Overview

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"Governments derive their just power from the consent of the governed."

~ US Declaration of Independence

Elected officials, especially those elected statewide, are in office to help their community and to help their constituents. If we do not stand up together and tell elected officials how to improve education in your community, be assured that someone else will. By keeping a positive focus on education, Professional Educators of Tennessee members can strengthen their political voice and make a positive difference in the lives of Tennessee’s children.

NON-PARTISAN AGENDA

Non-partisan and not affiliated with any political party, Professional Educators of Tennessee works with agencies, elected officials and policymakers to develop and implement comprehensive strategies that address complex legislative, legal and regulatory problems impacting education statewide. Our team has the expertise, creativity, resources, procedural know-how, credibility and proven success essential in addressing and resolving key education advocacy impacting our members. More importantly, Professional Educators of Tennessee has a legislative program that aligns with the values and priorities of Tennessee educators. Our advocacy efforts are focused on Tennessee education, not expansive national social issues.

PASSION + EXPERIENCE

Professional Educators of Tennessee feels the same passion for education advocacy that you feel for teaching. Every day, citizens and government officials form opinions that impact public policy. We help shape these opinions by mobilizing educators, members, and citizens. The experience of Professional Educators of Tennessee in message development, creating effective outreach strategies, and event management helps influence the framework and actions of educators, policymakers, and opinion leaders. Professional Educators of Tennessee believes elected officials have an obligation to do everything in their power to support teachers and students, and our members receive representation before state agencies, legislative committees, and the Tennessee Legislature.

TOTAL TRANSPARENCY

Our members know that we will never use dues dollars to fund the advancement of any politician, political party or agenda. While we may inform our members of candidates’ positions on educational issues, we do not tell our members how to vote or use our members' dues dollars to pay for political campaigns or donate to PACs. We do not spend tens of thousands of dollars on organizations that push for the advancement of non-educational causes. We do routinely monitor and inform our members of education-related legislative issues and alert them of any legislation that has a direct impact.

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

We provide an active voice in Tennessee politics and strive to represent our members in a positive manner. We collaborate with various other statewide organizations to form coalitions working toward the same goals, including the promotion of educators as professionals. We believe in advocating in a positive manner that encourages cooperative solutions to the challenges that our educators presently face. We provide ongoing political advocacy training and assistance to members who choose to become actively involved in the political process. We give educators the information and tools needed to stay informed.