The

AdvocateAdvocate Report Analysis: Teachers Aren’t Overpaid After All A recent report from the Heritage Foundation and American Enterprise Institute, Assessing the Compensation of Public School Teachers, claims that public school teachers are paid 52 percent more than fair market rates. While attention-grabbing, this contention is based on a faulty assessment that relies on “an aggregation of spurious claims” to make its case, according to a Think Twice review released in late January.

The Heritage/AEI report pits the wages and benefits of teachers against those of similarly educated and experienced private-sector workers and concludes that teachers are overpaid. But in his review of the report, Professor Jeffrey H. Keefe of Rutgers University’s School of Management and Labor Relations, finds that it rests on a series of flawed and one-sided assumptions and sloppy statistical analyses.

Using these assumptions, the authors stand normal conclusions on their head. While the straightforward evidence suggests that teachers are undercompensated by about 19 percent compared with their non-teacher peers in the workforce, the report concludes that they are instead overpaid by more than twice that percentage.

Central to the original report’s argument is the claim that teachers are less intelligent than other workers of comparable education and experience. The report bases this claim on the lower scores of teachers on the Armed Forces Qualifications Test (AFQT). Yet the AFQT is simply not an intelligence test. Further, the authors claim that AFQT scores alone can be used to compare teacher and non-teacher populations. But that conclusion relies on a data sample that’s too small to provide any meaningful long-term analyses or conclusions, Keefe points out.

In fact, “measured cognitive ability is correlated only weakly with wages and explains little of the variance in wages across individuals and time,” Keefe writes. That is, people aren’t generally paid based even on a valid IQ test; they tend to be paid based on factors such as their preparation, skills, reliability, knowledge, and experience. “The only reliable comparison in this report is its starting point: there is a 19 percent [compensation] penalty for teachers.”

Other statistical missteps in the report include its erroneous calculations for benefits costs, both during

KCEA Officers

President Sherry Morgan

Secretary Jennifer Owen

Treasurer Tanya T. Coats

Past President Jessica Holman

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Executive Board Representatives

Support Personnel

Peggy Thomas

High Schools

Jason Gulledge Chad Negendank

Middle Schools

Karen Peterman Kim Waller

Elementary Schools

Judy Barnes Tiffany Watkins Heather Wallace Joan Washington

Alternative Schools Amy Arnold

Administration Brad Corrum

Minority at Large Sherry Hensley

Parliamentarian Paula Brown

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TEA / NEA East TN Minority

Paula Hancock

TEA-FCPE, Dist. 4 Bill Bell

NEA Resolutions Anthony Hancock

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KCEA Office UniServ

Jon White

Admin. Assistant Abbie Hoover

employment and after retirement, which leads the authors to contend that benefit costs for teachers amount to more than their salary costs, thus more than doubling teachers’ overall costs. Keefe’s review explains why this is “a claim that cannot be reasonably supported.”

The review, produced by the National Education Policy Center with funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research and Practice, also uncovers in the report a significant miscalculation that doubles the supposed monetary value embedded in the customary “summers off” work schedules of teachers. The report also asserts, notwithstanding recent widespread teacher layoffs, that teachers enjoy a substantial benefit of disproportionate job security, and the authors then proceed to pull, out of thin air, a monetized value of this asserted benefit.

Keefe warns that the Heritage/AEI study isn’t merely useless, but that it could lead to “headline-grabbing claims of dramatic overpayment of teachers” that, in turn, will result in ill-informed and harmful policy decisions that further undercut support for public education.

“Any discussion of teacher compensation should be based on high-quality evidence,” Keefe warns, adding that “this report does not advance that discussion.”

“Teachers have been under constant attack by conservative think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute,” said Teri Battagliery of the Great Lakes Center. “This latest attack could result in more budget cuts to education, reduced pensions, unproven merit pay schemes and privatization of public schools. It’s important that policymakers base their decisions on sound research, not junk science from partisan think tanks like Heritage and AEI.”

Think Twice, a project of the National Education Policy Center, provides the public, policy makers & the press with timely, academically sound reviews of selected publications. The project is made possible in part by funding from the Great Lakes Center for Education Research & Practice.

THE ADVOCATE ELECTION EDITION - APRIL 2012

Heather Wallace for Vice-President

Heather is a 2nd grade teacher at Lonsdale Elementary School where she has been for 11 years. She has taught 2nd grade for seven years and taught 5th grade prior to that. Heather also has one year of experience teaching at Karns Intermediate in the 5th grade as well as one year teaching high school English and journalism at Union County

High School. Heather has been a member of the Association since she did her undergrad work at Lincoln Memorial University. She has a BS in Liberal Arts and Human Development and an MA in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee Technological University. Within the KCEA, Heather has been on various committees and has held several offices. She has been on the KC-PACE since 2008 and was chosen as chair of the committee in 2011. Heather has served on both the TEA and KCEA Instruction and Professional Development Commissions since 2009. Heather was appointed co-chair for the 2010-2011 school year and chair for the 2011-2012 school year of KCEA’s IPD. Heather served on the Human Relations committee from 2008-2010. She has also been on the budget committee for KCEA since 2010. Heather is a mom of two young boys: a middle school student and a toddler. Heather and her husband, Greg, have been married over 14 years. Heather juggles many hats between her personal and professional life. She wants to add another hat to her collection as she runs for the seat of Vice-President for KCEA. Please vote for Heather Wallace (Hat Lady Extraordinaire) for Vice-President of KCEA.

Evelyn Gill for Vice President

I have been actively involved with the Association for the past nine years including serving as a High School Board Member and past member of the Executive Board. I have also served on the Sick Bank and Membership committees.

Presently, I serve as chair, Minority Affairs Committee, and am a member of the Knox County Political Committee for Education (KC-PACE) the Constitution and Bi-Laws committee, and currently serve as Association Representative at Carter High School.

I have been honored to serve as both TEA and NEA delegates.

Chad Negendank for High School Representative

I have taught in the Knox County Schools for seven years and have been an active Association member, beginning with my STEA membership in 2005. I became more involved in my local association as the legislative attacks escalated last Spring and am now an Association Representative for Fulton High School.

I bring to the table my history of organizing and activism on the UT campus and specifically my experience in helping to build a union for University employees. I look forward to serving the interests of high school teachers in the Knox County Schools.

KCEA Candidate Biographies

THE ADVOCATE ELECTION EDITION - APRIL 2012

Connie Mitchell for Alternative Schools Representative

I have been a special education teacher in Knox County Schools for 23 years. Currently, I am serving as the Building Representative for Ft. Sanders School. I have been an Association Representative for three years and look forward to representing alternative schools on the KCEA executive Board.

It is my hope to engage more participation from our alternative schools. Thank you for considering me as your representative for alternative schools on the KCEA Executive Board.

Anthony Hancock for Middle School Representative

Special Education Teacher; Comprehensive Development Classroom (CDC), Bearden Middle School Association Experiences: Knox County Education Association: · Minority Affairs Committee · Association Representative

Tennessee Education Association: · State Resolutions Member · Southeast Regional Minority Leadership Training Com. · Minority Affairs Leadership committee · New Teachers Training Committee · TEA Representative Assembly

National Education Association: · NEA Resolutions Committee · State Delegate – Representative Assembly

Peggy Thomas for Education Support Professionals Rep.

I have worked as a paraprofessional in Knox County for 7 years. The first year, I was at Bearden High School in a satellite class. For the last 6 years, I have been in a resource classroom at Fulton High School.

Before getting into education, I worked at TVA for the Board of Directors, and previously for First Tennessee Bank in Construction

Lending. I feel that my diverse background makes me a great candidate to represent all the different ESP positions in Knox County Schools.

I have been a KCEA member for 6 years. I have attended the TEA conference 4 years in a row, and this year I am attending the ESP conference in Memphis. A year and a half ago, I was appointed as ESP Executive Board Member when the previous member retired, and would like to continue for 2 more years.

Mary Brockett for Middle School Representative

Teaching has been my life for the past 37 years. I have taught grades 3-12 and at present, I am teaching social Studies at whittle Springs Middle School.

During most of my career I have been involved in leadership positions within my local and state professional organizations, serving as President, Board Member, and Chief Negotiator at the local level.

In addition, I have been active in TEA, serving on the state Negotiations and Status of Women committees. If elected, I will be a strong voice for all middle school teachers in Knox County. Thanks.

Elections for KCEA Officers and Executive Board will take place online from March 26th until April 1st at 11:59PM.

Please see your building’s Association Representative for your personal voting information.

Contact KCEA

2411 Magnolia Ave. Knoxville, TN 37917

Office: 865.522.9793 Cell: 865.660.0822 Fax: 865.522.9866

THE ADVOCATE

is published by the Knox County Education Association.

Please direct questions & comments to: Jennifer Owen, Editor

KCEA@OwenWebs.com

Our Mission To promote quality education in Knox County, the Knox County Education Association will provide a support system that guarantees the opportunity for professional growth, secures and improves benefits, and protects the rights of educators of Knox County.

Find us Online:

http://KCEAinTouch.org

http://Facebook.com/TNKCEA

THE ADVOCATE ELECTION EDITION - APRIL 2012

Calendar of Events

April 2 School Board Work Session

April 4 School Board Meeting - voting on budget.

April 8 Easter

April 10 TEA Rep. Assembly Briefing at KCEA office

April 12 IPD - Academic Vocabulary - KCEA office

April 14 TN Urban Education Assoc. Mtg. - Nashville

April 16 KCEA Ex. Bd. Mtg.

April 21 ESP Conference - TEA - Nashville

April 21 TEA Resolutions Committee, TEA Building

April 28 Teacher Recruitment Fair - Central High

April 30 KCEA Representative Assembly

April 30 School Board Work Session

May 2 School Board Meeting

May 6- 12 Teacher Appreciation Week

May 7 KCEA Executive Board Meeting

May 8 National Teacher Day

May 10 TEA Board of Directors, TEA Building

May 11-12 TEA Representative Assembly - Nashville

May 14 KCEA Rep. Assembly - Calhoun's on the River

May 21 School Board Work Session

June 30-July 5 NEA Annual Meeting - Washington, DC

TEA Files Action in Chancery Court to Have Five KCEA Members’ Loss of Pay Reimbursed The suit was filed March 13 against Knox County Board of Education and Dr. James P. McIntyre, Superintendent of Knox County Schools.

In part the Memorandum in Support of Motion for Partial Summary Judgment cites the fact that:

1. at the time of the suspensions without pay all five KCEA members were tenured teachers,

2. at the time of the suspensions without pay were imposed, there were no investigations pending,

3. rather than bringing charges and asking the Board of Educa-tion to impose discipline as state law contemplates, Superin-tendent McIntyre assumed authority not granted to him by law and wrote to each of the five members and informed them of the Superintendent’s own imposition of disciplinary suspension without pay,

4. in every letter, Superintendent McIntyre summarized the investigative findings, and concluded that discipline was warranted,

5. it is clear from these letters that the suspensions were to serve as a form of punishment rather than a tool to remove a teacher from the classroom pending disposition of a case before the Board,

6. suspending tenured teachers without pay for discipline pur-suant to a local Board of Education policy is contrary to state statute that provides the exclusive circumstances under which a tenured teacher may be suspended, a statute that only empowers a Director or Superintendent to suspend a tenured teacher pending investigation or disposition of a case before the Board or an appeal.

Tenured teachers still have guaranteed rights by law and KCEA/TEA will defend those members who have had their rights denied.

Elections for KCEA Officers and Executive Board will take place online from

March 26th until April 1st at 11:59PM.

Please see your Association Representative for your personal voting information.