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The Tennessee educator chosen because the nation’s trainer of the 12 months is looking on America’s 3.5 million lecturers to “discover their voice” on behalf of scholars as many states search to censor lecturers, ban books, and push voucher insurance policies that ship taxpayer funding to personal faculties.
Missy Testerman, who simply ended her tenure as Tennessee’s trainer of the 12 months, mentioned that larger academic priorities demand consideration: air conditioners are breaking down in growing older college buildings as a brand new tutorial 12 months begins; federal pandemic aid funding is operating out to pay for tutoring and summer season studying packages; and college communities are struggling to offer psychological well being help, particularly for his or her most marginalized college students.
“Once we discover our voices, we discover our personal approach to stand within the hole for youths. It’s not sufficient to simply shut our classroom doorways and educate,” Testerman mentioned in her video deal with to the nation, launched this month by the Council of Chief State College Officers.
Testerman, who formally started as her occupation’s high ambassador in July, is on go away this tutorial 12 months from her job at Rogersville Metropolis College, the place she teaches English language learners in her rural Appalachian city of 4,500 individuals. Her new position contains touring to greater than 150 talking engagements or appearances earlier than organizations spanning training, enterprise, well being, and authorities.
Amongst her messages: Academics are consultants of their subject.
“Your governor shouldn’t be an training knowledgeable. The legislature shouldn’t be full of training consultants,” she advised Chalkbeat. “If you need an knowledgeable on training coverage and outcomes and what works for college students, ask your lecturers, your directors, your director of faculties.”
That message has resonated at her talks, the place she’s routinely greeted afterward by a line of educators ready to thank her.
“It’s exhausting to do a occupation the place you’re the knowledgeable, however you’re usually not handled as such,” she mentioned. “Generally, we must be reminded.”
Testerman spoke with Chalkbeat on Friday earlier than ceding her title as Tennessee’s trainer of the 12 months to the 2024-25 honoree, Bryan Kerns, a math and hearth administration teacher at Dobyns-Bennett Excessive College in Kingsport.
In some ways, Testerman mentioned, Tennessee epitomizes the challenges confronted by educators she’s met throughout the nation, lots of whom really feel like they’re strolling on eggshells simply to maintain demanding jobs that pay a modest wage.
Whereas she applauded a deal with early literacy and vital investments in vocational and technical training beneath Gov. Invoice Lee’s administration, she mentioned different coverage modifications over the past six years have been extra of a burden.
A 2021 state legislation limits what public college lecturers can say about race, gender, and bias within the classroom and interferes with instruction on tough however essential subjects included within the state’s tutorial requirements. A gaggle of Tennessee lecturers is difficult that legislation in federal courtroom.
Tennessee’s 2022 college library legislation, billed as a manner to make sure supplies are age-appropriate, rapidly expanded so {that a} state panel can ban sure books statewide, primarily based on native complaints. This 12 months, lawmakers added a definition of “appropriate” that makes it simpler to take away supplies, together with many tales about Black individuals or these figuring out as LGBTQ.
Additionally this 12 months, the legislature handed a legislation requiring public college staff to out transgender college students to their dad and mom and debated a invoice designed to ban LGBTQ+ flags in faculties. Testerman referred to as the second proposal, which did not go, a distraction.
“From my standpoint, there are such a lot of issues going through faculties — I’ll offer you a listing,” she mentioned. “However that’s not one which I believe we have to waste a number of time on. Let that be a neighborhood resolution.”
In the meantime, Lee’s administration is pushing for a statewide voucher program that will let any Tennessee household use taxpayer cash towards non-public college tuition, no matter their household revenue.
“Tennessee is at present within the backside tier of states in per-pupil funding for public training, and rising that ought to be our focus,” mentioned Testerman.
“Proper now, nevertheless, there’s a $144 million placeholder in our state funds for a voucher program that didn’t even go,” she continued. “It’s disheartening for lecturers to know this cash is sitting there doing nothing whereas their college students have so many wants.”
Testerman mentioned the cash could possibly be used as a substitute to repair damaged air conditioners in Memphis faculties, rent extra psychological well being professionals in her personal college system, and change outdated Chromebook laptops in suburban Williamson County close to Nashville, one of many state’s most prosperous districts.
“If Williamson County is seeing these sorts of monetary issues,” she mentioned, “you may think about what’s occurring in city and rural districts in East and West Tennessee that don’t have the tax base to lift funds the standard manner.”
Whereas it usually looks like her occupation is beneath assault, Testerman mentioned she’s impressed by the educators she’s met throughout America as she advocates for greater compensation and respect for them.
“This job can really feel heavy,” she mentioned. “Academics are going through scholar behavioral and psychological well being points at a scale they’ve by no means seen earlier than. We don’t know what youngsters go dwelling to. However we will make the seven hours that they’re with us completely satisfied. We are able to use these hours to ship tutorial content material in a manner that prepares them to maneuver on and hopefully create a very good life.”
“We’re hope givers,” she mentioned.
Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.
