Teacher Appreciation Week
It is Teacher Appreciation Week May 5-9, and students and parents throughout Loudon County are sending in treats and notes of thanks to local educators. It is ironic this week falls at the very time County Commission is asking the Loudon County Board of Education to trim some $3.4 million from the school budget. It is almost certain that our teachers will not receive any sort of pay raise this year. From comments and faces at a recent budget meeting, it is obvious our teachers do not believe they are appreciated.
There has been talk that there are too many teachers in our schools. I challenge anyone who believes that to come spend a day with us. Just try to find one person in a school not working hard each and every day. Unfunded federal legislation (No Child Left Behind) demands that local school systems show equal academic gains among all subgroups of their student populations. This is a lofty goal and well-intended. No one in this profession wants to short change a child when it comes to education. With little federal monies forthcoming, this lofty goal has placed an enormous economic burden at the local level. School systems across the country are wrestling with the same issues as Loudon County, but many of these systems have a “leg up” because they have been incrementally increasing the school funding stream over an extended period of time. Not so in Loudon County.
It is quite depressing to those of us who spend 10-12 hours every day in our schools to hear some local pundits and politicians say we are overstaffed and undeserving of the money needed to run our school system. Yes, every budget has room to trim, and each year we do this. That is why most schools do not have art and music, why air conditioning systems have been put on hold, and why all student subgroups are not performing at the same levels. We have cut our budget. Can the same be said for the County?
For those of you interested, take a comparative look at per pupil expenditures across East Tennessee. Loudon County spends $7,145/per student in a state where the average is $7,794. Remember, that the state average ranks in the bottom 10% of funding on a national level. Lenoir City spends $7,569, Blount County $7,336, Anderson County $7,724, Monroe County $7,246, Roane County $7,578, Sevier County $7,787, and Knox County $7,732. Even Hancock County spends $8,599 on students! We would be thrilled to just receive the average per pupil expenditures! How about this — can we just have funding equal to Lenoir City?
As a Loudon County resident, I sympathize at the thought of higher property taxes; however, I also know we have had it much better than the majority of Tennesseans over the past several years. It is time for us to pay our fair share. Our educators are working long hours and getting remarkable results. Based on test scores (www.education-consumers.org) Eaton is ranked 17th in the state and Highland Park is 32nd. Taxpayers and students are getting A+ results for D funding.
Our students are our greatest resource. Our teachers help our students develop into responsible, learned citizens. We need to show both groups we recognize their value and adequately fund our school system.
Add comment May 5th, 2008
