolls since the last local elections in 2019.
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