WE
WE ARE
WE ARE BACK AND THIS IS THE
FINAL
FINAL BLOCK WITH GLORIA JOHNSON AND ELAINE DAVIS RUNNING FOR THE 13TH HOUSE DISTRICT IN
TENNESSEE.
SUSAN RICHARDSON WILLIAMS, YOU
MIGHT HAVE A QUESTION.
>> I DID.
GLORIA STANDS ON ESEA EDUCATION
SAVINGS ACCOUNTS OR VOUCHERS
BUT THERE WAS NEWS WITH THAT
THIS RECENTLY THE SUPREME COURT
DECLARED THE BILL
UNCONSTITUTIONAL, SET UP THE
ASSAYS ONLY IN EXXON AND THEN
SHELL IF THAT COMES BACK.
GLORIA, I'M GOING TO ASSUME
YOU'LL STILL OPPOSE IT.
ALINE, WHERE ARE YOU ON SCHOOL
CHOICE SO YOU'D LIKE ME BE
FIRST?
YES.
FIRST? YES. PLAGUE'S OK.
WELL AND SO THIS IS THIS IS THE
THING WITH REGARD TO THE ESEA.
THEY DON'T THEY'RE NOT
APPLICABLE TO KNOX COUNTY AND
SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S ONLY
APPLICABLE TO THOSE TWO
COUNTIES A PILOT PROGRAM I KNOW
THAT GOVERNOR LEE HAD SET UP
FUNDS JUST SPECIFICALLY FOR
THOSE TWO COUNTIES TO SEE HOW
THOSE THAT POTENTIALLY WOULD
MOVE FORWARD.
WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT WE ARE
THAT WE NEED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE
TO OUR SCHOOLS AND TO OUR
STUDENTS.
THIS IS THE SCHOOL VOUCHERS ARE
A RESPONSE US FAILING IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING
EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO
PROVIDE ACCESS TO STUDENTS FOR
ANY SORT OF LEARNING THAT THEY
NEED THAT WE'RE PREPARING THEM
FOR A CAREER IN A FUTURE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
PREPARING THEM FOR PLANS TO
PROSPER AND TO GIVE THEM HOPE.
WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH TRADES,
WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH ANY SORT
OF ASSOCIATES DEGREES, WHETHER
THAT'S THROUGH INSERT
INTERNSHIPS OR ALSO PREPARING
THEM FOR COLLEGE.
BUT WE NEED TO BE DOING
EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO
PREPARE OUR STUDENTS FOR
SUCCESS.
GLORIA.
SUCCESS. GLORIA. OR YOU WANT TO OPINE?
>> SURE.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING
PRODUCES AND I STILL AM AGAINST
VOUCHERS BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTIVE
IN NINE STATES AND IN NINE
STATES THERE IS NO STATE WHERE
KIDS WITH VOUCHERS ARE
PERFORMING BETTER THAN THEIR
PUBLIC SCHOOL PEERS.
IT HASN'T WORKED IN THIS MATTER
OF FACT IN SEVEN STATES.
WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE BEHIND
.
THE REALITY IS WE ARE
UNDERFUNDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WHEN YOU TAKE THE EIGHT
SURROUNDING STATES IN THE
SOUTHEAST REGION TENNESSEE YOU
AVERAGE WHAT THEIR PER PUPIL
SPENDING IN TENNESSEE IS
SPENDING ONE POINT FIVE BILLION
LESS THAN THE STATES
SURROUNDING US.
I'M NOT TALKING MASSACHUSETTS
IN NEW YORK AND ALTHOUGH I'M
TALKING ABOUT THAT'S AROUND
STATES IN THE SALVISKI REGION.
SO WE HAVE GOT TO DO SOME.
AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURPRISED
.
MY OPPONENT'S ANSWER IS BECAUSE
WHEN SHE WAS ON COMMISSION
BRIEFLY TO USE ALL OF THE MONEY
THAT SHE WAS ALLOTTED TO WORK
TO GIVE TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL
THAT HER CHILDREN ATTEND AND I
BELIEVE THAT SHE SHOULD.
I DID NOT GIVE ANY MONEY TO A
PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT MY CHILDREN
HAVE ATTENDED.
MY CHILDREN ATTENDED THAT MY
CHILDREN HAVE ATTENDED.
>> MY CHILDREN ATTENDED KNOX
COUNTY SCHOOLS AND SO THAT IS A
COMPLETE LIE.
AND I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT ONE
BIT GLORIDA WHAT IS IT YOU'RE
TALKING ABOUT?
>> WELL, A LOT OF FUNDS ON THE
COMMISSION THAT THEY USED TO
GET LIKE SIX OUT OF WENT TO
DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
>> BUT WHAT THEY WERE THEY WERE
NEVER TOO MY CHILDREN HAVE
NEVER ATTENDED PRIVATE SCHOOL.
THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE LIE.
MY KIDS.
A LOT KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS.
OK, IT'S NOT I LOVE IT.
THEY'RE CEDAR'S.
I WILL MISS MATERI URGE.
I'VE NEVER GIVEN ANY MONEY TO
CEDAR SPRINGS PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH EXCEPT FOR NOT THE THE
DUES WE WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THROUGH HOME SCHOOLING.
SO THAT'S A LIE AND I DON'T
APPRECIATE THAT IF IT IS
INCORRECT I WILL ABSOLUTELY
APOLOGIZE.
I CERTAINLY HAD TO TELL YOU THE
TIDEWAY BUT ALL IS WELL WHEN
YOU MAKE FALSE STATEMENTS AND
THIS GOES TO YOUR CHARACTER
THAT YOU JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS
AND THAT YOU'RE NOT DISCERNING
.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HAVE
IN THE 13TH.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOMEONE THAT
EVALUATES ALL THE INFORMATION
AVAILABLE BEFORE MAKING ANY
SORT OF STATEMENT.
WELL, OUR I'LL GET TO THEM FOR
IT IS AVAILABLE.
>> I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF INCORRECT.
I WILL CERTAINLY APOLOGIZE.
I HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, SETTING THE RECORD
STRAIGHT AND AS TO THE ANSWER
THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS
SOON AS IT HAPPENED I REACHED
OUT TO THE PROBE TO DETERMINE
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED AND I HAD
A GREAT MEETING WITH COLONEL
THEUER AND HE WAS LOVELY AND HE
BROUGHT A VIDEO WITHOUT WAS
GRATEFUL FOR.
AND AS SOON AS HE GAVE ME THAT
VIDEO AND RELEASES I WANT TO
SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT ON WHAT
EP.
AND SO THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I
DID.
>> LET ME ASK YOU BOTH A REAL
QUICK QUESTION AND I DO MEAN WE
ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME BUT I'D
LIKE TO KNOW FROM EACH OF YOU I
KNOW YOU CARE ABOUT EDUCATION.
HOW DO YOU RETAIN AND ATTRACT
TEACHERS?
ELAINE, LET'S START WITH YOU
BRIEFLY.
WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
JUST RECENTLY PASSED THAT
REPRESENTATIVE WEAVER DID WAS
TO ALLOW FOR MORE ABILITY FOR
MORE TEACHERS TO HAVE
CERTIFICATIONS AND ALLOW THOSE
CERTIFICATIONS TO KIND OF CROSS
OVER.
AND SO WHERE WE MEET THAT
RECRUITMENT WHERE WE'RE TRYING
TO FILL IT, FILL IN THOSE GAPS
,THAT'S IMPORTANT.
SO IF SOMEONE MOVES IN FROM
ANOTHER STATE OR FROM A
DIFFERENT AREA THAT WE ARE
RECOGNIZING THOSE TEACHERS THAT
HAVE THAT ABILITY IN THAT SKILL
SET THAT WE CAN TRY TO MOVE
THEM INTO THE PROCESS SOONER
THEN ALSO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE
OF THE FACT THAT THE UNIVERSITY
OF TENNESSEE HAS THE GROW YOUR
OWN PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE
PARTNERING WITH KNOX COUNTY
SCHOOLS AND THAT'S A HUGE THING
TO TRY TO TO FILL IN THAT GAP
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE
SHORING UP JUST ANY SORT OF
LACK OF TEACHERS.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LACK OF
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AND I'VE
SUBSTITUTE TAUGHT IN THE NATPOP
COUNTY SCHOOLS AS WELL AND SO
THERE'S A GREAT NEED FOR THAT
TOO.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST
MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW THAT
THAT THOSE NEEDS ARE THERE AND
WE WANT TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN
TO TRY TO FILL THOSE THOSE
HOLES.
AND GLORIA.
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS YOU
BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT
RETAINING TEACHERS THAT MEANS
KEEPING THE ONES THAT WE HAVE
THEY'VE GOT THE UPPER TIER IN
MODERN HISTORY.
>> THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING
THREE TIMES THE LOOK AND THEY
ARE DOING IT MAKING LESS THAN
THEY MADE 20 YEARS AGO.
WHEN YOU TAKE INTO AT OFF THE
LIVING TEACHERS ARE MAKING LESS
NOW THAN THEY WERE 20 YEARS AGO
.
WE HAD THE ABILITY TO GIVE THEM
THAT FOUR PERCENT RAISE THAT
WAS PROMISED.
WE STILL COULD HAVE DONE IT
EVEN DURING THE PANDEMIC AND WE
CHOSE NOT TO.
SO THE REALITY IS YOU WANT NAME
THE SPEAKER, VALUE THEM, GIVE
THEM THE RIGHT DESPERATELY
DISHONORABLE AND ALSO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU'RE NOT ADDING MORE TO
AN ALREADY UNBELIEVABLE LOAD
WITH THESE HIGH STAKES TESTS IN
TEACHER EVALUATIONS THAT
PRINCIPALS ARE TELLING ME
THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DO THAT.
I'M ALREADY TEACHING CLASSES
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
STUFF.
I'VE GOT ALL THESE OTHER THINGS
TO DO.
HOW CAN I GET IN A BODY WEIGHT
FOR CHEIF OF MY ABILITY WHEN
SOMETIMES WE'RE GOING TO GO ON
FOR TWO, FOUR, FIVE DAYS?
IT'S JUST I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT ART WITH REGARD
TO RACES THAT WE EXCUSE FACTOR
THAT WE'VE ENJOYED THE
CONVERSATION.
>> I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU WE HAVE
TO IT TO THE END OF OUR TIME AT
THE END OF THE THIRD BLOCK
YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING