Letter From The Editor
You may notice that the Spring / Summer issue is a little lighter than normal . Due to a relatively slow legislative session , we opted not to do a heavy bill review issue this year . In campaign years many legislators are apt to avoid contentious issues and most legislation deals with more mundane matters such as cleaning up language of existing legislation or fine tuning the final versions of bills that were put on hold from the previous session .
In early 2018 , we spent some time working with the State Board of Education and other stakeholders to advance stronger and clearer rules against sexual misconduct by educators . The individuals who commit such acts not only cause irreparable harm to the affected students , but to the profession as a whole . A school should be a safe haven for children to learn and grow , and we should all be working together to protect the students within their walls . You can read more about the rule changes and accompanying legislation on page 6 .
A perennial hot topic the past few years , TNReady and the transition to online assessments once again created waves with another round of difficulties . While most are in agreement that online testing is the inevitable path of the future , Tennessee continues to struggle moving forward . In TNReady : Where Do We Go From Here ? we review what happened this time and the steps the legislature and Department of Education have taken to forge a path forward and avoid further pitfalls .
This issue also includes contributions from Commissioner McQueen , with How Our Schools Are Leading the Way for Tennessee ’ s Future , and Senator Tate on Achieving Equity Through Literacy .
Did you miss the 2018 Leader U conference on June 1st ? Check out the highlights on page 16 and remember to check the learning portal later this summer for videos of each session . Members automatically have access to the portal , along with all of the other great benefits of membership described on the following pages . We are also looking for more Local Leaders and encourage all members to participate in the Each One , Reach One fall campaign .
We hope that you ’ re having a beautiful summer and getting in some much deserved relaxation . As always , we ’ re only a phone call or email away if there is anything you need !
Audrey Shores , ProEd COO
TREND
The Official Publication of Professional Educators of Tennessee
JC Bowman , Executive Editor Audrey Shores , Editor
ProEd BOARD
State Officers Cathy Kolb , President Tim Childers , Vice President Karolyn Marino , Secretary Kim Blevins , Treasurer
Board Members Natalie Beach Dewey Esquinance Angela Markum Karen Stroud Penny Sutton
ProEd STAFF
JC Bowman , Executive Director
Audrey Shores , COO
Mike Sheppard , Associate Exec . Director
Bethany Bowman Dir . of Professional Learning
Karen Stroud Member Services Coordinator
Bo Carr , Member Benefits Representative
Ashley Basak , Member Engagement Coordinator
Trend ( ISSN # 10 ) is electronically published quarterly in fall , winter , spring and summer with a focus on the Issues , Ideas and People shaping education in Tennessee . We advance the profession by offering a modern approach to teacher representation and educational advocacy , as well as promoting professionalism , collaboration and excellence without a partisan agenda . There is no attempt to influence any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to candidates for public office . The opinions expressed in this publication represent the beliefs , views or attitudes of the contributor whose name appears in the article and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Professional Educators of Tennessee or our members . Subscription rates are included in membership dues for members of the association ; non-members may secure an online version of the current online magazine for $ 25 a year . Trend may contain paid advertising contracted for / by the Association . Advertising rates may be obtained by sending a written request , either to the address listed below or by email . Professional Educators of Tennessee reserves the right to refuse advertising contrary to its purpose . All rights reserved . Permission to reprint , in whole or in part , without permission is prohibited . Permission will customarily be granted if the author and the association are properly cited .