Thread: I put a post on the SPEAK Facebook page this afternoon asking for teachers who wanted to talk about what teaching during COVID is like. It was last minute, but 15-20 teachers showed up on Zoom to share their experiences at 8:30 PM.
They are exhausted, they are stressed, their load is 3 times what it has been in past years. They are doing the jobs of teacher, nurse, social worker, custodian, and IT specialist.
As the parents are learning the technology too, the kids and parents text, email, or call teachers all day until 10 pm-and they are even OK with that...and then they talked to me from 8:30-10:30 PM.
They are learning new technologies and platforms, many that don't speak to each other so it doubles the work. Many with kids in class and online at the same time.
It is the hardest year for teachers in modern history and they will be evaluated using a measure they cannot possibly succeed at because of social distancing and other COVID protocols...and they lost a promised raise.
AND DID I MENTION THEY ARE MAKING LESS MONEY THAN THEY DID 20 YEARS AGO!
Their work load is triple and they worry about whether or not the kids are getting it? Are they doing it well enough? The teachers aren't getting lunch and they aren't getting a planning period.
They feel very isolated as they are not able to share meals or anything together. I know its tough for everyone, but please remember the stress these folks are under.
Bless our teachers! Give them the raise they deserve, end high stakes evaluations for KIDS and TEACHERS this year, and do a 4 day week with kids and 1 day plan. It gives the kids and parents a break too!
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Hey Tennessee friends, here are some things to remember about voting in November, especially for new voters and new to TN voters!
We are about 3 weeks away from the last day to register to vote for the November election. OCTOBER 7th is the last day to register to vote if you plan to vote in November!
You do not register to vote by party in Tennessee. This is a GENERAL election and you vote for the person you believe to be best for the job and no one knows how you vote unless you tell them. This is different than a PRIMARY election where you choose a Dem or GOP ballot.
Early voting begins October 16 and goes through October 31st. Early voting is the easiest way to vote because lines are shorter and you can show up at any of the voting locations in your county, regardless of where you live. It is also a big help to candidates if you early vote😉
Since it’s #LaborDay2024, I want to talk about a couple I met Saturday in Mountain City. They had kids and struggled to make ends meet on the salaries they earned in Mountain City. The mom wasn’t working because she couldn’t make enough in TN to afford childcare while working.
She was able to go back to get a degree so she could get a better job, yet there were no jobs in her town/state with better salaries. She still couldn’t work in TN and afford child care.
She and her husband both go to jobs in other states. One drives an hour to work in Boone, NC, the other drives 45 minutes into Virginia each day. VA’s minimum wage is $12 an hour instead of the $7.25 in TN.
I don’t know y’all, but it seems a certain election administrator may have 💩 and fell back in it? Seems he may be operating outside his statutory authority.
These intimidating letters inviting citizens to remove themselves from the voting rolls could be incredibly scary to those who don’t realize this is just another unAmerican GOP scare tactic to keep them from exercising their right to vote.
1 of Knoxville’s election commish got the letters at home as her husband & his son are from France. Her husband has been a citizen since 2016 and if Goins checked the records in the code cited above, there would be no need to send the letter…but I believe she sent him one😉
I ended up having an education day today. We met with the school board and listened to their concerns and needs. It was surprising how many bills we have that will affect them that most folks are unaware of.
One that is particularly concerning is about Charter schools getting first dibs on decommissioned school properties. wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/…
It’s concerning for many reasons, mostly because tax payer dollars and the LEA will be used to bring these buildings up to standard. Another Rep from Knoxville said I was wrong, but here is the bill language.
“there is a strong relationship between wage levels and criminal behavior, which explains why, over the past 20 years, crime rates for young men have increased while their wages have decreased.” nber.org/digest/nov97/h…
Studies show raising the wage lowers crime. The TN supermajority refuses to raise the wage.