SCEA Serves Teachers AND Students

My column in today's Hendersonville Star News:

Matt Moynihan’s recent column (October 13th) presents claims that should be troubling to Sumner County citizens. Problem is, the claims Mr. Moynihan makes about our schools and the local teachers’ association are simply false. I’m not sure why Moynihan wants to attack our schools and the teachers who make them strong, but I would like to address his claims with the very facts for which he demonstrates a disturbing disregard.

First, Mr. Moynihan claims that the Sumner County Education Association (SCEA) has “dodged” its membership requirements and that its real numbers are well below a simple majority of all teachers. Fact is, when the School Board asked SCEA to demonstrate its strength, the numbers were well above 50% of all teachers. In fact, the local teachers’ association is among the fastest-growing in the state of Tennessee.

Next, Moynihan claims that SCEA stands in the way of professionalism. Wrong again. It is the SCEA that repeatedly asks that teachers be treated like professionals. The association has consistently pushed for both increased salaries and improved working conditions (and remember, teacher working conditions are student learning conditions). In fact, SCEA signed-off last year on a differentiated pay plan that provides incentives for teachers to earn National Board certification. Yes, rewarding those teachers who go above and beyond and earn a credential that research tells us actually improves teacher performance and student outcomes. Sounds like SCEA is doing its job and serving our teachers and students well.

Moynihan also suggests that SCEA has kept wages of teachers low. It is true that Sumner County teachers are paid lower than most others in Middle Tennessee. And this certainly hurts our ability to recruit and retain top talent. But not once in the 10 years I’ve lived in Hendersonville has the School Board offered a teacher salary plan greater than what SCEA requested. Did you read that, Matt? SCEA has consistently been asking for a solution to the problem of low pay – and the School Board has yet to respond. In fact, current leadership has yet to offer a plan for improved compensation. Not one proposal for improved starting pay or performance pay or any other plan that would further professionalize teaching in our County.

Yet another erroneous claim of Moynihan’s is that teachers are only evaluated once every five years. Absolutely false. First of all, all teachers in their first three years must be evaluated formally three times each year. Following the granting of tenure, a teacher is formally evaluated twice every five years and “assessed” in two of the remaining three years (the State Board of Education regulates teacher evaluation policy as indicated in TCA Title 49). That means a tenured teacher’s performance is reviewed formally four out of every five years. Should it be every single year? Yes. But Matt Moynihan should get his facts right before he attacks the professionals who serve our students and our community.

Making Sumner County Schools the best it can be means working with all sides to develop a plan for moving forward. Unfortunately, Matt Moynihan has fallen into the trap of senseless attacks based on fictitious claims. He would be well-served by taking a course in logic and reasoning taught by an SCEA member and professional educator in Sumner County.