Monthly Archives: July 2020

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Waiver Request

Williamson County School Board member Eric Welch took to Facebook to announce the district is asking Gov. Bill Lee to waive TNReady testing requirements as well the 180 day attendance and 6.5 hour instructional day mandates.

Here’s the post:

Superintendent Golden has submitted a letter to Governor Bill Lee formally requesting waivers of certain statutory requirements for the 2020-21 school year.

Williamson County Schools is urging Gov. Lee to ensure that the district, schools, teachers and students are held harmless from testing requirements and accountability measures and to waive TCAP tests, Including but not limited to TNReady assessments, English learner assessments, alternate TCAP assessments, and EOC exams.

WCS requests a waiver of the 180 days of classroom instruction requirement. We recognize many students may need to be absent due to quarantine or illness, and we may find it to be in the best interest of the students and families to shorten the school year.

WCS also requests a waiver of the 6.5 hours instructional time each academic day. WCS can continue to provide rigorous education while teaching scope & sequence without requiring teachers and students meet in a remote setting for 6.5 hours each academic day.

WCS Parents, other Williamson County residents and Tennesseans across our great state that have an opinion on this matter and wish to share it with Governor Lee may do so through his office at:
https://www.tn.gov/governor/contact-us.html

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BEP Headed to Trial

Tennessee’s funding formula for schools, the BEP, is going to trial next year. Chalkbeat reports that a Nashville judge has scheduled a trial in case claiming the state funding formula is inadequate. That trial is set for October 2021.

Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle set the long-awaited trial date during a conference call last week with attorneys in the case. The litigation pits school districts in Memphis and Nashville against the state over whether Tennessee allocates enough money for K-12 education, especially for its urban students.

The trial’s outcome could have major implications for how Tennessee public schools are funded. If successful, the case could force the state to invest more in K-12 education, which already consumes about $6.5 billion of the state’s $39.6 billion budget.

https://tn.chalkbeat.org/2020/7/15/21326022/judge-sets-trial-date-for-tennessees-5-year-old-school-funding-lawsuit

A recent report from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (TACIR) found that Tennessee underfunds schools by around $1.7 billion a year.

Comprehensive Review
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Nashville Goes to Florida

Metro Nashville Public Schools has already announced plans to start school completely online. Now, the district has confirmed it will use the curriculum of the Florida Virtual School for the entire year. More from Fox17:

 Metro Schools confirmed that students will use the Florida Virtual School curriculum during the entire 2020-21 school year.

“Will students use the Florida Virtual School curriculum all year? Yes,” Metro Schools tweeted. “K-12 students will use the Florida Virtual School curriculum for online classes as well as for in-person classes when it is safe to return.”

https://fox17.com/community/back-to-school/metro-schools-florida-virtual-school-curriculum-will-be-used-during-entire-school-year?fbclid=IwAR1WVmTH7Ng9Z9K4X1BZE7fu1yZ1sMg3JwdwTE2o7TEgUEkVGsPRpi5jvwI

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Almost Inevitable

That’s how Tennessee’s Commissioner of Health describes the likelihood of COVID-19 infections in Tennessee’s schools as districts across the state prepare to resume classes in a few weeks.

Fox 17 in Nashville has more:

Like many Tennessee parents, Dr. Piercey works hours away from her home. She believes it’s “almost inevitable” that COVID-19 will creep into schools, so this school year is about predictability for her.

“I want them to prioritize in classroom instruction,” Dr. Piercey said. “Another thing that’s important to me is I want there to be in my children’s school and in every school, a systematic methodology of what to do when things happen. Let me guarantee you, things are going to happen. There are going to be infections in the school, whether it’s students or staff or both. It’s almost inevitable.” 

MORE> https://fox17.com/news/local/tennessee-health-commissioner-its-almost-inevitable-covid-19-will-infect-schools?fbclid=IwAR1CsnPYPXGYNYP2q-A9SI6iWEWCAK44PI8gklpnm4UQQVMeg2pd-N6m_7c

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Disclaimer

At least one Tennessee school district is asking parents to sign a waiver of liability for any issues arising from COVID-19. Here’s that document:

UPDATE: In a tweet, Dr. Tim Parrott, Anderson County Director of Schools, says the disclaimer is ONLY for athletic participation in the summer while school is not in session.

PARROTT:

Not everything on social media is the truth. The waiver you have referenced was only for ATHLETICS during the time that schools are not in session in the summer. It has never been part of the plan to have any student or staff member sign the waiver to attend school.

What is your district doing? Have you been asked to sign a waiver? Let me know at andy@tnedreport.com.

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So Essential They’re Not Worth a Raise

Teachers: They are “essential employees” but just aren’t worth giving a raise. That’s the message from Maryville as reported in a recent article in the Daily Times.

Maryville’s reopening plan designates all staff members “essential critical workers” and allows them to continue working following a potential COVID-19 exposure if they are asymptomatic and follow guidelines such as wearing a face covering for 14 days.

Winstead said that the provision is designed to allow schools to operate with enough staff if there is exposure to a child with the coronavirus.

But also note:

Faced with funding and other uncertainties as classes are about to resume for the first time since the pandemic, the Maryville Board of Education voted Monday, July 13, to rescind a planned raise and spend about $128,000 to disinfect buildings.

The article notes the raise was cut as a result of the state reducing salary funds to the district. At Gov. Lee’s urging, the General Assembly eliminated all salary increase funds from the BEP (the state funding formula for schools).

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Education Coalition Calls for Mask Mandate

The Knox County Education Coalition released recommendations for returning to school amid COVID-19 and they include a requirement that students and staff wear face coverings while inside school buildings and on buses. Here’s more from WVLT:

The Knox County Education Coalition released an open letter on reopening recommendations for Knox County Schools Tuesday afternoon.

The open letter was addressed to the Superintendent, Knox County School Board, County and City Mayors and the Health Department.

The recommendations from the Education Coalition stated all students, teachers and staff should wear face coverings or masks on buses and inside buildings.

Knox County Schools will release its reopening plan on Wednesday.

MORE: https://www.wvlt.tv/2020/07/14/education-coalition-recommends-all-students-and-staff-wear-face-coverings/?fbclid=IwAR0E0FV_wmZnYDOzFfUinzH8R7vDVCRABDfMMLEGvsJpHRma36eoNzsHcF4

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Walsingham Calls for Federal Investment in Education

In an interview with the Johnson City Press, 1st District congressional candidate Blair Walsingham noted she’d like to see more federal dollars flow to public schools.

Basic income, educational programs and modern vocational training will increase opportunity.

We need to focus our resources on improving our infrastructure, educational system, eliminating health care deserts and expenses, and providing a universal basic income to all Americans. 

Read more: https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/news/walsingham-believes-tax-dollars-should-be-invested-in-education/article_99c394da-c216-11ea-a549-8b28102eac11.html

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Can You Waive COVID-19?

Apparently, some teachers are concerned that school districts may ask them to sign waivers releasing the district of liability for COVID-19-related illness. The Tennessee Education Association has some advice should that happen:

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Educators and Coronavirus/Liability Waivers
My district is asking all employees to sign a waiver releasing it from liability related to the current pandemic. I do not want to sign the waiver, but I cannot afford to lose my job, nor do I want to lose my rights. What should I do?
Ideally, members should not sign any sort of waiver of their legal or contractual rights that they do not fully understand and voluntarily agree to without first speaking to their UniServ coordinator or local association leadership for guidance. If necessary, local leadership or UniServ will involve TEA Legal so members can be advised of their rights with respect to signing the waiver before being required to do so.
In the event a directive to sign a liability waiver does not afford an opportunity to have the content of the waiver reviewed by the Association prior to signing, members facing the real or perceived threat of reprisal should consider signing the waiver with a handwritten statement including the following concepts adjacent to their signature:
1) The signature appears as the result of the directive and is not voluntary; or
2) The signature does not constitute consent to the terms of the waiver, nor should it suggest the full extent of the waiver was understood at the time the signature was made.
If an educator is required to sign a waiver and is not provided a copy of the signed waiver, educators should follow up with their administrator via email and ask for a copy.

Here is a waiver from a Florida school district:

If you’ve been asked to sign a waiver and have a copy, please email: andy@tnedreport.com

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You Down With PPE?

Tennessee’s largest organization representing teachers is calling on all school districts to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) if or when schools resume operation. Here’s more:

TEA calls on every Tennessee school district to provide personal protective equipment, all necessary sanitation supplies, and enough support professionals necessary for maintaining the safest possible teaching environments if or when students and educators return to public schools. 

The move comes just weeks before school is slated to start in many Tennessee districts. It also comes amid a continued spike in cases of COVID-19 in the state.