TEA's stand on Lee's plan

Before Tennessee changes its funding formula for schools, elected state officials - those voting on and writing the change - should understand the new system, according to the state teachers association president.

"All legislators should be able to answer questions about the new plan," Tennessee Education Association President Beth Brown said. "TEA certainly believes that it's important for every single legislator to be able to answer all of the questions."

TEA members and leaders have plenty of questions.

Brown said all due diligence should be exercised to "make sure we get it right."

However, Brown diplomatically declined to reply yes, or no, to what she described as a "hard" question.

Should Gov. Lee's education funding plan be an issue for his re-election campaign?

"I think," Brown said, "every person who works in Nashville and is representing the interests of Tennesseans, whether it's a representative, a senator or the governor, should be able to honestly explain to every voter in Tennessee that this new funding formula is not going to short-change any of our students."

Elected leaders ought to fully understand the change, "so that they can very clearly explain it to students, parents and communities...

"It's very very complicated," she said while discussing the cost of teaching students in different grades and those with different abilities and talents. The formula includes a system for "weighted" appropriations.

The implication of the question - should education funding be an election issue - and Brown's reply, is this. If state senators and representatives can't accurately explain the new system, then maybe it shouldn't be enacted during the current session of the Legislature which could end in a month or six weeks.

If the education funding plan is delayed, technically, it could be 'carried over' to, or revived in, the next session. Some summer study committees have, over the years, been called 'Black Hole Committees' because that's where unpopular or misunderstood bills are sent to die. That may be especially so, if there's an election after the summer study.

Other legislation was deferred this month for additional study during the summer. One bill would authorize transferrable tax credits for spending by food supply-chain businesses willing to limit their commerce to Tennessee only.

Speaking about those circumstances, State Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) explained recently that it is the responsibility of a bill's sponsor and other advocates to schedule hearings during the summer.

Hensley was not asked about the governor's education funding reform legislation. However, the legislative process is the same.

Acknowledging that the 'Black Hole' is where bills are sent to die, Hensley explained, "They sometimes are. Sometimes bill are ... sent for summer study and it never gets studied, but others are studied. It doesn't have to be a 'Black Hole.' It can be a very beneficial thing, even though, honestly, during an election year, like this is, it's going to be hard to get too much done this summer. But, it takes the sponsor to schedule meetings during the summer and the fall...

"During election years, it's hard to get things done," the Hohenwald Republican said. "It's not impossible and it can be done.

"And, without a summer study, it can be worked on and things done and tweaked, and raising more support for it and bring it back next year."

One education funding reform bill sponsor, Ken Yager (R-Kingston), said the solution to teacher shortages in his proposal is a result of his proactive conversation with school system directors in his district.

Yager's solution creates a favorable environment for retired teachers to return to work and eliminates a 120-day limit on how long they may work each year.

TEA supports that idea, Brown said.

"So as we are looking at the data that is being published by the state [and] ... sent to the different districts, we have a lot of questions as we try to understand what this is going to mean for educators, students, families and communities across the state."

As a result, teachers could have a pop quiz for their elected leaders who might soon vote on Lee's plan.

"That's the angle we're coming at when we're talking about this," she said. "We just want to know the answers to these questions that are generated by some of their data."

Her other questions include: What will this look like in five years?; Does the plan make sure there are funds for educators' salaries and benefits "to strengthen and rebuild our educator pipeline ... to make the profession attractive?; Will the change short change some districts and some students anywhere in the state?