McClendon Is Bad For Teachers

  • Thursday, July 18, 2019

The teacher raise proposal was simple, 2.5 percent from the county, 2.5 percent from the state. After his massive tax hike was turned down, Superintendent Johnson dropped the county match in favor of more support staff. Fine; that's his prerogative, and a 5 percent raise on top of step raises is unheard of in the private sector anyway.

Tucker McClendon has now proposed misappropriating the state's 2.5 percent for even more support staff positions. How much clearer can he be that he values the APEX plan and UnifiEd's opinion more than the teachers he is responsible for?

Even the tax-hawk conservatives among us agree that teachers around here deserve more than a goose egg, especially when the state is paying. Thanks to administrative inaction on discipline, our schools are practically war zones; teacher "combat pay" should come before social engineering projects.

Apparently Mr. McClendon disagrees. He values our teachers so little that he is willing to actually divert state funds intended for them to UnifiEd's "equity" projects. What's equitable about that?

Charles McCullough

Opinion
The 11 Worst New Laws In Tennessee In 2025
  • 6/30/2025

When the 2025 legislative session kicked off, Tennesseans had one clear demand: help working families build a better life. Voters asked for relief from inflation and rising costs. They asked ... more

New Chatt311 Has Many Flaws
  • 6/27/2025

Its apparent to me that the new Chatt311 system has many flaws. You can't speak to a live person and any services you request take multiple weeks if not months to be reviewed, approved and completed. ... more

Send Your Opinions To Chattanoogan.com; Include Your Full Name, Address, Phone Number For Verification
  • 6/27/2025

We welcome your opinions at Chattanoogan.com. Email to news@chattanoogan.com . We require your real first and last name and contact information. This includes your home address and phone ... more