TREND
The Official Publication of Professional Educators of Tennessee
Trend (ISSN #04) 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.
ProEd STAFF
JC Bowman, Executive Director
Jan Forman, Associate Director
Samantha Bates
Director of Member Services
Bethany Bowman
Director of Professional Learning
Audrey Shores
Director of Technology & Communications
ProEd BOARD
State Officers
Cathy Kolb, President
Karen Stroud, Vice President
Karolyn Marino, Secretary
Tim Childers, Treasurer
Kim Blevins
Dewey Esquinance
Jill Pittman
Mike Ridenour
Penny Sutton
JC Bowman, Executive Editor
Audrey Shores, Editor
Letter From The Editor
There are many great things to explore in this issue, from legislation to professional learning. Our Spring interview highlights the new Commissioner of Education, Dr. Candice McQueen, who has brought a new energy and sense of openness and cooperation to the Department o Ed.
The 2015 General Assembly Session brought multiple controversial initiatives to the forefront. While the push for vouchers was heavily influenced by special interest groups from outside our state, this bill was again defeated due to strong opposition from Tennessee teachers and associations. Some new provisions were passed that will help alleviate the pressures of evaluations and testing. For detailed information on education bills that passed and failed this year see the 2015 Legislative Review. To stay abreast of the latest developemnts as new legislation begins to be drafted or next year sign up for the ProEd Advocacy email list.
Have you registered yet for Leader U 2015? This is a great opportunity to earn 6 PD credits and meet educators from across the state during a fun and exciting one-day professional learning conference. If you are traveling from out of town don't forget to check out the special hotel discounts at leaderutn.com and attend the Friday night reception.
We are excited to introduce the new Career Center! As a member, you can create and save resumes by signing into your memer portal, making applying for positions a breeze. Non-members can also search for open positions, and district employees and administrators seeking candidates can join for free as Job Posters to manage postings and search resumes.
We hope you enjoy this latest issue of TREND and encourage you to share it with your friends and fellow educators. There is information here for all educators and interested members of the community, not just ProEd membes. Please contact us with any questions or concerns - we love to hear from you!