Urban legislators object to Bredesen’s teacher pay plan
NASHVILLE (AP) — Several legislators representing urban areas object to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposal to equalize teacher pay between rich and poor school districts, saying it’s unfair and could lead to another lawsuit against the state.
The objections came as the bill implementing Bredesen’s plan — which would be the first fundamental change to the state’s funding formula for K-12 education since it was created more than a decade ago — was presented Tuesday to the House Finance Committee.
The state is under an order by the Tennessee Supreme Court to equalize teacher pay between poor and rich school districts. The court has held the state’s funding formula unconstitutional on three occasions, most recently in October 2002.
The governor’s proposal would put more money into teacher salaries, defining the cost of a teacher as $34,000 a year.
It would shift more money into poorer areas and to rapidly growing school districts. For example, Rutherford County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, would receive $5.5 million in teacher equity and benefits, while schools in neighboring Davidson County would get just $305,000.
“This bill puts me in a quandary,” Rep. Rob Briley, D-Nashville, told his colleagues on the committee. “I could easily vote against it because it means a net loss for my county, but I believe it’s in the best interest of the state to get us out from under this lawsuit.”
If nothing else changes, it would be seven years before teacher salaries in other school districts increased enough so that Nashville schools would get additional state money for salaries, officials told the committee Monday.
“Somewhere down the line if these same school systems are not compensated, what goes around comes around and it wouldn’t surprise me if these urban school systems sue the state,” said Rep. Tim Garrett, D-Goodlettsville.
Urban legislators also argue the governor’s proposal doesn’t account for many of the unique situations schools in their districts face that make higher teacher salaries necessary. That includes difficulty recruiting teachers for inner-city schools and a larger proportion of special needs, at-risk and non-English speaking students.
“I’d like to see us make those things … a priority, because they’re something a system like Metro bears the brunt of,” Briley said.
Bredesen based his plan on eight of 10 recommendations made by a task force he appointed. One of the two he left out would have particularly benefited urban districts by giving more resources to help educate at-risk children.
State education officials say the administration is “biting off a little piece (of the problem) at a time.”
“We acknowledge the fact that some systems will not generate additional revenues, and we’re already looking at other things going forward” to help them, said Tim Webb, an assistant commissioner for the Education Department.
Not all committee members were disappointed with the plan — particularly those representing the poorest of school districts.
Rep. Johnny Shaw, whose district includes portions of urban Madison and rural Hardeman counties, said he favors the bill because people from rural counties often travel to more urban areas to spend money.
“These counties deserve to get some of that money back because we’ve been suffering for a long time,” he said. “Yes, we could be in for another lawsuit, but we came out pretty good on the first one so I’m in support of this legislation.”
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Read HB3510/SB3397 at Tennessee General Assembly: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/