Letter From The Editor
As you are probably already aware, 2018 is a big campaign
year in Tennessee politics. Besides the usual assortment
of state Senate and House seats, this year we vote for
a new governor. With Governor Haslam having reached
the end of his term limit, the governorship is now up
for grabs.
We are proud to have met and spoken with each of the
eight frontrunner candidates, and all agreed to submit
answers to our questionnaire. In addition, Governor
Bill Haslam and Commissioner of Education Candice
McQueen both contributed to this special section
spotlighting the gubernatorial race and what it could
mean for education. In a happy instance of serendipity,
we were also asked to partner on the 2018 Gubernatorial
Forum on Education, which will be televised live on
January 23rd at 7:00PM.
In this issue we also highlight some other new
partnerships and initiatives. On page 6 you can read
Ms. Holmes’s story of how she was able to secure full
funding for her DonorsChoose.org classroom project
thanks to a grant from AMBA & ProEd TN. Flip to page
50 to learn more about The Polk Foundation and its
support of the TN Star Constitution Project and the 917
Society’s mission to supply every 8th grader with their
own copy of the US Constitution.
Following the Gubernatorial Candidate Special Section,
read up on what is currently happening in the education
policy arena. Representative Jay Reedy shares his views
on the problem of sexual misconduct by educators,
especially timely in the wake of the recent report from
OREA and the TN State Board of Education’s efforts to
revamp their disciplinary rules, which is delved into on
the following page by Board member Allison Chancey.
Executive Director JC Bowman offers insight on the
federal-level issues of national school food programs
and a SCOTUS case being heard in February that may
have ramifications for teacher associations nationwide.
Join the Advocacy email list to
stay up-to-date on legislative
developments thoughout the
coming months. We love to
hear from you too! Call, email,
or come by the Nashville office
to see us. Stay warm this winter!
Audrey Shores, ProEd COO
TREND
The Official Publication of Professional Educators of Tennessee
JC Bowman, Executive Editor
Audrey Shores, Editor
P ro E d BOARD
S tate O fficers
C athy K olb , P resident
T im C hilders , V ice P resident
K arolyn M arino , S ecretary
K im B levins , T reasurer
B oard M embers
N atalie B each
D ewey E squinance
A ngela M arkum
K aren S troud
P enny S utton
P ro E d STAFF
JC B owman , E xecutive D irector
A udrey S hores , COO
M ike S heppard , A ssociate E xec . D irector
B ethany B owman
D ir . of P rofessional L earning
K aren S troud
M ember S ervices C oordinator
B o C arr , M ember B enefits R epresentative
A shley B asak , A dministrative A ssistant
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.
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