Teachers on BOE

The Metropolitan Council passed a resolution encouraging the Nashville state legislative delegation to write and attempt to get passed a law authorizing the "legislative body of Davidson County to appoint a certified teacher as a non-voting member of the Davidson County school board" saying

"WHEREAS, due to their day-to-day interaction with students and the school administration, classroom teachers would provide much-needed insight to the Board of Education during deliberations on important matters that will impact the education of the children of this city; and..."

The resolution was approved:

"Ayes" Dozier, Tucker, Briley, Gilmore, Murray, Jameson, Cole, Hart, Forkum, Ryman, Brown, Gotto, Loring, McClendon, Wallace, Whitmore, Crafton, Summers, Shulman, Foster, Alexander, Wilhoite, Toler, Coleman, Tygard (25);

"Noes" Isabel, Walls, Williams (3);

"Abstaining" Craddock (1).

And so it passed and Mayor Purcell declined to sign it.

The update from the state legislature is that while such legislation was sponsored by Ben West in the House and Thelma Harper in the Senate but it was 'taken off notice' in the House on 4/3/07. Let's hope that's the end of this bad idea. The teacher point of view is well enough represented on the BOE with the current members Jo Ann Brannon and Gracie Porter and the ever watchful MNEA.