In a sweetheart deal, Metro Plans Sale of Ben West Library to TEA Union.

Plans involve adaptive reuse of the building, preserving its architecture and original educational purposes and a sweetheart deal that subsidizes the purchase by teachers union.

 Metro Press Release, 5/5/2016, NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Metro officials are nearing completion of

a sale of the Ben West Library to the Tennessee Education Association (TEA), which will allow for the renovation of the facility in a way that preserves the history and architecture of the building and allows for public use.

“When I found out that TEA, which represents so many of our great public school teachers, was interested in purchasing the property, I was excited about the opportunity,” said Mayor Megan Barry. “This is a win for historic preservation advocates, public school advocates, and the city of Nashville as a whole.”

In the proposal submitted to Metro, TEA plans for the first floor of the building to function as a large auditorium, meeting, and display space for use by students, teachers, and others involved in education. TEA will preserve the second floor theater for similar educational purposes. As part of the deal, TEA will make the Ben West Library Building’s proposed conference and event space available to Metro Schools 50 days each year for meetings and events, plus 12 days extended to Metro.

“We are excited to have a collaborative partnership with Mayor Barry and Metro Nashville to ensure that the Ben West building is preserved in a way that will serve as an important resource for teachers and public schools across Tennessee,” said Jim Wrye, government relations manager with the Tennessee Education Association.

“Once renovations of the building are complete, we will be able to move our annual TEA convention from Franklin to Nashville, which is great for our members and will be an economic boost for the city.”

Terms of the sale of the Ben West Library include: $2 million to the McLanahan heirs in order to satisfy terms of the deed restrictions on the original property. $2 million to Metro Nashville, $750,000 of which will be paid at closing, with $125,000 per year for 10 years. Estimated $8,500,000 in renovations by TEA to create a “state of the art” facility for use by Metro Schools, teachers, educators and Metro. Total preservation of the historic building, with no modifications to height or façade. A total investment of TEA in the amount of $12,500,000. Purchase of the Ben West Library will coincide with the successful closing of the sale of the existing TEA facility at 801 2nd Ave North.

My comment:  This is a sweetheart deal and the teachers union is not a good sweetheart.  We should not be so closely aligned to a union which stands in the way of educational reform. Why did this property not have to go to auction or be sold through a listing? Is $4 million really fair market value?

Also, allowing TEA to pay what it owes to Metro, $2 million, over 10 years, means that Metro is basically acting as a lender on this deal (subsidy). At 4% interest, the current value of $4 million spread over 10 years is $4.86 million. I hope this deal gets close scrutiny from the Metro Council. I don't know if we are selling the property for less than what it is worth or not, but we must be or part of the deal would not include allowing Metro Schools use of the building.

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Beacon Center Offers Teachers Assistance to Opt Out of Their Union

Poll Headlines National Employee Freedom Week Effort to Educate Union Employees About Rights

NASHVILLE – In celebration of National Employee Freedom Week, the Beacon Center of Tennessee will be running a week-long public awareness effort, which will focus on giving teachers across the state the information and resources needed to opt out of their union.

“The teachers’ unions continue to make the process of opting out difficult and complicated,” said Beacon CEO Justin Owen. "We believe opting out should be simple, and we are here to help clarify the process for those teachers who would rather keep their hard-earned money than give it to an extreme, far-left organization.” Owen noted that the states’ union has advocated for a state income tax along with other views completely out of the mainstream.

A new poll shows that 81% of Tennessee residents support allowing union employees to leave their union without force or penalty, a concept generally referred to as right-to-work. This poll was released as part of National Employee Freedom Week (NEFW). The full results of the poll, released yesterday, can be found here.

This poll headlines the activities of NEFW, which runs from August 10 to 16, 2014. NEFW is a coalition of 77 organizations in 44 states that are conducting widespread outreach to inform union employees about their rights to opt out of union membership. 

Unions often do as little as is required by law to inform their employees that they have the right to opt out. But as previous NEFW polling illustrates, over 33 percent of those in union households want to leave. Therefore, educational efforts similar to what Beacon is doing this week are absolutely necessary to inform and educate union members about their workplace rights and empower them to make the decision about union membership that's best for them.

The Beacon Center empowers Tennesseans to reclaim control of their lives, so that they can freely pursue their version of the American Dream.  

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Bottom line, TEA does not want real accountability for student outcomes.

From TN Edu-Independent:

[surprise] Observations the most inconsistent...

I have a little value-add, pun intended, to this piece, but it is good on its own:

Teacher Dismissals Under New Evaluation Systems by Russ Whitehurst and Katharine Lindquist at Brookings (Brown Center).

Referring to new teacher evaluation systems in states:
"...these evaluation systems are strikingly better than what they replaced: slapdash approaches involving a couple of classroom visits by a building principal for some teachers in some years that resulted in virtually all teachers being classified as high performing."

I agree. The new teacher eval systems in place in many states, including TN with TEAM, are a big improvement over what we had previously.

Regarding the effectiveness of these new eval systems:
"Our report concluded that, in general, the evaluation systems we examined do a decent job of distinguishing teachers based on characteristics of classroom performance that predict how teachers will perform in subsequent years"

I really think TEA's actions represent a deeper values fight as I've written in a previous post.

What I think TEA is really after is getting rid of any sort of professional performance management system of teachers. Value add is the angle by which they're trying to bring down the entire credibility of the TEAM teacher evaluation system (this playbook is playing out in other states as well).

If they're able to throw out the value add component, it's easy to throw out the rest of the teacher eval model or render it useless.  It'd be back to the days of old: "slapdash approaches involving a couple of classroom visits by a building principal"...

Read: no real accountability for student outcomes.

Whitehurst and his team are actually finding the value added component of the new eval systems is not the most problematic. It's the more subjective, qualitative teacher observation component:

"At the same time, we identified flaws in the evaluation systems that need correction.  The most troublesome of these is a strong bias in classroom observations that leads to teachers who are assigned more able students receiving better observation scores.  The classroom observation systems capture not only what the teacher is doing, but also how students are responding.  This makes the teacher’s classroom performance look better to an observer when the teacher has academically well-prepared students than when she doesn’t."

I think there are legitimate concerns about school wide value added components being derived for non-tested subjects (subjects like PE, music, art). Yet TN's TEAM system has worked to develop alternate value added models for some of these subjects. So far they've developed one for Fine Arts and World Languages, with PE in the works.

My point is the state seems to be proactive in working on this concern. Contrast that with the lawsuit happy TEA, who hasn't mentioned a single thing about fidelity of classroom observations (being completed by teachers and principals themselves, often TEA members) or proposed alternate solutions to value added measures in non-tested subjects.

"The bias in classroom observation systems that derives from some teachers being assigned much more able students than other teachers is very important to the overall performance of the teacher evaluation system.  One of the consequences of it not being addressed is that teachers who understand how the system works and value high evaluation scores will do their best to be assigned to schools with high ability students, and within schools will do their best to get assigned the best students."

My point is this: I don't see a "solutions oriented" approach from TEA in their public actions. If they don't like the current eval model with value added (which they helped construct and signed on to) - then what's a legitimate proposed alternative?

I would say it needs to have student test data in there, to act as a check and balance against the qualitative observation side - so that there are independent measures of student growth and achievement in the model to either confirm or deny what the teacher's observation scores are saying.

If I saw any action from TEA around fidelity for the qualitative observation component, I'd have more confidence that they really believe in the value of a teacher performance management system and accountability for student learning outcomes.

It's troubling that the observation component of teachers for an evaluation system is resulting in some of the greatest disconnects of teacher scores vs. the actual skill of that teacher.

From where I'm sitting, I don't believe TEA leadership a value of accountability - they would rather not have a performance management system for teachers.  With no accountability for the adults in education, that's not going to fare well for students and their learning.

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Update: How do Nashville teacher's salaries really compare?

If you repeat a falsehood often enough people will accept it as the truth. The Tennessean in its editorial today in support of Karl Dean's proposed tax hike said, "Without a new starting salary of $40,000 for teachers, Nashville will continue to lose talented educators to districts (including 29 districts within Tennessee) that already pay more — at a time when Metro’s 80,000 students are just beginning to raise their level of educational achievement."

Yes, 29 districts do pay more. Twenty-nine of 133 districts pay more. That is 21% pay more. Nashville teacher starting salary is in the top 22% of all school districts. That is not that bad.

How much more do they pay? The one immediately above Davidson County in the ranking pays $119 more in starting salary. The next seven who pay more, pay less than $500 a year more. Not much difference.

Where are these better paying districts? Only one, Murfressboro City is this vicinity.  Others are Memphis which and Sevierville and Maryville and districts over 200 miles away. Several including Bristol, Johnson City and Kingsport are more than 300 miles away.

Nashville starting teacher salaries are competitive with starting salaries of middle Tennessee school districts. There are a lot of reasons people choose to live and work where they do. I do not believe we are losing talented educators to other districts, If we are, it is not due to starting salaries.

Please look at the chart below for a actual comparison of starting salaries. This information is available to the Mayor, the Director of Schools and the Tennessean. Why will they not tell the truth.

How do Nashville teacher's salaries compare?

 posted 04-14-2012

The Director of Schools is proposing that Nashville's starting teacher salary be raised to $40,000. That is going to be the one thing that will push a tax increase. Police and Fire and a few other departments want more funding also, but the biggest thing pushing a tax increase will be an increase for education. It will be "for the kids." 

Everyone would like more money but Nashville's starting salary for teachers is not out of line. If you look at the chart below, of Tennessee's 133 school districts there are 29 that pay more and 102 that pay less. I do not thing being in the top 30 of 133 is a bad place to be. 

The argument for raising starting salary is that we need to pay more to attract the good teachers. I really doubt that that many teachers would choose to teach in Memphis over Nashville just for the salary difference. There are other reasons people live and work where they choose to live and work. 

Also worth noting is that the salary difference between districts in many cases is very small.

I have highlighted in yellow the school districts surrounding Davidson County. Except for Murfressboro City Schools, we pay the highest.

Tennessee Education Association
Tennessee School Systems Profile Rankings

Ranking of Scheduled Salaries, Bachelor's Degree Minimum 2011-2012
Rank	System				Salary			Rank	System				Salary			Rank	System				Salary
1	Memphis City			$	41,310			47	Robertson County			$	33,576			92	Maury County			$	32,459
2	Shelby County				41,062			48	Sumner County				33,550			93	Greene County				32,441
3	Bristol City				37,870			49	Haywood County				33,537			94	Macon County				32,397
4	Johnson City				37,240			50	Houston County				33,525			95	Elizabethton City				32,374
5	Lebanon SSD				36,836			51	Stewart County				33,513			96	Alamo City				32,365
6	Tipton County				36,710			52	Tullahoma City				33,440			97	Overton County				32,324
7	Paris SSD				36,645			53	Warren County				33,437			98	Trenton SSD				32,253
8	Kingsport City				36,533			54	McKenzie SSD				33,385			99	Carter County				32,242
9	Manchester City				35,997			55	DeKalb County				33,376			100	Smith County				32,238
10	Bradley County				35,805			56	Huntingdon SSD				33,352			101	Jefferson County				32,051
11	Franklin SSD				35,571			57	Loudon County				33,344			102	Union County				32,044
12	Dayton City				35,525			58	Rhea County				33,312			103	Morgan County				31,974
13	Lenoir City				35,524			59	Decatur County				33,303			104	Lawrence County				31,940
14	Oak Ridge City				35,519			60	Washington County				33,285			105	Lewis County				31,862
15	Maryville City				35,306			61	Crockett County				33,265			106	Jackson County				31,845
16	Cleveland City				35,272			62	Dickson County				33,261			107	Grundy County				31,802
17	Meigs County				35,140			63	Coffee County				33,220			108	Humphreys County				31,758
18	Montgomery County				35,118			64	Lincoln County				33,171			109	West Carroll SSD				31,723
19	Roane County				35,085			65	Henderson County				33,166			110	Humboldt City				31,706
20	Athens City				34,981			66	Benton County				33,153			111	Campbell County				31,685
21	Murfreesboro City				34,968			67	Grainger County				33,148			112	McNairy County				31,664
22	Clinton City				34,916			68	Hamblen County				33,136			113	Giles County				31,641
23	Alcoa City				34,913			69	Lake County				33,041			114	Bledsoe County				31,586
24	Fayetteville City				34,900			70	Madison County				33,040			115	Union City				31,550
25	Rogersville City				34,823			71	Moore County				33,013			116	Hawkins County				31,510
26	McMinn County				34,810			72	Carroll County				33,006			117	Chester County				31,476
27	Sweetwater City				34,652			73	Weakley County				32,950			118	Scott County				31,450
28	Sevier County				34,600			74	Newport City				32,945			119	H-Rock-Bruceton SSD				31,448
29	Etowah City				34,593			75	Richard City SSD				32,885			120	Perry County				31,443
30	Davidson County				34,474			76	Lexington City				32,871			121	Marion County				31,390
31	Rutherford County				34,456			77	Bedford County				32,855			122	Trousdale County				31,257
32	Marshall County				34,413			78	Johnson County				32,814			123	Cocke County				31,230
33	Polk County				34,203			79	Cheatham County				32,770			124	Cumberland County				31,107
34	Hamilton County				34,198			80	Hardeman County				32,756			125	Bradford SSD				31,089
35	Sequatchie County				34,160			81	Milan SSD				32,752			126	Fentress County				31,076
36	Anderson County				34,155			82	Bells City				32,714			127	Claiborne County				30,970
37	Fayette County				34,128			83	Obion County				32,695			128	Oneida SSD				30,795
38	Greeneville City				34,097				Wilson County				32,695			129	Cannon County				30,688
39	Putnam County				34,092			84	Gibson County SSD				32,686			130	Van Buren County				30,680
40	Hickman County				34,065			85	White County				32,680			131	Hardin County				30,536
41	Williamson County				33,950			86	Unicoi County				32,677			132	Wayne County				30,282
42	Henry County				33,854			87	South Carroll SSD				32,661			133	Clay County				29,680
43	Dyersburg City				33,800			88	Blount County				32,582				Hancock County				29,680
44	Franklin County				33,790			89	Dyer County				32,566				Pickett County				29,680
45	Knox County				33,770			90	Sullivan County				32,561
46	Lauderdale County				33,617			91	Monroe County				32,558
																	Average				$33,287

Source:	Tennessee Education Association, Survey of Local Annual Salaries for Classroom Teachers, 2011-2012

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Maggart Still Prefers Collective Bargaining Ban

 May 10, 2011

Despite her recent move to revert to a weaker version of a ban on collective bargaining among Tennessee teachers, she said she'd still prefer to fully ban collective bargaining.



Tennessee State Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, says a plan to ban collective bargaining among teachers may have 50 votes in the House, but if it doesn't it, the two chambers may have to hash their differences out.

House Reverts to Scaled Back Collective Bargaining Plan

by Andrea Zelinski on May 11, 2011

House Republicans are, for now, sticking with a bill that limits labor union influence in teacher contract negotiations with local school boards.
But even though House Bill 130 doesn’t entirely eliminate formal collective bargaining, Democrats suspect that’s the direction things are headed once the bill reaches the House floor.
A House Education Committee voted 11-6 Tuesday to advance a measure that restricts the issues teachers’ unions can haggle with school districts over. The unions could negotiate issues such as pay, benefits and working conditions but could not bargain over issues including merit pay — for example, when teachers get paid extra to work at troubled schools.(link)

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Every child deserves a great teacher

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Mike Turner: "Gov. Haslam, if you're listening, please stop this terrorism against our teachers."

Mike Turner: "Gov. Haslam, if you're listening, please stop this terrorism against our teachers."

What? Mike, Mike, please tone down the rhetoric. "Terrorism?"  That is not helpful. No one is sitting off car bombs outside the teacher's lounge. No one is fire bombing teacher's homes. No one is assassinating teachers. No one is beating up teachers.

Terrorism? We are talking about ending collective bargaining rights for public school teachers and ending guaranteed lifetime employment and such things as that. You may disagree, but is that terrorism against teachers? Most people do not have those benefits. To curtail these privileges so we can have educational innovation and and get rid of bad teachers and advance good teachers is hardly terrorism. Is it?

Here is a common accepting definition of terrorism: The calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear.

Now Mike, Governor Haslam seems like a nice man. If someone was committing terrorism against teachers, I am sure it would not be with the approval of Governor Haslam or within his power to stop it. You are implying that this supposed terrorism you see  is being done with Haslam'a approval.

Mike, I am sure that when the adrenaline is flowing and you are speaking to a cheering crowd it is easy to let yourself get carried away and say things that you really did not mean to say. Maybe you wish you would have chosen your words more carefully.

Mike I hope your constituents will help you see the errors of you way and let you know they do not appreciate such inflammatory rhetoric. They can contact you at 301 6th Avenue North Suite 17 Legislative Plaza Nashville, TN 37243, Phone (615) 741-3229, rep.mike.turner@capitol.tn.gov and do so.

Mike, what you are doing might incite violence. Now, the teachers at the event on Saturday, while passionate, did not look like they were that prone to violence. Most of them looked like .... Well, they looked like teachers. However, some of those union steelworkers and the pipe fitters looked a little dangerous. Please don't incite them to violence.

Mike, I think you owe Governor Haslam and the people of Tennessee an apology for your use of inflammatory rhetoric. Please, in the future do not further inflame passions. As an elected leader you should act more responsibly.

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