While teachers are celebrated during National Teacher Appreciation week, state Sen. Kerry Roberts continued what has been an unprecedented assault on teachers this year at the Tennessee General Assembly.
Roberts voted on Monday night to strip groups like the Sumner County and Robertson County Education Associations of their right to bargain with local school boards. This in spite a resolution from the Robertson County Board of Education opposing the legislation.
Citizens are left to wonder which is more of an insult: Sen. Roberts voting against the wishes of his local school board, or continuing his attack on teachers during teacher appreciation week.
“It is a shame that Sen. Roberts has chosen to side with Rep. Maggart and others who believe teachers are the problem,” said SCDP Chair Charles Ihrig. “They fail to see that supporting a teacher is supporting our children.”
The right to bargain with local school boards is about free association. But Kerry Roberts wants to silence the voice of our professional educators. That’s wrong.
In a stunning one-two punch to teachers, Roberts voted for the anti-teacher legislation on Monday and Hendersonville’s Debra Maggart presented the bill for a vote in a House committee on Tuesday. The Roberts-Maggart tag team assault has been delayed for now as members in the House are choosing to stand with teachers instead of playing partisan politics.
“The Sumner County Democratic Party stands with teachers,” said Ihrig. “We believe our representatives at the General Assembly should focus on putting students first instead of playing petty games with public education. Our children deserve better.”