Reporter’s Note
Last week, I got to spend time at Gilbert Elementary in LaFayette, Georgia where fifth graders in Karen Neal’s classroom were reviewing possessive nouns and how to identify the theme, or main idea, of a story. Students were engaged and smiling – something that Neal cares deeply about. Neal is this month’s Times Free Press Teacher of the Month. Read her story below and find out how you can nominate a teacher you know next month!
– Meghan
THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION NEWS
Who is a teacher?
Someone who spends all their time in one classroom, in front of 20-30 students?
What about special education teachers who serve as aides in the classroom, or media specialists who provide library programming for all the students at a school?
Does just having a current teacher license or certificate make you a teacher?
These are questions that two Tennessee lawmakers are asking as the contentious debate about teacher pay – and who should get a raise when there is one – continues.
State law, state agencies, retirement plans and even the local teachers union all have slightly different ways of defining who a teacher is, and these lawmakers want to change that.
Read more here and keep reading for more stories!