i love your suggestion. as a retired public school educator, nothing would make me happier for the students of tn. but it won't. and the money is there. but for voucher school and charters. one of the most disingenuous comments bill lee has made on public schools in tn occurred on 12/23 when he stated that tn has 'boosted itself to become one of the top 10 states nationally for teacher pay.' so that means minimum teacher pay would go from $40k, this school year to $42k for 2023/24, $44k for 2024/25, $47k for 2025/26 and $50k for 2026/27. that will never work out to be one of the top 10 states nationally for teacher pay. the bill lee spin. bill lee boasts that great teachers will be attracted to working in tn, but nothing could be further from the truth. the tn gop controlled legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill on the final day of the 2021 session restricting what teachers can teach about race, gender, and bias in the classroom. lee quickly signed the bill into law. a lawsuit was filed by the tn teacher's assoc. arguing it is constitutionally vague and arbitrary and the state's enforcement plan is subjective. teachers could be suspended, fired and have their licenses revoked for teaching 'prohibited concepts' which are not defined. taken from the desantis playbook. combine this with tn being ground zero for book bans and a bill currently proposed to allow parents to SUE school districts if they disagree on a school board's decision to ban a book, you have great teachers fleeing tn, not flocking here. and who can blame them?
You are exactly right about pay, Cindy - and TN can afford to raise starting teacher pay to 60K and adjust salaries accordingly - a pay scale that started at 60K and saw salaries at or above 100K at the top end would be attractive - and TN can afford it , our policymakers just won't do it.
i love your suggestion. as a retired public school educator, nothing would make me happier for the students of tn. but it won't. and the money is there. but for voucher school and charters. one of the most disingenuous comments bill lee has made on public schools in tn occurred on 12/23 when he stated that tn has 'boosted itself to become one of the top 10 states nationally for teacher pay.' so that means minimum teacher pay would go from $40k, this school year to $42k for 2023/24, $44k for 2024/25, $47k for 2025/26 and $50k for 2026/27. that will never work out to be one of the top 10 states nationally for teacher pay. the bill lee spin. bill lee boasts that great teachers will be attracted to working in tn, but nothing could be further from the truth. the tn gop controlled legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill on the final day of the 2021 session restricting what teachers can teach about race, gender, and bias in the classroom. lee quickly signed the bill into law. a lawsuit was filed by the tn teacher's assoc. arguing it is constitutionally vague and arbitrary and the state's enforcement plan is subjective. teachers could be suspended, fired and have their licenses revoked for teaching 'prohibited concepts' which are not defined. taken from the desantis playbook. combine this with tn being ground zero for book bans and a bill currently proposed to allow parents to SUE school districts if they disagree on a school board's decision to ban a book, you have great teachers fleeing tn, not flocking here. and who can blame them?
You are exactly right about pay, Cindy - and TN can afford to raise starting teacher pay to 60K and adjust salaries accordingly - a pay scale that started at 60K and saw salaries at or above 100K at the top end would be attractive - and TN can afford it , our policymakers just won't do it.
Local School Boards need this information!!
YES! Please share with them!