By the numbers
Eight in 10 teachers report “they work in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.” And they feel appreciated for the job they are doing.Nine in 10 teachers said school leaders protect their instructional time and colleagues share beliefs and values about the central mission of the school.Ninety-six percent of administrators VS 69 percent of teachers said the school effectively handles student discipline and behavioral problems.Ninety-six percent of administrators VS 68 percent of teachers said their school addresses similar disciplinary issues consistently with all students.Around seven in 10 teachers report that the evaluation process has led to improvements in teaching and student learning.Only three in 10 teachers reported having adequate time for collaboration with other teachers or staff expertise available.Nearly all teachers who said they received feedback during their evaluation last year reported taking some action as a result.Four in 10 teachers said they did not receive feedback on last year’s evaluation.Statistics courtesy the 2016 Tennessee Educator Survey Highlights>
NASHVILLE - The good news is that most Tennessee school teachers are satisfied with their jobs, but classroom educators and their administrator bosses part ways on whether student discipline is getting handled right.
That's according to the state Education Department's 2016 Tennessee Educator Survey, in which 30,000, or nearly half, of the state's 64,000 public school teachers participated, slightly down from 2015.
Education Commissioner Candice McQueen told reporters Tuesday that results from year six of the annual survey generally "make me exceptionally optimistic and hopeful as the new school year gets underway.
"Most importantly to me, our educators have increasingly said that they work in positive school cultures and that they feel respected, trusted and appreciated for the work that they do," she added.
Seventy-eight percent of teachers said they feel appreciated for the job they're doing and 93 percent said colleagues share their beliefs and values about what their school's "central vision" should be.
And 86 percent say school leaders "protect" their instructional time.
But on several points, classroom teachers and administrators have different views on what transpires in their schools.
Ninety-six percent of administrators say their school "effectively handles student discipline."
The view from the classroom teacher? Just 69 percent of them agree.
"There is a noticeable disparity between teachers and administrators' view on the effectiveness of disciplinary policy," McQueen said, noting one teacher wrote policies were "very inconsistent" at the teacher's school and appeared based more on who the student was than on what he or she did.
The commissioner said school discipline issues are getting more attention nationally. She noted a report on Southern states showed disparity in treatment and cited Tennessee for having poor and minority students "expelled in disproportionally high rates."
"We have to start a conversation," McQueen told reporters.
She noted the survey also shows most educators - 77 percent - say they need more professional support to meet the needs of all learners, "especially" in non-academic areas. That too is a conversation school officials "must have," McQueen said.
"This points to specific areas where we need to take more concrete actions," McQueen said.
Meanwhile, teachers and administrators are also at odds over whether teachers are getting sufficient feedback on their evaluations. Ninety-four percent of principals say everything's rosy. Only 58 percent of teachers agreed.
Nate Schwartz, the department's chief research and strategy officer, said he isn't surprised by that.
Predictably, teachers were also skeptical about the effectiveness of TNReady, the new state student assessment test that spectacularly melted down during its online implementation this spring. The state was forced to cancel testing.
Schwartz said he suspects the "roller coaster" rollout of the exams generated the skepticism.
Meanwhile, there's another gap regarding how at least some teachers view things. In some low-performing schools, a majority of teachers think most of their students are going on to two-year technical schools, colleges or universities for some post-secondary education, even when figures show they are not, Schwartz said.
Contact staff writer Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow on Twitter @AndySher1.