Category Archives: Williamson County

Posted on by

Welch Campaign Announces Endorsements in Williamson County School Board Race

This story about the Williamson County School Board race first appeared on NewsBreak:

Eric Welch today announced a slew of endorsements in his campaign for re-election to the District 10 School Board seat in Williamson County.

Welch is the incumbent representative for the 10th District seat on the Williamson County Schools Board of Education. He was first elected in 2010 and has served three previous terms on the school board, including an appointment by the County Commission in 2017 followed by another successful general election campaign in 2018. Eric’s children attended FSSD and graduated from WCS high schools, where he was active in the PTOs and Booster clubs including multiple leadership roles in these parent organizations.

In announcing the endorsements, Welch noted his appreciation for the support of individuals from across the educational spectrum in Williamson County.

“I’m extremely proud and humbled to have the support of so many individuals that have been a part of making Williamson County synonymous with the best schools in Tennessee, and among the very best nationally,” said Welch. “I look forward to continuing to represent and advocate for our kids and families for another term on the Board of Education as the 10th District WCS School Board Representative,” said Welch.

A group of 13 former Williamson County School Board members said in a statement they believe Welch is the right choice to continue serving District 10 on the Board of Education.

“We believe in the high value of great public schools.  As members of the Williamson County School Board, we had the distinct honor and privilege to serve our great community with Eric Welch during our individual tenures.  Eric is an effective communicator, a careful listener, and an informed, thoughtful decision-makers who interacts with others with the greatest care, respect, and professionalism.  He models the highest standards of personal integrity and performance, always.  Eric’s previous School Board experience, outstanding character, and tireless commitment to Williamson County Schools and the community at large make him the best choice to continue the tradition of excellence for Williamson County Schools.  We are proud to support Eric for the District 10 Williamson County School Board seat.”

Former Board members backing Welch include:

Pat Anderson, District 8 & WCS BOE Chairwoman (2002-14)

D’Wayne Greer, District 1 (2004-12)

Ken Peterson, District 1 (2012-15)

Janice Mills, District 2 (2002-14)

Janine Moore, District 3 (2007-2012)

Anne McGraw, District 4 (2015-18)

Brad Fiscus, District 4 (2018-21)

Terry Leve, J.D., District 6 (2006-12)

Cherie Hammond, District 6 (2012-14)

Dr. Bobby Hullett, District 7 (2012-2018)

Susan Graham, District 7 (2008-12)

Barry Watkins, District 9 (2005-2011)

Vicki Vogt, District 12 (2010-14)

Welch also announced the backing of a number of former PTO leaders, including:

Pat Anderson, PTO President Franklin High School

Michelle Behan, WCS PTO Leadership Council & PTO President Chapmans’ Retreat Elementary, Allendale Elementary, Summit High School


Susan Graham, PTO President Scales Elementary, Brentwood Middle, Brentwood High School


Cherie Hammond, WCS PTO Leadership Council & PTO President Ravenwood High School

Sabrina Kronk, PTO President Franklin High School

Janine Moore, PTO Trinity Elementary, Page Middle, Page High School

Stacy Parish, WCS PTO Leadership Council & PTO President Allendale Elementary & Bethesda Middle

Ken Peterson, PTO President Westwood Elementary School

Debbie Roth, WCS PTO Leadership Council & PTO President Woodland Middle & Ravenwood High School


Shelly Sassen, PTO President Centennial High School

These leaders issued a statement saying:

“We enthusiastically endorse Eric Welch for Re-Election to the Williamson County Schools Board of Education.  Eric has a servant’s heart and has been a faithful volunteer in the WCS and Franklin Special School District for nearly two decades.  We have witnessed his dedication to and advocacy for Williamson County Schools and all its stakeholders: students, staff, and supporters.  He leads by example and that leadership is needed back on our Board of Education.”

Finally, the campaign announced the support of former school system leaders and education organization leaders including:

Dr. Michael Looney, Past WCS Superintendent of Schools and 2016 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year


Dr. Donna Wright, Past WCS Assistant Superintendent for Middle & High School Education and 2020 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year

Denise Goodwin, Past WCS Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education

Tim Gaddis, Past Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment

Leslie Holman Judd, Past Assistant Superintendent of Finance/CFO

Kevin Fortney, Past Director of Facilities and Construction

Dr. Alicia Spencer Barker

Robin Newman

Tim Stillings

Kevin Townsel, J.D

Matt Magallanes

Dr. Richard Ianelli

Eric Welch

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

Williamson County Parent Group Speaks Out on Book Bans

Williamson County parent group OneWillCo spoke out this week on the issue of book banning and giving authority the State Textbook Commission to ban books in public school libraries.

Here’s more from a press release:

In light of the state-wide polling that shows that Tennesseans are opposed to book bans, the co-founders of One WillCo, Revida Rahman and Jennifer Cortez, speak up about their ongoing work in Williamson County Schools. One WillCo works to support equity, representation, and safety in schools for students of all races and backgrounds.

“Just like the majority of Tennesseans, at One WillCo we believe that whatever our color or background, we want our children to have an education that tells the truth about our shared history,” said Revida Rahman, one of the founders of One WillCo. “Unfortunately, we are at a point where there is a loud minority of people who are trying to silence voices and ban books that tell the truth in an age-appropriate way. When I see leaders trying to censor the truth of our history, passing laws to ban learning from the mistakes of our past and to erase leaders–even those like Martin Luther King, Jr.–who stood up to racism and changed our country for the better, I am discouraged. But seeing the results of this polling and knowing the majority of Tennesseans agree with us that book bans are not the way to move forward, we are energized to continue to join together, speak up at school board meetings, and do the hard work of ensuring that every student, no matter their race, is able to feel safe in school and receive a high quality education that allows them to feel seen, heard, and represented.”

“From our work in Williamson County we know that the vast majority of parents and educators agree that our students need to learn the truth about our history so we can learn from the past and create a better future together,” said Jennifer Cortez, one of the founders of One WillCo. “And thanks to this polling, we know that the majority of Tennesseans across the state agree with us. Students miss out when we attempt to whitewash our history, or worse yet, to perpetuate myths about what has happened in our country surrounding race. Even many of our lawmakers lack a basic understanding of much of our nation’s history surrounding race; we were never taught it. Today’s students, and students of future generations deserve to know the whole story of our nation’s history, even the parts we wish we could erase. Only an honest education will prepare our children for the future, equip them with the knowledge they deserve, and help them better understand the lives, cultures and experiences of different people. Not only does this provide our children with a high quality education, it also creates an environment where students of all races feel represented and safe.” 

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

What Does Moms for Liberty Want?

Williamson County School Board member Eric Welch provided an analysis of the agenda of Moms for Liberty on a Twitter thread recently. Then, he outlined the reality of the curriculum selection/textbook adoption process in Williamson County and highlighted an alternative text proposed by Moms for Liberty – all in a public meeting of the school board.

Here’s video of Welch discussing the manufactured controversy driven by parents who often don’t even have kids in public schools:

https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1496506170449833989?s=20&t=Mz2PnHsiv99ELr9YlSR5mg


For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

Cardoza-Moore in the House?

It seems that Laurie Cardoza-Moore is interested in becoming a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Here’s more on Moore:

Laurie Cardoza-Millions!

Her business model?

Well, her 2017 IRS 990 form offers some insight.

That year, Moore’s group – Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN) raised just over $1 million.

What’d she do with the cash?

Well, she paid herself $130,000. Then, she paid her husband’s business $67,000. There was a business “office expense” for occupancy at just over $49,000. She runs PJTN from her home, so that means she’s paying her mortgage with the cash. That’s $200,000 in payments to Moore and her husband, and another 50,000 a year to cover their mortgage. Then, there’s another $26,000 paid to Moore as an “occupancy expense.” Oh, and there’s $41,000 on “meals and entertainment.” Finally, her two kids received a total of around $2000 from the organization for “contract labor” that year.

Peddling ignorance is quite profitable, it seems. After all, that’s just one year of her “thriving” business.

And there’s also this:

Is This Who We Want on the Textbook Commission?

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today renewed its call for Tennessee to drop consideration of anti-Muslim activist and possible 9/11 truther Laurie Cardoza-Moore to that state’s Textbook and Instructional Materials Quality Commission. Cardoza-Moore leads the Franklin, Tenn., group Proclaiming Justice to the Nations (PJTN).

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

A Call for Local Control

The Williamson County school board voted unanimously to oppose Gov. Lee’s plan to allow charter schools to bypass local school boards and appeal directly to Lee’s state charter commission.

That Lee continues to aggressively push a privatization agenda should come as no surprise:

SHOCKING!

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

A Child of Fear

Students in Williamson County spoke out against censorship at a recent school board meeting. The move is likely preemptive as groups like Moms for Liberty seek to have books removed from school libraries and/or curriculum.

The Smackdown with Eric Welch

Here’s footage from the board meeting:

https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1496199268306194437?s=20&t=pzXV-dIN-lindI63kiIkeA

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

1000 Cuts

A Williamson County teacher explains what it is like to be a teacher in Tennessee right now:

https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1494768171294863362?s=20&t=HdIBTWSPVC6Z8btGFt1UlA

Of course, the legislature is responding in the only way they know how:

Temporary Insanity?

This type of attack has been going on for more than a decade now:

Do We Really Have to Do This?

Make no mistake. These cuts are intentional. The forces of privatization are using all the tools to erode the teaching profession and set public schools up to fail. The nail in the coffin will likely be a new state funding formula that paves a path for a voucher scheme.

The BEP Voucher Plan
food man people woman
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk on Pexels.com

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

The Smackdown with Eric Welch

Wherein a Williamson County School Board member takes Moms for McCarthyism to school:

Keep reading – it’s pretty great!

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

Williamson County Schools Approves Mid-Year Pay Increase

Last night, the Williamson County School Board unanimously approved a mid-year pay raise for teachers and staff. If approved by the County Commission, teachers will receive a 3% raise and hourly staff will see a $1/hour pay increase, effective January 31st. The unusual move of raising pay for teachers and staff mid-year is happening because of severe teacher and staff shortages. The district currently has 71 teaching openings.

Williamson Strong live-tweeted the meeting and provided the key stats:

The move in Williamson County comes as districts across the state struggle with teacher retention issues exacerbated by the pandemic.

The Teacher Shortage Crisis is Here

The move is also happening while Gov. Bill Lee and state policymakers examine Tennessee’s school funding formula. So far, that has not resulted in a serious discussion about dramatically raising teacher pay. In fact, this story highlights the level of priority placed on teacher pay in the state:

The current state minimum salary schedule for teachers sets the minimum salary for a Tennessee teacher at $38,000.

A Tennessee teacher with a bachelor’s degree would need to work for 10 years in order to achieve a mandated minimum salary above $44,000.

Now, however, brand new correctional officers will earn more than teachers with 10 years of experience. Yes, corrections officers deserve a raise.

It will be interesting to see what districts across the state do in 2022-23 and beyond to improve salary and working conditions for teachers and if the state’s new funding formula provides any help in this arena.

abundance bank banking banknotes
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.

Posted on by

A Plea for Teachers

Williamson County school advocacy group Williamson Strong posted a plea for residents to take action to urge policymakers to improve teacher pay.

Here’s what they posted to Facebook relative to the teacher shortage and staffing crisis:

· URGENT: We’re hearing multiple reports of a massive teacher/staff exodus from WCS.

YOU have the power to fix this. If you can’t be loud for this, don’t complain when your kid’s teacher doesn’t show up on Jan. 5th. What did you do to advocate for them? Starbucks and Target gift cards 1-2 times a year aren’t going to cut it.

Do you know your county commissioners’ names? You should. They approve the budget that pays for your children’s school staff salaries. (PS They also get “free” health insurance for a *very* part-time job, which is rich when our teachers have had their benefits cut short.)

If you’re a WCS parent, you know all about the staffing shortages in our schools this year. Many kids don’t have a science teacher, math, foreign language, special ed, etc. – and they can’t find enough subs to cover every day. Cafeteria workers, bus drivers, SACC workers, the things we’ve all gotten numb to hearing about because we think it’s normal to not have them in place.

It is *not normal* to ask parents to work the school lunch lines serving food.

But it’s about to get worse, starting THIS month. WCS teachers & staff are opting for early retirement or moving to other districts for 3 reasons from what we’re hearing:

1. Better pay. WCS is not competitive with Metro, for starters. Yet many of our young teachers live in Nashville (sure can’t afford to live here on those salaries in this housing market!) with tough commutes (especially with our ridiculously early start times in middle/high school) because they want to teach in WCS, despite the lower pay. Our kids are awesome. Everyone says that.

2. Benefits. Our retirement health benefits are not competitive with surrounding districts, and teachers start to figure that out as they have more experience and start thinking about retirement down the road.

3. The parents can be pretty tough here. We’ll leave it at that, but the insane abuse of the last 1.5+ years directed at teachers, staff, and administrators has many at a breaking point. (Stop being mean to school staff. Seriously. Cut it out.)

WHAT CAN WE ALL DO?

The County Commissioners are beginning their budgeting process right now. And they’re the ones holding the purse strings! They all love to say we can’t afford to increase our school budget, 85%+ of which goes towards salaries – because although we may be one of the wealthiest counties in the entire COUNTRY, we can’t find the money for teachers even at the state average, much less the national one. It’s beyond shameful.

DEMAND that the Commission fix this. They have the power. Literally! They know how to solve this, don’t let them tell you otherwise. You, the voters, are their constituents. You’re their boss.

Tell them to pay our teaches what they deserve, and if not? We’re all going to elect new County Commissioners who care about teachers come August. Every single one of them is up for re-election in 2022, and they’re going to start campaigning any month now.

And School Board members? Tell them the same. They should be kicking and screaming about this issue (instead of howling over curriculum like some of them are doing, month after month.) Priorities are showing. Half of them are up for election in 2022 as well.

Email them all. Today. Every day. Tell your friends to do the same. If you can’t find time to do this, don’t complain when your child’s teacher quits and leaves….when there’s a new face there in January, or they just have rotating subs every day or week.

Don’t complain if you don’t do your part to fix this. YOU are the constituent. YOUR tax dollars pay for teacher salaries. Tell the people who set the budgets how you want those dollars spent.

It’s a crisis. What we’ve been in national headlines for lately? NOT a crisis. Stop being distracted by the noise and let’s collectively start fighting for our educators.

cardboard illustration of paper money and coins on blue background
Photo by Gabby K on Pexels.com

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.