What is Nashville voting on?

Let's go to some original documents and figure out exactly what Nashvillians will be voting on. Please note I've put some of this in BOLD in order to help you find what I think is the pertinent information.

Let's start with the actual ballot available at ftp://ftp.nashville.gov/web/vote/Sales_Tax_Ref_Election_Sample_Ballot_EV.pdf

It says:

"Shall ordinance number BL2005-665, passed by the Metropolitan County Council, which increases the local sales tax rate from two and one-fourth ( 1/4) percent to two and three-fourth (2 3/4) percent, become operative?"

And then you vote for FOR or AGAINST it.

But what does BL2005-665 say? That you'll find at http://www.nashville.gov/mc/ordinances/bl2005_665.htm and it's way more reading than that deciptively short sentence above. I really urge voters to take a few minutes and read this ordinance. I can't say this strongly enough: if you vote based on what you're reading in the papers, or what your neighbor said or what any advocacy group said you've failed in your responsibility.


Take some time and read this for yourself. I'll make it easier. I'll include it below. Print it out, highlight the questionable parts and feel absolutely free to question your council person about it. Here's the council's brand spanking new website. It's really an improvement on the previous version. If you don't know the name of your councilman (and you really ought to) click on the map link on the left and find out.

So here we go. Here's the ordinance mentioned in the ballot.

ORDINANCE NO. BL2005-665

An ordinance amending Ordinance No. 65-464, as amended by Ordinance No. 68-525, as amended by Ordinance No. 080-294, relating to the levy of a local option sales and use tax by the Metropolitan Government in accordance with the provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated, Sections 67-6-701 through 67-6-716.

WHEREAS, the Tennessee General Assembly pursuant to Chapter 329 of the 1963 Public Acts and subsequent amendments thereto (T.C.A., §§ 67-6-701 through 67-6-716), has authorized local governments to levy a local option sales and use tax; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to referendum election held in 1965 and again in 1968 and again in 1980, the Metropolitan Government has levied a local option sales and use tax pursuant to the terms and limitations contained in T.C.A., § 67-6-701, et seq.; and

WHEREAS, T.C. A. §67-6-705 and §67-6-706 provide that the operation of the ordinance levying the local option sales tax shall be subject to approval of the voters of the Metropolitan Government by referendum; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

SECTION 1. That Ordinance No. 65-464, as amended by Ordinance No. 68-525, as amended by Ordinance No. 080-294 of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metropolitan Government), levying a local option sales and use tax as authorized under the provisions of Chapter 6 of Title 67 of the Tennessee Code Annotated is hereby amended by levying in the same manner and on the same privileges subject to the Retailers Sales Tax Act under T.C.A., §§ 67-6-101 through 67-6-608, which are exercised in the General Services District of the Metropolitan Government, a tax on all such privileges at a rate of two and three-quarters (2 ¾) percent; provided the tax so levied shall apply only to the first one thousand six hundred ($1,600) dollars on the sale or use of any one article of personal property. Further, the operation of this Ordinance shall be subject to the approval of the voters as required by T.C.A., § 67-6-706 and to the other provisions of T.C.A., § 67-6-701 through 67-6-716.

SECTION 2. If a majority of those voting in the election required by T.C.A., § 67-6-706 vote for the Ordinance increasing the tax pursuant to Section 1 hereof, collection of the tax levied by this Ordinance shall begin upon the effective date of the change in the local tax rate pursuant to T.C.A. §67-6-716.

SECTION 3. It having been determined by the Department of Revenue of the State of Tennessee that it is feasible for this tax to be collected by that Department, the Department of Revenue of the State of Tennessee shall collect the additional tax imposed by this Ordinance concurrently with the collection of the state tax in the same manner as the state tax is collected in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by said Department. The Finance Director of the Metropolitan Government is hereby authorized to contract with the Department of Revenue of the State of Tennessee for the collection of the additional tax by said Department and to provide in said contract that said Department may deduct from the tax collected a reasonable amount or percentage to cover the expense of the administration and collection of said tax.

SECTION 4. In the event the tax is collected by said Department, suits for the recovery of any tax illegally assessed or collected shall be brought against the Finance Director of the Metropolitan Government.

SECTION 5. A certified copy of this Ordinance as passed by the Metropolitan County Council and signed by the Metropolitan County Mayor shall be transmitted to the Department of Revenue of the State of Tennessee and the Davidson County Election Commission by the Metropolitan Clerk. This Ordinance shall also be published one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the area of the Metropolitan Government prior to the election called for in Section 2 hereof.

SECTION 6. If any one or more of the provisions of this Ordinance shall ever be held by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the remaining provisions of this Ordinance shall not be affected thereby, it being the intention of the Metropolitan County Council to enact the remaining provisions of this Ordinance, notwithstanding such provisions which may be held invalid.

SECTION 7. When submitting this Ordinance levying a local option sales and use tax in the area of the Metropolitan Government to a vote of the people in an election as provided in TCA, § 67-6-706, the Davidson County Election Commission shall present the question on the ballot in substantially the following form:

Should the Ordinance of the Metropolitan County Council
increasing the local option sales and use tax in Davidson County
to two and three-quarters (2 ¾) percent become operative?

FOR SAID ORDINANCE ________________________

AGAINST SAID ORDINANCE ___________________

SECTION 8. This Ordinance shall take effect from and after its passage, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Diane Neighbors

Oh, what? You say it doesn't say anything about schools, or senior citizens or propety taxes? I didn't see it either.

So I asked Ben Cunningham for help. He was able to provide a link to the ordinance to provide tax relief to seniors. It's at http://www.nashville.gov/mc/ordinances/bl2005_724.htm

And here is that ordinance.

SUBSTITUTE ORDINANCE NO. BL2005-724

An ordinance establishing the Seniors Tax Relief Grant Program for the purpose of providing assistance to elderly resident tax-payers of Davidson County and to allocate and appropriate the additional sales tax revenue that will be received if the voters approve an increase in the local option sales tax.

WHEREAS, Nashville's strong economy produces increasing values of residential and other real property in Davidson County; and

WHEREAS, this economic strength is expected to continue further increasing property values; and

WHEREAS, this often results in aged persons who purchased real property in Davidson County years ago facing increased tax burdens; and

WHEREAS, aged citizens are often limited in their sources and amounts of income; and

WHEREAS, it is in the best interest of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County that its aged residents are able to remain in their residences, remain in their neighborhoods, and continue to contribute to diverse communities; and

WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County can maintain the diversity of age of its residents, and preserve the role of aged persons in the County's myriad neighborhoods, by ensuring that aged home-owners' net tax burdens do not exceed such persons' ability to pay them; and

WHEREAS, it is anticipated that the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County will enact an increase in the local option sales and use tax, with the same to be approved by the electors, to take effect on or before January 1, 2006; and

WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Government anticipates using twenty percent (20%) of the funds resulting from such tax increase to fund a program for assistance to elderly resident tax-payers of Davidson County and eighty percent (80%) of the funds resulting from such tax increase to be allocated to Metro Schools.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. There is hereby created a program known as the "Seniors Tax Relief Grant Program" for the purpose of providing grants of assistance to elderly resident tax-payers of Davidson County.

Section 2. Program Structure

A. Eligibility. An individual is eligible to participate in the program who:
1. Is at least sixty-five (65) years of age as of December 31 of the year in which the tax is owed;
2. Resides in Davidson County by July 1 of the year in which the tax is owed; and
3. Applies for and receives any tax relief for which they may be eligible from the State of Tennessee, and
4. Pays real property taxes on the individual's primary residence to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County.

B. Amount. The amount of the grant received by an eligible participant will be:
1. The Sum of:
a. The total amount of property taxes, not including penalties and interest, paid by the eligible participant and any co-owner(s) on the primary residence, not to exceed the property taxes due on a property with an appraised value of $200,000;
b. Plus the estimated amount of local sales tax paid by the eligible participant and any co-owner(s);
c. Plus the amount of the motor vehicle regulatory license fee paid, not to exceed the tax paid on one non-commercial vehicle for each eligible participant and any co-owner(s), and not to exceed a total of two vehicles;
2. Less the sum of:
a. Five percent (5%) of the eligible participant's income, and
b. The amount of any other tax relief the eligible participant receives from the State of Tennessee.

C. Income and Co-owners.
1. Eligible Participant's Income. For the purpose of this grant program, the eligible participant's income shall be the income of the participant and any co-owner(s) from all sources, including but not limited to: Social Security (after Medicare is deducted); Supplemental Security Income (SSI); retirement or pension benefits; Veterans Administration benefits; worker's compensation; salaries or wages, interest or dividends (including tax exempt income that may be excluded from adjusted gross income) and any other income that is included in adjusted gross income for federal income tax purposes.
2. Co-owners. A co-owner is one who owns the property with the eligible participant and who also uses the property as his or her primary residence. Having an ineligible co-owner does not prevent an eligible participant from receiving a grant with the amount of such grant calculated as set forth above. In the event both or all co-owners are eligible participants, each eligible co-owner shall receive an equal portion of the grant amount; however, if the eligible co-owners' ownership interests are unequal, each shall receive a portion of the grant amount in proportion with his or her ownership interest.
Section 3. Distribution of Increased Sales Tax Revenue.
A. Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2006. If prior to January 1, 2006 the voters of Davidson County approve an increase in the local sales tax from 2.25 percent to 2.75 percent, the Director of Finance shall allocate for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, the first $12 million in additional sales tax collections to the Senior Tax Relief Grant Program created pursuant to this Ordinance. However, in no event may the portion of total local option sales tax revenue distributed for school purposes be less than 50%, as provided by Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-6-712(a)(1). Said additional funds shall be combined with appropriations for tax relief included in the approved budget ordinance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 and are appropriated for the Senior Tax Relief Grant Program created by this ordinance. All funds received in additional sales tax collections resulting from the increase in the local sales tax to 2.75 percent shall be allocated to the GSD General Purpose School Fund.
B. Subsequent Fiscal Years. For all subsequent fiscal years, it is the intent of the Metropolitan Government to allocate funds received pursuant to this increase in the sales tax rate (exclusive of funds not retained by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County pursuant to Tennessee Code Annotated Section 67-6-712(a)(2)(B)) as follows:
1. 80% for school purposes; and,
2. 20% for grants to senior residents.

Section 4. It is the intent of this ordinance that the Senior Tax Relief Grant Program grants be made during the first calendar quarter of 2006 to assist Seniors in meeting their tax obligations for 2005.

Section 5. The Trustee of the Metropolitan Government is directed to administer the Senior Tax Relief Grant Program in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance and such rules and procedures as the Trustee may establish as provided in this ordinance.

Section 6. The Trustee is authorized to establish such rules and procedures as the Trustee may deem necessary and appropriate for the implementation of the Program, so long as the rules and procedures are consistent with and in furtherance of the foregoing provisions. Rules and procedures adopted pursuant to this provision shall be subject to approval by resolution of the Metropolitan Council.

Section 7. The provisions of this Ordinance shall be subject to annual renewal pursuant to the provisions of Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 5-9-112.

Section 8. All applicable penalties, fines, and interest requirements established by local, state, and federal law, both criminal and civil, shall apply to representations made in order to receive a grant pursuant to this program.

Section 9. The provisions of this ordinance shall take effect upon the certification by the Election Commission that the increase in the local sales tax to 2.75 percent has been approved by the voters of Davidson County prior to January 1, 2006.

Section 10. This ordinance shall take effect from and after its final passage, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Diane Neighbors, Amanda McClendon, Brenda Gilmore

What makes me real nervous is the use of the words "anticipates" and "intent". I've read enough legislation to know that bills say will and shall for a reason. I'm assuming that " intent" is used for a reason also.

It does say "shall" in the bold section above that says it "All funds received in additional sales tax collections resulting from the increase in the local sales tax to 2.75 percent shall be allocated to the GSD General Purpose School Fund."

Would anyone be surprised if the general budget amount that had usually gone to schools was subsequently reduced because the schools will be getting this increased sales tax revenue? Would anyone be surprised if that mean't we couldn't ever really reduce the sales tax amount because the school budget would be impacted?

Finally, would you be surprised to learn that according to Elections Administrator Ray Barrett in today's Tennessean that it's going to cost $450,000 to hold this election? It's enough to make you re-consider a poll tax. Everyone bring a dollar for the collection jar when you go to vote so we can pay for maneuvering by politicans who don't want to be blamed for failing to lead and for pandering to voters and special interest groups.

Keep Nashville Growing

Another group is getting into the Metro Nashville sales tax increase 'for the children' fight. Keep Nashville Growing has set up a website and introduce themselves with:

Founded by Nathan Moore, a local activist and attorney in Nashville, Keep Nashville Growing! is a grassroots organization created to keep taxes low in Metropolitan Nashville / Davidson County.

and further explain:

Keep Nashville Growing! is not an effort to avoid taxation - it is an effort to ensure a fair level of taxation that will not hinder our city's growth, and will not make a future Nashville unlivable for us and our children. From their Accountability page.

and here is their education page which starts with this:

Proponents of the sales tax increase guarantee that 80% of the tax increase will go toward education. What they do not tell you is that under the charter of Nashville's metropolitan government, this is simply not true!

Check 'em out. I always encourage voters to be well-informed. Also make sure you're registered in time and know where and when to vote. Keep Nashville Growing also provides a link to that information here.

In-service to whom?

Pointing out that there is some disconnect between a Metro Nashville's mandatory teacher in-service on poverty and wasting dollars Creative Liberty goes at it with both barrels. Take a minute and ask yourself if you agree this could be done better.

I am sure Ruby Payne has some good things to say about poverty. I can’t imagine that she can hold the attention of the teachers for eight hours…with a few breaks here and there. So, here is what I propose…to fight poverty…don’t support expensive in-services. How much did it cost Metro to get Ruby Payne? How much will it cost for the material to be given to all the teachers? How much will it cost bussing teachers back and forth to this event? How much will it cost on Monday morning when teachers don’t have their classrooms ready to start school? From Creative Liberty.

Sometimes humor is the only thing that gets you through.

Humorist Dave Berry's daughter has just entered kindergarten in Florida and with his first column on the subject containing:

Among the children who will be trudging into Miami-Dade schools on Monday is my 5-year-old daughter, who enters kindergarten this year. When my wife told me the date our daughter would start school, my fifth question was: ``Why?''

(My first four questions, in order, were: ''Aug. 8?'' ''Did you say Aug. 8?'' ''You mean, like, the eighth day of AUGUST?'' ``Are they INSANE??'')

and

Last year, school started in the third week in August; this year it's the second week. If this keeps up it's only a matter of time before we're starting the school year around Memorial Day, which means parents will have to go on their family vacations without taking their actual families, keeping in touch with their children by postcard. (''Dear Dylan -- Disney World is great! Wish you were here! How do you like second grade?'') From the Miami Herald.

I can hardly wait to see how long he manages to put up with it.

(Thanks Elizabeth.)

Just think what's she'd say if she was in Memphis.

A Hamilton County taxpayer and mother sounds off about the public school system there. Flame retardent clothing recommended before you head over there to read the whole thing.

Accountability is what the taxpayers want and deserve. Defending the status quo will no longer be acceptable. I am tired of watching the deplorable graduation rate continue from this system. I am tired of watching kids graduate from this system only to be told that they have to take remedial courses in college. Any elected official who admits that the system is mismanaged but needs more of your hard-earned tax dollars, should be remove from office. Also, Dr. Register, it is time that you quit gaining wealth off of the taxpayers of Hamilton County while our kids pay the ultimate price. Enough is enough. From The Chattanoogan.com

(Thanks to Ben.)

Jabbermeisters, Politicians & Pens

Tennessean columnist Larry Daughtrey's Sunday column seems to maintain that an income tax is not ever going to happen and any attempt at making legislators commit to that is a waste of effort and worse, just a cheap way to raise radio ratings and ensure job security for talkers and their staff. I'm all for making legislators put things in writing for all to see and for accountability purposes later on when, for some reason, they changed their minds. Despite the state Supreme Court ruling an income tax unconstitutional they've made several attempts and I've no doubt they'll attempt it again.

But back to Mr. Daughtrey's column: I couldn't help but drop my jaw at the odd phrase he used at the end of his essay. It does seem to me that this is part of the problem.

Members of the legislature take an oath to "vote without favor, affection, partiality or prejudice" to promote the welfare of the state.

Actually Article X Section 2 of the Tennessee Constitution says the oath shall be:

"I ______ do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as a member of this General Assembly, I will, in all appointments, vote without favor, affection, partiality, or prejudice; and that I will not propose or assent to any bill, vote or resolution, which shall appear to me injurious to the people, or consent to any act or thing, whatever, that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and prvileges, as declared by the Constitution of this state."

Mr. Daughtrey is mistaken--their job is not 'to promote the welfare of the state' it's to avoid injuring the people foremost. Too often politicians think it's their job to protect the government. If it takes signing on the dotted line to remind them why they're in Nashville--bring on the pens.

Well, it's about time!

Isn't this part of what taxpayers and parents have been fussing about for a loooooong time?

They're evaluating the "business" side of their schools — how their funding, staffing and programs are allocated — and sharing information about students across departments so everyone knows what the students need and what's in the works to help them improve.

The goals are simple: get everybody in the school working on the same page, cut out waste and earmark more resources for the teachers and students in those classrooms. From the Tennessean.

And didn't we all know this was required:

However, the new way requires different groups to check their egos at the door and work together.

Another DOH! forehead slapping comment:

One of the side effects is that change can come quickly. The group that looked at needs in Knox County Schools quickly discovered that reading needed to be taught in some high schools but not in all, so it's now offered in the schools that are struggling most.

This is a most welcome change.

Spelling Power

Our children use a spelling curriculum called Spelling Power. It looks like there are a few educators who need to consider utilizing it themselves.

From Bob Krumm (who credits Tn Lib) comes this link to photographic proof that either someone cannot spell or has a very twisted sense of public relations. Like Tn Lib, I doubt it's a clever object lesson. This is the sort of teacher that the union should help to vigoriously retrain or remove from the teaching ranks. The sign is clear and well written, perhaps they should consider sign painting as a new career.

Union v. County Commission & BOE

The Putnam County Education Association sued the Putnam County Commission and School Board over some contract items that the Commission objected to and the State Appeals Court has agreed with the Commission and issued their opinion August 1 of this year.

The Putnam County Educational Association filed this declaratory judgment action contending that Putnam County Commission exercised a line-item veto over the Putnam County Board of Education’s budget, thereby usurping the authority of the Board of Education to administer the schools. The Association also alleged that the Board of Education, by allowing the budget to be implemented without said line-item expenditure, breached its agreement with the Association. The purpose of the action was to restore $30,000 that had been allocated to fund medical insurance premiums for retired teachers to the 2000-2001 budget, which allocation the Association and Board of Education had agreed upon pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-5-612. From the Appeals Court decision.

Those of you with interest in who controls the money will want to read the overview at the Cleveland Herald-Citizen and the actual ruling from the Court of Appeals.

I'll copy a bit of the Herald-Citizen overview here:

Among other statements in the court's written decision are these:

* "The county commission is obligated to levy such taxes as are necessary to properly fund the operation of the county schools; however, it is not required to adopt the school budget as submitted."

* "While the Commission does not have the authority to veto line-item provisions of the school budget, it has the power and jurisdiction to 'alter or revise the proposed budget' by adopting a smaller school budget than submitted."

*"Though the (Putnam) Commission rejected two proposed budgets, it never rejected one part of a proposed budget while adopting the remainder of a proposed budget. A line-item veto occurs when one or more parts of an appropriation bill or proposal is rejected, while the remainder of the appropriation bill or proposal is adopted."

* "The items negotiated (in the teacher contract), which included among other negotiated items the disputed insurance for retired teachers, required funding. The Commission did not appropriate the requisite funds and, therefore, the agreement was never binding."

* "The judgment of the trial court is affirmed in all respects, and this matter is remanded with costs of appeal assessed against Appellant, the Putnam County Education Association."

(Thanks to Ben.)

Comparing NCLB numbers

If you're looking for some way to evaluate these new NCLB scores with previous years, you're in for a convoluted ride and disappointment.

I'm pretty 'net savvy but I ended up calling them (615-741-2731) to get them to help me find any of it. I spoke with a very helpful woman who said she'd been fielding calls from parents all across the state so she seemed to completely understand my plea for a better way. She said she'd pass on my request for a comparison AYP chart for every year to present.

This year's AYP is found at: http://www2.state.tn.us/k-12/ayp05.asp .

So, if you want to find last year's AYP and compare it to this year's AYP try this:

Start at: http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/rptcrd04/
Click on the System Report Card downlink to pick the system you want (Memphis for example) Go to the bottom and click on Next, then Next again, and Next yet again.

That should put you on part IV: AYP (For individual schools that AYP data is at the very bottom). She says is the 2003 AYP data--despite it's not actually being marked 2003. These are obviously not raw numbers just + or - signs. The raw data is a matter of public record according to Ms. McCarter and, at this point, we have to query the individual school or system for that.

Here's their FAQ on Adequate Yearly Progress: http://tennessee.gov/education/nclb/ayp/nclbacctfaq.pdf

Wendy Thomas at the Memphis Commercial-Appeal has a good article about the need for testing for much more practical math skills than solving polynomial equations. Perhaps we ought to seriously consider spending more time on deciphering statistical data as published by the DOE.

Teacher v. Education Union

A Chattanooga area teacher has sued his union because he doesn't like how his dues were being spent. This sort of action is taking place over and over across the country.

A state appeals court has reversed a judge's ruling that a Polk County lawsuit challenging union political spending rules shouldn't be heard.

(snip)

[Teacher Dewey] Esquinance's April 2003 suit challenges union rules that require him to relinquish his membership if he wants to withhold dues the unions spend on certain political issues.The suit contends union rules force the teacher to choose between forfeiting a voice in his workplace and having his money spent to promote "abortion and homosexual rights." From WVLT

This isn't about being for or against an issue, in particular, it's about how membership dues are spent and not forcing folks to choose between their consciences or providing for their families.

Tax Holiday NEXT year

There's some excitement about the sales tax holiday passed by the legislature this year. What isn't really getting out is that the holiday doesn't take effect until NEXT year, August 2006. :-(

Here's the best article so far on the subject from the Shelbyville Times-Gazette:

Sales tax holiday -- a year from now

Friday, July 22, 2005
By Brian Mosely

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that Tennessee will be getting a sales tax holiday in early August.

The bad news is that it won't happen until next year.

Earlier this year, the Tennessee General Assembly passed Public Chapter 398 which established an annual sales tax holiday beginning in August 2006.

The holiday will start each year at 12:01 a.m. on the first Friday in August and ends at 11:59 p.m. on the following Sunday.

During the holiday, clothing with a price of $100 or less per item, school supplies with a price of $100 or less per item; and computers for less than $1,500 are exempt from sales and use tax.

There are a lot more details in the article to include definitions of what is and isn't included and layaway policies . I suggest reading the entire thing.

The good, the bad, and then there's Memphis.

A review of the headlines about the public school scores finds lots of positive headlines and opening paragraphs:

Both the Maryville and Alcoa school system met the federal benchmark of adequate yearly progress (AYP). From the Maryville Daily Times.



Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) received perfect marks for district-wide performance for grades K-8 in 2005 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) results released today, but continues to need improvement in the high schools. From the Nashville City Paper.



All Clarksville-Montgomery County schools have met target levels for the federally-mandated No Child Left Behind law, according to 2005 results released today. From the Clarksvile Leaf-Chronicle.


Lonsdale and Maynard elementary schools, which were once the lowest-performing schools in Knox County, can remove their scarlet letter. From the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

And then, as expected, it begins to turn with this Memphis Commercial Appeal opening paragraph:

As principals at five Memphis city schools today celebrate getting off the state's dreaded "high priority" school list -- five others struggling with three years of persistently low scores hope to avert a state takeover. From Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Here's the detailed list of Memphis schools from the Commerical Appeal which shows 52 schools on the High Priority list and 5 facing state intervention. According the the Knoxville News-Sentinel there are 253 schools that didn't meet the bar. Memphis had 82 of those schools, just about 1/3rd of the entire total for the state.

To compare Nashville had 33 High Priority and only one school facing intervention. That's about 13% of the total.

The best overviews of the whole process seem to be at the Knoxville News-Sentinel and The Tennessean.

My favorite quote may be this one from Bedford County Director of Schools Ed Gray in the Tennessean article: "If they can't read, they don't need to be going to art and music," he said. "That's not a slam on the fine arts, but being able to read, write and do math is more important." He's exactly correct. Majoring in the fundamentals is paramount. It's what taxpayers and parents expect to be the minimum return on their investment.

You can check your own schools at http://www2.state.tn.us/k-12/ayp05.asp.


**Update: The Memphis Commercial Appeal says there were only 242 schools tested. That makes the numbers worse for them and bumps them up another percentage point to 34%.

Looks like 242 is the correct number per this DOE .pdf document.

Apparently Ms. Young didn't get my message

Back on June 5 I reposted something I had sent to the NashvillePTOTalk list last summer this time relating the plight of non-English speaking parents and the school supply lists, specifically one written by a Ms. Young. I'm sad to report the kiosk of lists at my local Wal-Mart contained lists that haven't improved at all. In fact most of the copies were so poor that they were difficult to even read, let alone understand if you don't know what a 'cigar box style pencil box' is.

I had sent copies of that essay to both Metro Nashville Public Schools Director Pedro Garcia and their spokesman, Woody McMillan. I never heard back from either of them. Maybe they sent it to the 'customer service center' to handle.

Memphis School Zone Blog

I was trying to locate the Commercial Appeals article:

85 percent of Tenn. schools meet federal marks
commercialappeal.com (subscription), TN - 3 hours ago
... Of Tennessee's 1,693 schools, there were 242 - 15 percent - that failed at least one of the federal benchmarks for a first or repeat time. ...

(I'm curious as all get out to know how many of those 242 schools are in the Memphis area)

when I ran into their new "School Zone" blog. It's got a slow start but I've no idea if the word is getting out. Poster Harvey Weinberg is pretty peeved about the registration process. He starts politely enough with:

One would think that in an this advanced electronic age there would be a better way to register kids for school than queing up for hours at a time. With 3 kids in 3 different schools a whole day of work is lost to do something that should be able to be done by mail.

but by the end its:

Time for a change in procedure and if the present administration is unable or unwilling to come up with viable alternatives -- maybe it's time for a change of administrations there too!!

He throws in a couple of good suggestions. I hope someone is listening.

(Oh, the 85% article link brings up a blank page at this moment. Stay tuned.)

Dad has a sense of humor.

And because I can, I thought I'd share this article from a Clarksville parent (and newspaper editor) about why they homeschool.

Why do we homeschool? Two words: Square dancing

Christopher Smith

---

This month, homeschooling parents all over Tennessee have to pay homage to big Mother Government and justify their decision to educate their own children.

I guess I don't mind homeschooler registration. It probably keeps a few loonies from hiring out their kids as window washers instead of educating them.

And this sort of thing just comes with the territory. Any time you step outside the norm you have to accept that you've got some explaining to do — to your family, your friends, your co-workers and that clerk at the grocery store who has an opinion on everything except the price of tea on Aisle 5.

But we're not just outside the public school norm. We're also outside the homeschool norm. Most homeschoolers around here homeschool for religious reasons — they're flat out tired of arguing with government bureaucracies about their faith.

That's not us either. Yeah, we're Christians, but that's not primarily why we homeschool.

So why do we homeschool? I'll give you 20 reasons.

1.No one, and I mean no one, has the right to teach my son how to square dance. From the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.

It gets even better. If you haven't laughed today---go read this.

Number 23 comes closest to my own experience:

23.Watching the light bulb go on in your child's eyes when he figures out the concept of division.

Only it was my son's excitement when he was learning to read and pointed at the chalkboard and excitedly shouted "I know that word!" I'm too selfish to share those moments with anyone but their father.

How can this be?

I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around these quite different figures:

The Tennessee Board of Regents is the nation's sixth largest higher education system, governing 45 post-secondary educational institutions. The TBR system includes six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 26 technology centers providing programs in 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties to over 180,000 students. From The Oak Ridger.

And yet--

Tennessee landed among the bottom 10 “dumbest” states in the nation ranked by its public education system, according to a survey just released.

Tennessee ranked 41st, just below Oklahoma and followed by Hawaii, California, Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico.Nashville City Paper.

and

A national study released today puts the state's graduation rate at 57% — much lower than the 71% nationally and a far cry from the 75% reported by the state Education Department. From the Tennessean.

How can that be?

A step in the right direction

About time, imo.

Tennessee school directors could lose their jobs if they fail to report teachers who are let go or resign amid serious allegations of wrongdoing.

The state Board of Education is expected to consider that penalty and other tough steps next month to increase efforts to get rid of troubled educators.

The state wants to track why teachers are released and keep them from moving unchecked from one school system to another.

AND

The state doesn't track the number of educators who resign amid controversy, are denied a teaching license or voluntarily give up a license as part of a conviction or plea agreement.
From the Knox News.

I understand there are probably some fine legal issues to be considered. We don't want to unfairly blacklist anyone. But I'm all for making sure that these folks don't replicate their bad behavior in other districts. Money can be replaced. The safety, innocence and well-being of children will be gone forever. Let's make sure we don't enable these folks to slip back into the system.

The Odds Always Favor the House

It is gambling so we shouldn't be surprised when the House gets to keep most of the money. This morning it's Lottery CEO Rebecca Paul and not Tennessee students that stand to get a huge chunk of change. No nickel slots for her.

The new pay plan covers the fiscal year that started July 1. Paul will have a chance to earn a 65% bonus, meaning she could raise her pay from a $364,000 base salary to just over $600,000 if the lottery's net proceeds increase by 8%. Net proceeds are transferred to the state to pay for scholarships.

and

Meanwhile, the lottery's executive vice presidents can earn as much as 30% of their base pay if the lottery meets its scholarship fund-raising goals. Vice presidents can earn up to 15% bonuses, and most other eligible employees can earn 5% to 10% of their salaries. Members of the lottery's sales staff are paid commissions instead of bonuses.
From the Tennessean.

Maybe if we gave these sorts of incentive bonuses to excellent teachers we'd have even more students actually graduating with solid skills AND attending colleges via scholarships earned the old fashioned way.

Education Reporters

Here's an interesting article from Jay Matthews who managed to get over the initial sting of the criticism and recognize that he could do a better job as an education reporter.

Unfortunately, there is a new study by the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute in Herndon, Va., interrupting my treasured solitude and making harsh judgments about how education reporters like me are doing our jobs. (You can find the study by going to one of the institute's Web sites and looking for the link to Society's Watchdogs.) It says we are leaving readers ignorant of interesting innovations in schooling because we spend too much time and space on the minutia of school board, county council and education department action.

And

They counted the sources in all those stories and found 95 percent -- 1,364 citations -- were from "government/public school-affiliated sources" and only 5 percent, or 74 citations, were not tied to government or public schools. In 261 stories on school funding, the report said, individual taxpayers were quoted only six times and taxpayer advocacy groups were never quoted.

And something we saw in Nashville just recently:

"If the tax collectors choose to raise taxes, tax payers finally learn what the school budget, developed months earlier, means to them. By this time, tax payers also face a united lobby of both tax collectors and tax spenders ready to portray tax payers as the grinches who stole Christmas if they object."

The essay is two pages--so don't miss the second one.

OK, the study was done in VA, but I'm thinking that doesn't let TN ed reporters off the hook. My experience with education reporters has been excellent. I cannot think of one time when I was misquoted or the reporter wrote a story that I had any involvement in that contained serious errors. BUT I have read many education stories where someone should have called me or SOMEONE else to get the other side of the story or some additional perspective.

So I was wondering why it is that these reporters do tend to rely on the government sources? So are these reporters lazy, inexperienced, or resentful that they only got the education beat and so lack the passion that might drive them to do more indepth stories? Not the one's I've spoken with. Are these reporters constrained by editors, time, resources, corporate policy or their own prejudices? How can we "help" them overcome those obstacles so that we all get more complete information?

Visit Nashville Files

Consider clicking over to NashvilleFiles.com, reading The Reformation of Education in America and adding your thoughts to those already there.

It's a conversation that needs to be held. And I'd appreciate reading the thoughts of folks on this subject.

More bits and pieces from the backlog.

It’s not fair! More pouting from school districts over money. This time instead of the small districts whining it’s the big districts.

Davidson County and Memphis City together account for roughly 50 percent of the ELL students in Tennessee.

And

More than 80 percent of students in Memphis City are at-risk, according to Lillard, as are more than 20 percent of students in Shelby County schools.

From the Nashville City Paper

And all this might actually be worth the time and effort IF money were really the answer. It’s not. It’s a tough job, I’ll grant that. But many poor, urban, immigrant flooded schools have proved that it can be done without all the money in the world. Life is not fair. Let's accept that and move on.

Can we agree that there are finite funds? So instead of putting those funds in a classroom we have this discussion about spending $30K communicating with (no not parents or taxpayers) other politicians.

Metro Schools is trying to take a lead in communicating with the public officials responsible for policy that impacts how the system functions and what requirements it must fulfill.

(snip)

However, she [Metro Council education chair Lynn Williams] said, it is important for Nashville’s schools to have a presence on Capitol Hill to make sure the school system is protected, particularly regarding state funding.

From the Nashville City Paper.

I think they’re communicating with the wrong folks. Let’s take that $30K and reinstate the All Schools event, let’s get that customer service office up and running well, let’s institute a system for communicating with parents that reflects the 20^th century better than a crumpled note in a backpack under the gym shorts. Once parents understand what is going on and have them on board they’ll do the work of making sure that legislators and councilmen understand what is needed.

Taking Care of Business:

Using that catchphrase as his theme for a kick-off session that continues today, Schools [Metro Nashville] Director Pedro Garcia urged his administrators to make sure teachers are teaching and students are learning.

(snip)

"Taking care of business means being visible in the classrooms every single day. Taking care of business means you've got to evaluate your teachers. Get your strategic plan ready to go.

"Invite your parents in. Invite the city council into your school," he said. "Let them see what you do, what happens in your school every day. I believe if we take care of little details and be tough every day, we'll have a great year. I'm looking forward to it."

(snip)

"If you want to stop discipline problems in school, then do not allow a kid to get away with anything," Garcia said. "Sometimes it's easier to just look the other way when somebody wears the wrong clothes. Sometimes teachers look the other way when somebody does something in the hallway they know is inappropriate. The reality is, if we follow the broken window policy, we nail every single person. You don't let anybody get away with anything. You deal with the smallest infractions, upfront and right away."

From The Tennessean

I’m not expert, and I’m only wrangling four children, but what I do know is that consistency is important. If you tell a child what you expect and then don’t follow up when they fail to meet that—what you’ve taught them is that it doesn’t really matter at all. When you make excuses for them, don’t expect the best from them, don’t help them to see their value by investing in THEM you’ve taught them that they don’t really matter. They’re not stupid. THIS lesson they pick up very quickly. I hope these principals manage to pick up what Dr. Garcia is putting down and follow through with gusto.

Thought that the numbering of students in Denver was an anomaly? Apparently not. From the St. Louis Today comes this additional information.

"All states in the country are in the process of putting in place a student identification system," said Leigh Ann Grant-Engle, data manager for Missouri's education department.

I don’t recall hearing of this sort of plan in Tennessee. If you do—please speak up.

Cleaning out the inbasket

A potpourri of stuff that I've been meaning to comment on but real life keeps calling me away. :-)

Number Please: The federal government would assign every student in America a number, then follow them from kindergarten to college to work. From Denver Post. (Thanks Ben.)

I thought they already had--it's called a social security number. But apparently, in a admirable effort to actually track our money the feds give students they're considering creating a huge database. Privacy folks should be up in arms. Parents, as advocates for their children should be up in arms. But what do I know. The few times I've ever been to Starbucks and they've wanted my name I've responded "23".

Lottery numbers: Is there a reason that reporting lottery numbers has to be so confusing? There is no way you can read this Tennessean article and figure out what money went where. All I know for sure is that we're supposed to be pleased that 40% of the ticket revenues went to schools. I don't mean to appear greedy but just where did the other 60% go? Is there anyway for Joe Voter to understand whether or not the bureaucracy wasn't eating up too much of this? Wonder how this scholarship scheme would rate at Charity Navigator.

Graduation numbers: At a recent meeting of governors it was agreed by 45 govs that they adopt a standard formula for reporting graduation rates. About time.

Alluding to what many governors said needs to come next, a universal definition for dropout rates, Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee, a Democrat, said state calculations were so incomplete that they often led to "vast disparities," even within a state. From NY Times.

Parents need info. Too bad, so sad. Metro Nashville has decided not to hold their All Schools event leaving a lot of parents in the dark at the very time they need the most illumination--enrollment time. From the Nashville City Paper.

If my own experience in trying to get a hold of Metro Nashville Public School spokesman Woody McMillan is any indication I think the new "Customer Service Center" is long overdue. Communication has been a sore point with this system for some time. I was transferred twice, dumped once and eventually given wrong information. Let's hope this effort works. But it wont' even be up and running until well after school starts, in 'late August'. Try 259-INFO then, In the meantime, you can contact Woody at: 615-259-8404. From Nashville's Channel 5 and the Tennessean.

Numbers enrolled in Catholic schools is up. There's a clue in here for public school proponents.

However, Broekman said that, based on conversations he's had with the families of new students and surveys he's read nationally, students choose a Catholic education for reasons of academics, discipline and safety, and not just faith and character development. From the Tennessean.

Not quite done...but life calls again.

Charles Love: What was on his laptop?

When the "Tennessee Waltz" indictments first came down I pointed out that Hamilton County School Board member Charles Love, a registered lobbyist, could hardly have avoided violating the TSBA (Tennessee School Board Association) code of ethics. Now, Adam Groves at Simply I points to yet another conflict in that, according to reports, Love was using his school board issued computer to do his lobbying business and political campaigns.

Charles Love used his Hamilton County school board-issued laptop computer and his district e-mail account in his private lobbying business, to help with political campaigns and to search for a new job, records show.
(snip)
The Hamilton County Board of Education e-mail policy states that messages sent from school district e-mail accounts "shall pertain to legitimate board/district business" and shall not be used to "promote illegal or unethical activity." The policy also prohibits using e-mail for political campaigns."
(snip)
The analysts also found evidence showing the use of a program called Disk Cleaner, a program that allows users to erase files and other evidence of work on a computer. Mr. Love said he believed the program might have come installed on his computer. From the Chattanooga Times-Free Press.

Did it come installed on his computer isn't the question. The question is did he use the program to hide activities which violate the Hamilton County School Board e-mail policy and the code of ethics for the TSBA?

According to the Times-Free Press article, Mr. Love doesn't plan on resigning from the school board and is looking for employment. Good luck with that. I can't imagine hiring anyone with all this hanging over their head. Once your trust has been tarnished, it takes years and a mountain of effort to earn it back.

Still on simmer: election of superintendents

The election of superintendent's is still simmering.

State Senator Rusty Crowe has received up to 10,000 signatures and countless emails, letters, and phone calls regarding superintendent problems in the Elizabethton, Johnson City, and Washington County school districts.

(snip)

Crowe says he can't ignore his constituents concerns, so in February, he plans to introduce legislation that would allow school board members to choose three candidates and let voters elect who they want to run their school system. From Tri-Cities.com

As I wrote back on June 29, legislation was introduced but not even given a hearing.

SB0217, SB1168, SB1780, SB1897

Maybe this time around the voice of the people will at least be given a chance to be heard.

Theft or fiscal irresponsibility?

Back on June 10 I blogged about the audit that Metro Nashville Schools failed in regard to keeping track of money:

Apparently, the system's culture of lax accountability has filtered down and this morning's Tennessean is reporting that an audit by the State has revealed that some 25% of the schools are keeping such poor financial records that tens of thousands of dollars are missing and unaccounted for. "Poking the Hornet's Nest."

MNPS apparently isn't the only system that needs to spend summer in Fiduciary Responsibilities 101.

The Anderson County district attorney general must determine whether to pursue criminal charges against a former school bookkeeper after two separate investigations by the state Comptroller's Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

However, Anderson County Director of Schools V.L. Stonecipher said this week he's not sure what will happen in the matter - even though more than $1,000 is missing from the coffers at Norwood Middle School. From The Oak Ridger

It's hard enough to persuade taxpayers that you need more money. It's nearly impossible to do so when you can't even keep track of what we've already provided. If a system cannot be relied upon to be 'faithful in small things' I don't know how it can justify asking us to trust in much larger things--like our children.

Dead tree prejudice

Yesterday I blogged about the new Tennessee history website saying it was a good start.

Today the Jackson Sun reveals their lack of understanding of the value of the web when they write:

Tennessee's history is too broad and too diverse to be contained in one Web site. Contained within our history are major figures like Davy Crockett - a well-known politician on the national stage who died fighting for Texas independence - and Andrew Jackson - a renowned Indian fighter who eventually became president of the United States. Everyone knows who these people are.

But what about lesser known figures like William Blount? He played a major role both in the founding of Tennessee and of the United States. Or what about major institutions like the Highlander School? That school helped train civil rights leaders in the mid-20th century, including Rosa Parks. These are things that deserve more coverage than can be contained in a single Web site.

It's the dead tree version that cannot possibly contain the depth of information about our state that would allow teachers to access the information they believe their students need to comply with the state curriculum mandates. It's the web version that isn't confined by publishing deadlines and costs, political correctness or lack of funds to purchase new texts. It's the website that can be updated continually and 24/7 to ensure that students and teachers have access to the most current and accurate information every day, not just every 5 years when the new version comes out. It's the web version that can be most conveniently and quickly added to and reviewed by folks who live in the area and know the subject best. This sort of online curriculum and resource for our students should be encouraged, not quashed, by short sighted editors who 'print' a publication for their livelihood, and based on my use of their website, have very little understanding of how to utilize the tool that is the world wide web.

New Tennessee History Resource for Teachers

Many educrats fuss about unfunded Federal mandates...here's a State mandate that until recently teachers had to meet by their own devises.

When the Tennessee Department of Education ended mandatory semester-long Tennessee history courses for middle school students a few years ago, most history teachers got a lesson in supply and demand.

The state still requires bits of Tennessee history be taught to students at all grade levels, but many teachers are lacking the materials they need to fulfill that requirement.

(snip)

In November 2004, [Bill] Carey joined forces with Web designer Tim Moses and state Rep. Rob Briley, D-Nashville, to lay the groundwork for the Tennessee History for Kids Web site. Carey began gathering information for the site, Moses created a basic design, and Briley promoted the site to state lawmakers.

From the Jackson Sun

I'm glad to see someone take this in hand and provide a logical solution. The site is no where near complete with another 24 of 95 counties unfinished. The counties that are covered are light on information but if folks will consider this a cooperative effort, this could really be a wonderful resource for all Tennesseans. I'd like to encourage this effort. And if I know anything about history and webmastering, it will probably never really be 'finished'.

Of course another resource readily available and tremendously indepth that many Tennessee homeschoolers have been using for years is the Notgrass Company's "Exploring Tennessee". I've known these folks for years and heard them speak. They know their stuff. Yes, it comes from a Christian perspective, but schools are used to excising that so that shouldn't be an insurmountable problem. ;-)

Fundamental schools

I don't think there is a state with more education choice than Florida. And from Florida comes another idea that I believe most taxpayers and many parents can get behind. They're called 'fundament schools'. It's a sort of no nonsense delivery system that requires parents, students and teachers to focus on the core mission--learning.

TAMPA - The elementary school with the top student test scores in the state, located in Tarpon Springs, uses a strict approach. Parents must be involved. Students must behave.

If parents and students don't play by the rules at Tarpon Springs Fundamental School, children can be transferred out.

The school led the state this year in test scores - outpacing more than 1,600 other schools in Florida. Its performance - 100 percent of its kids made the highest scores in writing - makes many schools drool with jealousy.

Now, Hillsborough County public school educators plan to duplicate some elements of the school's unique approach this fall at three elementary schools being converted to fundamental academies.

From the St. Petersburg Times.

The problem with our current system is we have compulsory attendance laws because compulsory learning laws are impossible to enforce. However, attendance alone doesn't begin to guarantee that the child or the parent will do their part and do the work of learning. We've allowed too many excuses for not getting the work done, too often.

It's one thing for the state to provide a free public education. It's another thing for a family to waste the gift by not doing their part. I think lots of parents would welcome the opportunity to place their children in schools that really are focused on the core task and will remove students who obviously are a distraction and worse to this very important mission. Children and family that are serious about the education of their children should not have to put up with those that are not taking their responsibility seriously and inconsiderately sabotaging the education of other children.

When Bay Vista converted from a traditional neighborhood school to a fundamental campus, about 60 percent of its students chose to go elsewhere, Kizner said. The first year Bay Vista was a fundamental school, he said it went from one of the worst schools in Pinellas to one of the 10 best.

That's a powerful testimony about what can be accomplished when you allow folks who don't want to be there to leave. They stop hindering the education of those that are working and the result is that those who appreciate the opportunity for a free education and are willing to work at it are unshackled fromthe dead weight of families and students that cannot or will not cooperate. It is not right, it is not fair, to hamper any child with the baggage of another. Let's consider allowing parents the option of fundamental schools.

(Thanks to Ben.)

Before or after 'health' class?

Right on the heels of the finale of "Dancing with the Stars" where clothing was nearly optional and some of these moves could have resulted in much more than first prize comes this press release from Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Ballroom Dancing Among Physical Education Choices
In Some Metro Nashville Public Schools



NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 8, 2005) – Students in five Metro Nashville public high schools can foxtrot, rumba, cha-cha, and tango their way through physical education classes this upcoming school year thanks to a partnership with The American Dance League of Tennessee, Inc. (ADLT).


The Dance League’s professional instructors will start providing free ballroom dance lessons this fall, teaching classes during regular school hours. These will be integrated into the physical education curriculum as an option to other athletic courses. The program will also extend to after-hour instruction for students interested in advanced and competitive ballroom dance classes.


“We are always looking for ways to make physical education more interesting for students,” said Scott Brunette, MNPS athletic director and PE coordinator. “We want to instill the importance of a healthy lifestyle -- and ballroom dancing will definitely assist with that effort.”


ADLT focuses on grades 6-12, but will work specifically with high school students in Nashville. The program will be piloted at Maplewood High in August and extend to McGavock High, Nashville School of the Arts, Pearl-Cohn Magnet High and Whites Creek High by the end of the 2005-06 school year.
(snip)

I'm all for encouraging lifelong physical activity but somehow I think the teens will be anticipating more Kelly & Alec than Fred & Ginger.

Time to clean schools or house?

It seems, from over here in Nashville, that the Memphis area has a lot of cleaning up to do. I know those without sin... That being understood they could probably start with the cleaning chemical contract that was awarded outside of proper channels. Thaddeus Matthews has details and this admonishment for the Memphis City Schools Superintendent.

Since no one wants to say it, I will, Carol Johnson you screwed up, you have allowed your administration to break the law. District policy REQUIRES board approval for purchases of more than $5000. State law also REQUIRES competitive bidding in such instances. So when our children don't follow the rules, what do you tell them? Don't do as I do, do what I say. Maybe its time for the city of Memphis to investigate what really going on in the system, and find out why some teachers are calling Memphis City Schools, The Minnesota Mafia.

Why can't Johnny walk to school?

There it is on page 16 of the 23 page Metro Nashville Public Schools Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Proposed Operating Budget dated May 3, 2005: $29,783,200 for transportation

That's just this side of: Thirty Million Dollars.

I couldn't believe it when I read it. According to the TN DOE Metro Nashville has 69,445 students. That's and average of $431 and change for every single one of them to just get to the door. That's about 20% of the budget and not one bit of academic learning has occurred yet. OK, I'll grant you there were probably plenty of lessons in socialization going on.

With that $30 million in mind I was interested in this press release from the Tennessee Preservation Trust that contained the phrase: Why can't Johnny walk to school.

As you may know, the National Trust placed Historic Neighborhood Schools on the list of the nation's 11 Most Endangered Places in 2000. In A Community Guide to Saving Older Schools and Why Johnny Can't Walk to School: Historic Neighborhood Schools in the Age of Sprawl, we addressed the myths about renovation of existing schools and that America's older and historic schools are being abandoned due to policies that encourage consolidation and new construction over renovation and continued use.

(snip)

CEFPI's updated guidelines incorporate many community-friendly changes
advocated by the National Trust and others, including significant changes to acreage standards and siting recommendations.

This spring, the National Trust partnered with CEFPI, the National Center
for Preservation Technology and Training, and the US Environmental
Protection Agency to promote the new guidelines to governors, state
departments of education, state historic preservation officers, and
statewide and local historic preservation organizations. CEFPI's web site (www.cefpi.org) describes the new materials, which will help local citizens, elected officials, school boards, and land-use
planners make informed decisions about school renovation and construction.

I loved the turn of the century school I attended for my elementary education. It had character and personality. It was grand and castle-like--just perfect for a young child's imagination. And was actually just three blocks away from my home. There was a small mom and pop corner store where we'd go to buy candy and soda after school. And the neighborhood was small enough that "Mom & Pop" knew us and our families.

I think it has cost us a great deal more than we realize when children are warehoused in efficient and cost effective boxes with tiny windows. When we don't utilize every available building possible. When we only see the money and time involved in rehabbing our history. $30 million is a lot of money. I can't help but think that some of that could be saved if we decided that instead of buying gasoline we invest in neighborhood schools where children can actually walk to school. Call the walk PE and it's a win-win.

Patting themselves on the back.

The local Stand for Children group is patting themselves on the back for their work in pushing through an increase in the education budget for Metro Nashville schools. The following is from their July 1, 2005 newsletter just released.

From http://www.stand.org/tn/metrobudget.asp

In recent months, Stand for Children members wrote over 4,000 postcards and made hundreds of phone calls to Metro Council members, pressing them for a public school budget of no less than $540 million. Members distributed 3,000 yard signs, and gave presentations to PTOs, neighborhood associations, and churches. We helped organize a well-attended rally at city hall and turned out in impressive numbers to seven public hearings and Town Hall meetings.

They also credit their coalition partners:

Congratulations to Stand for Children members and leaders, and to all of the coalition partners advocating for increased funding for Metro Schools: Community Impact, Democracy for America, MNEA, Parents Advisory Council, SEIU, Steelworkers, Tying Nashville Together.

Stay tuned. I predict this was only one battle in a much larger effort that's really only begun. Both parents and taxpayers are beginning to exhibit their frustration at the current public school system and this debate, like a zit before prom, is going to come to an ugly head if school boards and administrators don't get serious about submitting to real accountability and remembering that they are servants not bosses.

Parents are not selfish in seeking the best education possible for their children. They have embraced the educrat mantra that education equals freedom and opportunity and so in the face of a system that isn't meeting their needs they're going to do what they feel they must to ensure their children obtain those freedoms and opportunities. They're not going to continue to accept that if they'll just wait a bit longer the system will improve. They know their children don't have that much time.

Taxpayers are tired of being told that they're selfish when they put the needs of their families ahead of the needs of other children. That only goes so far. Those who are paying taxes to support the public education system and paying for a private education--are not going to tolerate it much longer. They're paying twice and that ain't cool.

Finally, I suggest that those 'coalition' partners that make their money off of the education system tone down there rhetoric, be thankful for jobs at all and actually encourage paying employees based on merit. Great teachers deserve great pay.

This brings to mind the problem with a monopoly. They are not naturally encouraged and so not used to adjusting to market forces and so are stuck with outdated or unnecessary equipment, facilities and even personnel that can be tremendously wasteful but still must be maintained at, sometimes great expense.

[Commissioner Curtis Adams] said some schools should be closed to deal with declining enrollments. Also, he said he thinks too many magnet schools have opened.

''They have started too many programs,'' Adams said. ''What I know is they don't handle the money properly. We need some old-fashioned, tough management.''

Hamilton commissioners and county school board members have openly bickered over county funding for schools.

''We catch a lot of h***, when you talk about raising taxes of 115,000 property owners,'' Adams said.

(snip)

[Joe Dumas, of Signal Mountain, is a member of the Nashville-based Tennessee Tax Revolt], a computer science professor at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, said Hamilton County schools are not underfunded. He said funding has increased and enrollment has dropped.

''I think they are poorly managed,'' Dumas said. ''I think a majority of the citizens just don't trust the people who are running the schools.'' From the Jackson Sun.

I think Mr. Dumas is correct. Until schools start providing clear and unbiased information it will remain very difficult for taxpayers and parents to correctly discern what the problems are, let alone figure out solutions. Until schools quit giving lip service to accountability and embrace their responsibility to prove their needs and accomplishments parties are going to remain at odds.

The power of first person testimony.

Do I need to begin by saying that I believe the Holocaust along with other atrocities such as what is taking place in the Sudan, took place in Uganda and Cambodia and other such places are despicable and are important subjects for students to know about? I think students should be encouraged to stand up for injustice and freedom. However, to spend three and a half weeks on this subject complete with visuals that will imprint in their minds and may be quite traumatic seems very excessive to me. My mother's heart says these are just 12 year old children and this information is overwhelming for adults let alone the tender minds and hearts of children to be focused on for nearly a month.

"Teaching a three-and-a-half week unit on the Holocaust to seventh graders has been Newman’s passion for nearly 20 years." Smyrna Middle School teacher Linda Newman.

(snip)

Reactions to the activity become the first entry in a daily journal they must keep as an outlet for their feelings and thoughts throughout the Holocaust study. From Nashville City Paper.

I pity the child who cannot process this information and the attendant emotion through the written word. I certainly hope that parents will be pre-warned that this discussion will take place so that they can aid their children in working through the horrors of man's cruelty. I hope the next class they go to after these lessons is aware that these students may still be deeply distracted by what they've heard and seen and make accomodations for what may be an altered state.

Recently my children (ranging in age from 17 to 8) and I attended a lecture where a couple of holocaust survivors and a liberator shared their testimony. They didn't have any audio visual backup to jazz up their testimony. They didn't bring in any artifacts for show and tell. However, the simple sharing of their own personal experiences was tremendously powerful and impacting and something I don't think they'll every forget. This is a subject that has come up regularly in our home and I've had the opportunity to share with them the stories of heros of the effort. I've had the chance to let them ask why and how. They've had a chance to process all of this information slowly and piece by piece. They've had the advantage of having a guide through this maze of information and emotions that knows them and knows how much they can absorb without harming them in the effort. They can freely ask questions that won't be hindered by what classmates may think. I'm very thankful for that opportunity and I believe they understand "never again."

A resource we'll be using this summer is a radio theatre production of Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place" produced by Focus on the Family.

This is not a job for the schools or our children.

Maybe I'm missing something here but it seems to me our children have enough to worry about just getting a basic education in math and reading without putting on their shoulders the health of the planet.

Public Works Director Billy Lynch told the Council’s Budget and Finance Committee in June that Public Works intends to beef up its recycling program.

(snip)

Lynch wants to specifically focus on education programs in schools, according to [Public Works Spokeswoman Gwen] Hopkins-Glascock.

“Mr. Lynch believes we need to be more actively involved in our schools, working to educate students about how to recycle and ways they can directly impact their neighborhoods,” Hopkins-Glascock said. “Initially, Mr. Lynch plans to evaluate the role of our recycling coordinators to determine what has been done with school education programs, how effective those efforts have been, and how they can be improved.” From the Nashville City Paper.

Mr. Lynch, may I suggest that you focus on the adults. OK, yes around here the children pull those behemoth trash and recycling containers to what is completely misnamed the 'curb' of our street. BUT it isn't their responsibility to make sure the trash is recycled and to use them as pawns in this effort seems wrong. And what is a child to do when they are caught between two authority figures--one saying we must recycle and the other saying don't bother?

Maybe we need to examine why the adults aren't acting like...well...adults and taking on this responsibility. Why aren't they participating? Is it still not convenient enough? Maybe we need to be charging extra for 'trash' and giving a credit for 'recycling'? Maybe citizens still aren't convinced of the need. It's the adults that need the education and encouragement in this effort. This is not a job for children.