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As Tennessee policymakers discuss the issue of school choice, Professional Educators of Tennessee is launching a positive, pro-public education initiative to make sure that public education is viewed as a significant part of the choice that parents will make for their children.  “Today, we are excited to announce a new initiative by Professional Educators of Tennessee (www.proedtn.org) to help make public education THE CHOICE for those who want the best educational opportunities for their children,” Executive Director J.C. Bowman said as he announced the effort.

“For too long our local public schools have faced an onslaught of challenges, criticism and funding shortfalls. Worst of all, our daily success stories have been lost in the noise of too much news and too little information,” Bowman noted. “Our public schools are the best choice for the majority of the children in our state and it is time for us to take control of the narrative and tell our own story — because it is a good story to tell.” 

Bowman indicated that the initiative has three components:

1. RECRUIT students back to our schools by highlighting our successes and achievements at the local level;
2. RESTORE confidence in our public education system by actively engaging students, parents, educators and influential stakeholders in our communities to help share our stories;
3. RECAPTURE the enthusiasm and momentum necessary to regain the credibility and status that our public schools and our educators once depended upon as a vital part of strong, safe and viable communities.

“The best and brightest students in our communities should know that our public education system will work for them. The underserved and poor in our communities should know that our public education system can work for them. EVERY parent in our communities should know that they have a role in making sure our public education system works for their children,” Bowman added. “While our teachers will continue to provide instruction in the ‘Three Rs’ — Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic — this initiative will add ‘Three More Rs — Recruit, Restore and Recapture.”

Our “MAKE THE CHOICE” initiative will focus on three targets to grow the public education population in each of Tennessee’s 143 school districts:

• KEEP WHAT WE HAVE. We need to make sure that our existing student base feels that they are where they should be and making progress towards their educational goals;
• GROW WHAT WE HAVE. We should ensure that the siblings of the students in schools will choose public education as well. Our best sales teams should be those inside our systems.
• GET SOME MORE. Students who have left our schools thinking the grass is greener somewhere else should be welcomed back. And with many of our communities in Tennessee growing rapidly, we should communicate that the best choice as “school choice" is our public education system in terms of both cost and quality.

“It’s time we went on the offensive rather than continuing to play defense,” Bowman said. “That’s why we are all in for public education and working with parents, community leaders, School Superintendents, School Boards and educators to INCREASE public school enrollment across the state!” 

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TOWN HALL ON SCHOOL SAFETY HOSTED BY SHERIFF JIM HAMMOND AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS OF TENNESSEE SET FOR MONDAY, APRIL 16

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Supt. Bryan Johnson, Police Chief David Roddy, National Expert to Field Questions

A School Safety and Security Town Hall open to the public will be held Monday at East Hamilton Middle High School to continue a day focused on school safety in Hamilton County.
 
Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond and Professional Educators of Tennessee are partnering to stage the Town Hall, which will take place 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 16, at the school complex in Ooltewah.
 
In addition to Sheriff Hammond, Chattanooga Police Chief David Roddy, Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson, National School Security Expert Michael Yorio, and Dr. J.C. Bowman, Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, will serve as panelists. Businessman and radio host Weston Wamp will facilitate the Town Hall.
 
“The Town Hall will give parents, teachers and other stakeholders in public education the chance to offer their views on school safety,” said Sheriff Hammond. “Also, we will be able to share information about the Monday morning discussion with elected and community leaders.”
 
Dr. Bowman said teachers from counties surrounding Hamilton County will be informed of the timely event. He will also discuss research on school safety which the Professional Educators of Tennessee has completed with its membership.
 
“We are grateful to join with Sheriff Hammond and other strong leaders in Hamilton County to have timely, orderly discussion about an issue front and center in Hamilton County, the state and the nation,” said Dr. Bowman. “This is a wonderful opportunity for teachers, including our members in Southeast Tennessee."
 
Yorio serves as president of SSI Guardian, LLC, and is senior vice president of security for School Specialty, Inc. As he will do in the morning meeting with area leaders, Yorio will bring a national perspective on school safety.
 
Wamp said the event will be recorded and made available to Professional Educators of Tennessee’s 8,000 members and others. Wamp, a Chattanooga businessman, will facilitate the forum. After brief opening remarks, questions will begin. Partisan, political speech will be stopped from stage, and Wamp urges attendees attending to have prepared, concise questions. Questions will end promptly at 5:30. The theater at East Hamilton has an estimated seating capacity of 300.
 
About Sheriff Jim Hammond: Sheriff Jim Hammond is the current Sheriff of Hamilton County and has been since August of 2008. His Sheriff’s office personnel consist of 386 full-time and 33 part-time employees. His area of coverage is Hamilton County, which is the fourth largest county in the state of Tennessee. As a Constitutional Elected Official of the State of Tennessee, Sheriff Hammond brings over 54 years of law enforcement experience to his credit, including 15 Years as Chief Deputy. He is also a veteran of the US Navy, an international police instructor, and former adjunct instructor for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
 
About Professional Educators of Tennessee: Professional Educators of Tennessee is a non-partisan statewide professional association whose members come from all aspects of the educational systems in Tennessee. Their 8,000 statewide members include teachers, administrators and non-certified staff from kindergarten to graduate school level, public and private.
 
About Michael Yorio and SSI Guardian: National School Security Expert Michael A. Yorio is a former defense industry executive who is credited with founding SSI Guardian, the nation’s leading school safety and security firm and wholly owned subsidiary of School Specialty Inc. He has led the 21st Century Safe School initiative addressing institutional safety from an evidence based best practice approach focusing on the social, emotional, mental and physical factors.
 
About Weston Wamp: Weston Wamp has worked to promote best-practice guidelines for school safety across the country for two years, and he is currently involved in an effort of a national, non-profit organization that will address gaps in modernizing security in 21st century classrooms. He has hosted “The Pitch” on ESPN Chattanooga (105.1 FM) each Saturday morning for the past two years.
 
East Hamilton Middle High School is a public high school located in Ooltewah, Tennessee. Established and opened in 2009, it is one of the newest schools in the Hamilton County School district.
Address: 2015 Ooltewah Ringgold Rd, Ooltewah, TN 37363
Principal: Gail Chuy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tennessee School Safety Survey Results  [View/Download PDF]

• GRAPH: School Security Measures
• GRAPH: Availability of Guidance Counselors
• GRAPH: Gun Ownership
• GRAPH: Willingness to be Armed at School
• ALL SURVEY RESULT GRAPHS
• COMMENTS - Suggested Policy Issues

One of the highest priorities we can have in American society is the safety and protection of children - and the men and women who teach them. From February 27 to March 9, 2018 Professional Educators of Tennessee surveyed 1403 educators across Tennessee. Ninety-seven percent listed their role as being a current educator, while 3% reported being retired educators.

When asked if they felt safe at school, 47% stated they felt safe, while 41% stated they felt somewhat safe, 10% felt somewhat unsafe and 2% felt unsafe.  When asked if an armed School Resource Office improved safety, 98% felt that they either improved or somewhat improved the safety of a school climate. While 62% responded that they have an active shooter protocol, only 55% reported that their School Resource Officer carried a side-arm. Conversely, while 1% of respondents stated their school already had metal detectors, 53% felt they were not needed at this time.

When asked about safety regulations already in place at school, 87% percent stated that all visitors are required to have a visitor’s pass but only 34% of schools required students and staff to wear a photo ID at all times. Seventy-five percent of all educators reported an increase on security procedures and awareness and 89% have practiced “lockdown” drills.

We also asked if educators thought that there were enough school counselors available to actually counsel students needing mental health services.  Sixty-three percent of the respondents said there are NOT enough guidance counselors at their school. Thirty-seven percent believed there are enough guidance counselors.

Regarding the hotly debated issue of allowing teachers to be armed in the classroom, an interesting finding of our survey was that 53% percent of educators stated that they personally would be unlikely to carry a firearm in the classroom, but 63% of those surveyed felt that properly trained personnel should be allowed to carry a weapon to school. Although 59% of educators reported owning a firearm, only 37% stated they would be likely or somewhat likely to carry a firearm to school.

There is a wealth of information in the nearly 850 comments that educators thoughtfully provided. We appreciate the educators who took the time to provide diverse thoughts and responses. Open-ended responses showed strong support for increased focus on student mental health, and lower school-counselor ratios were mentioned frequently. Comments also frequently mentioned support for increased SRO presence and improved school safety infrastructure (eg. bulletproof glass, door locks, intercoms, panic buttons, use of retired military and law enforcement, and cameras). There was both strong opposition to and support for allowing educators to carry firearms in schools.The entire comments section is available for download here. Comments are unedited except for the removal of  identifying district or school information.

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JC Bowman is the Executive Director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, a non-partisan teacher association headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author and the association are properly cited. For more information on this subject or any education issue please contact Professional Educators of Tennessee. To schedule an interview please contact Audrey Shores, Director of Communications, at 1-800-471-4867 ext.102.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2017 TENNESSEE EDUCATOR SURVEY RESULTS  [View/Download PDF]

More than 38,000 Tennessee educators completed the lengthy survey created by the Tennessee Department of Education, in partnership with the Tennessee Education Research Alliance at Vanderbilt University. This number represents 56% of all Tennessee Educators and 60% of all Tennessee Administrators.

Not surprising to those who work in education, the biggest obstacle to effective teaching is time. Teachers could teach more effectively if they had more instructional time available to them in the classroom. They also could be more effective if they could spend their planning time actually preparing for said instruction. What is prohibiting educators from doing so? One of the biggest time drainers is Response to Intervention 2 (RTI2).

Although nearly every educator believes that they must do something to keep students from “falling through the cracks,” the requirements for RTI2 take lots of planning and benchmarking, even where there are full-time RTI2 coaches. Also with so much material being open-sourced and available on the internet, teachers and coaches report spending hours each week searching for high quality materials to use with their students.

Another time-drain is dealing with behavior and disciplinary issues. This is especially true for new or first-time teachers. Even 30% of experienced teachers state they spend 10% or more of their time in a day dealing with behavior issues.

Additionally, educators are concerned with “the pressure they feel to juggle multiple programs and directives.” Nearly 60% of teachers say they feel pulled in many different directions in terms of what and how to teach. Schools, states and even the nation are often jumping onto the new bandwagons that come down the instructional highway. Teachers would like to give initiatives time to “take root and grow” before the educational bureaucracy switches to the next new thing. And although educator evaluation is not a favorite topic, 75% reported that it improved their teaching when conducted by a qualified evaluator who provided useful/timely feedback.

For professional learning, Tennessee teachers report spending “too much time engaging with activities that do not achieve their intended effect.” Like the instruction they are required to provide, professional learning for educators should be relevant and meaningful. Teachers are professionals and they should have greater autonomy in choosing the professional development that best meets their needs.

The good news is the that 1) the Tennessee Department of Education actually surveys their educators and 2) they are making adjustments to some of the procedures based on the survey results. Also after each section of the survey, there are recommendations and “next steps” listed for the schools and districts to implement. This is helpful for districts, as well as teachers. The survey is not a miracle-cure, but it is a good foundation. Read here for the full survey results.

Donate to the “The Woodmore Fund”

• Checks should be made to "The Woodmore Fund" payable to the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. Checks can be dropped off or mailed to: 1270 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. 
• Text "Woodmore" to 91999 or call 2-1-1 (423-265-8000).
• Contribute Online

East TN Wildfires & Tornadoes

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), in coordination with departments of Tennessee State Government, has compiled information to assist businesses and residentsas they work to rebuild their lives following the devastating wildfires and to direct those who are interested in helping our Sevier County neighbors. The page will be updated as more information becomes available. For updates on the situation in Sevier County, please visit http://www.tnema.org/.

DONATIONS AND VOLUNTEERS

Gatlinburg officials are asking volunteers not to self-deploy to Sevier County to assist. TEMA and Tennessee Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (TN VOAD) have set up a call center for information about donating goods and volunteering to help survivors of the Sevier County wildfires. The call center number is 866-586-4483. It is staffed from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST seven days a week.

Cash donations can be made through the American Red Cross at redcross.org/donate, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or by texting REDCROSS to 90999.

God's Warehouse (Morristown, TN) is packaging disaster relief materials at 3441 W. A J Highway. (423-586-0522)

New Hope Church of God at 2450 Winfield Dunn Parkway in Sevierville is collecting donations also. Contact number is 865-932-4673, staffed 9 am to 5 pm.

Uncle Lem’s Mountain Outfitters is collecting donations from 10am -8 pm. They are accepting water, Gatorade, pre-packaged snacks, supplies for the shelters, and pet food/supplies at 9715 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN.

Yassin's Falafel House is collecting cases of water and Gatorade in the public parking lot adjacent to 706 Walnut Street in downtown Knoxville from 10am to 6 pm or until the truck is full.

Barker Lounge at 1301 Main Street in Sevierville and Blount County Animal Control at 233 Currie Avenue in Maryville are taking displaced animals and need animal related supplies including food and crates.

The Knoxville Expo Center is accepting donations at 5441 Clinton Hwy, Knoxville.

The YMCA in East Tennessee is accepting donations at all locations.

Remote Area Medical is accepting donations at is headquarters at 2220 Stock Creek Boulevard in Rockford.

Lafollette Church of God at 1906 Jacksboro Pike, LaFollette, is accepting food and water donations.

Blount Partnership, at 201 S. Washington Street in Maryville and Townsend Visitors Center at 7906 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway are accepting donations for water and food for animals and more.

Christ the Rock Church of God is collecting food and water donations at 4306 Washington Pike in Knoxville.

East Tennessee TCATs are collecting donations of items requested by The Red Cross for Gatlinburg/ Pigeon Forge fire victims. (Click Here for List) Items must be dropped off by 9am ET Friday December 2.

Austin Peay State University will be collecting donations on campus Wednesday through Friday (December 1-3).

EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE
(Source: Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development)

Employees:
The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has the following locations available to assist displaced workers in Sevier County.

Community Resource Center
149 Cates Lane, Pigeon Forge (former Boyds Bear Factory)
Note: This center will remain open seven days a week until services are no longer needed
Monday-Saturday, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

American Job Center
1216 Graduate Drive, Sevierville
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 3, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 4, 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.

There will also be a mobile American Job Center in Cocke County next week to help workers displaced by the wildfires. 

Monday, December 5, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Newport Community Center
Tuesday, December 6, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., National Guard Armory
Wednesday, December 7, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., Newport Community Center

Mobile American Job Centers are a computer resource center where dislocated workers can go online and apply for unemployment insurance benefits. Trained staff are available to assist people applying for benefits. Workers should bring as much information as possible with them, including bank account numbers, or an address where they can receive a debit card. Unemployment benefits cannot be issued at the mobile career centers.

Employers:
To make the processing claims as efficient as possible, it is critical employers file a MASS LAYOFF LIST at http://www.tn.gov/workforce/article/disaster-unemployment-assistance.  This list will enable the department to bypass usual investigations into claims and approve claims in the fastest possible time frame. 

HIRING CONTRACTORS
(Source: Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance) 

To protect yourself, only hire licensed contractors. Visit verify.tn.gov to ensure that a contractor is properly licensed to work in the state of Tennessee. Different types of work or work with a higher cost may require different licensure.

Before you hire a contractor:

•  Make sure the contractor is properly licensed. Write down the license number and verify that it is legitimate by visiting verify.tn.gov
• Get several bids. It’s best to get at least three bids and check references.
• Get a written contract that includes the company’s name, address, and telephone number. The contract should also include an anticipated start and completion date.
• Never pay more than one-third down and do not let the payments get ahead of the work.
• Make sure the contractor is insured to cover workers’ compensation, damage and general liability insurance.

When hiring a contractor, avoid:

• A person going door-to-door selling their services.
• A person who offers services for a short time only, which makes consumers feel rushed and unable to research the contractor.
• Unmarked trucks or vans, or a refusal or reluctance to set out complete and specific contract terms in writing.
• Being pressured to pay for more than half of the cost upfront.

To file a complaint about a contractor with the Board for Licensing Contractors, visit http://tn.gov/commerce/article/cont-file-a-complaint or call 800-544-7693. 

HEALTH INFORMATION
(Source: Tennessee Department of Health)

Those involved in search, recovery and clean-up efforts associated with the wildfire response should be aware of increased risk of infection from cuts and scrapes. The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) is now offering free tetanus vaccinations to help those involved in these efforts. Visit http://tn.gov/health/topic/localdepartments to find your local health department. Tetanus is caused by bacteria found in soil, dust and animal waste and enters the human body through a cut or puncture wound.  Because it causes muscle spasms usually starting in the jaw, many people refer to it as “lockjaw.”  Approximately 10 percent of people infected with tetanus die each year.

The TDH also encourages all involved in moving debris from wildfires and tornados to wear protective gear. Depending on the work performed, this may include heavy gloves, eye protection, N95 dust masks, hearing protection, hard hats and other wearables.

HOUSING ASSISTANCE
(Source: Tennessee Housing Development Agency)

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency encourages landlords in areas impacted to update rental listings on TNHousingSearch.org and to offer short leases for those who have been displaced by the disaster. TNHousingSearch.org, THDA’s rental housing resource website, helps renters find housing and provides a venue for property owners/managers to list housing. The service is free for both landlords and potential tenants. Property owners and managers are invited to call 1-877-428-8844 or visit TNHousingSearch.org for assistance.

INSURANCE HELP
(Source: Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance)

Sevier County residents who need assistance filing an insurance claim are invited to visit the Community Resource Center in the former Boyds Bears building parking lot located at 149 Cates Lane in Pigeon Forge. Representatives from insurance carriers and the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance will be on hand to answer questions. The Community Resource Center will be staffed Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. 

If your home has been damaged or destroyed by fire:

•  Call your insurance company or agent with your policy number and other relevant information as soon as possible. Cooperate fully with the insurance company, and ask what documents, forms and data you will need.
• Take photographs/video of the damage. Make an inventory of the items that have been lost.
• Make the repairs necessary to prevent further damage to your property (i.e., cover broken windows, leaking roofs and damaged walls). Do not have permanent repairs made until your insurance company has inspected the property and you have reached an agreement on the cost of repairs.
• Save all receipts, including those from the temporary repairs covered by your insurance policy.
• If your home is damaged to the extent that you cannot live there, ask your insurance company if you have coverage for additional living expenses incurred while repairs are being made. Save all receipts to document these costs.  If you have a dispute with your insurer about the amount or terms of the claim settlement, you can contact TDCI for assistance. Click here to visit TDCI's website.

STORM DAMAGE, INJURIES AND FATALITIES

Fatalities
Polk County - Two killed; severe structural damage

Injuries
McMinn County - up to 23 injured; collapsed structures
Marion County - Three injured; collapsed structures

Structural damage only; No injuries or fatalities
Bedford County
Bradley County
Coffee County
Franklin County
Sequatchie County

Source: Tennessee Emergency Management Agency

Help people affected by disasters like severe weather in Southeast Tennessee and countless other crises by making a donation to Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small across the United States. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.