“We are embedded in habit. We dread the truly new, the truly emergent. We don’t fear the end of the world—we fear the end of the world as we know it.”
― Ray Nayler, The Mountain in the Sea

I learned my first management lesson when I was 18 years old.

At the time, I was managing a team of lifeguards who presided over 4 pools and a beachfront.

After some questionable accounting of hours that led to a delay in paychecks, and some angry life guards, a grizzled old office manager – he was probably 35 – gave me advice that has stuck with me for the last 40 years – don’t fuck with people’s money.

If a budget is a moral document, getting people what they are owed on time is a moral imperative.

People put forth a great deal of effort in bringing your goals to fruition, they depend on you to do the same in getting them their money. The quickest way to lose the narrative is to fail to deliver on time or less than expected. A paycheck envelope is no place to discover surprises.

Last week, many of Nashville’s teachers and support staff who have extended their paychecks throughout the summer got a surprise. Paychecks were roughly 20% shorter than expected.

Metro Nashville Public Schools pays all certificated staff on a 22-week pay schedule, equivalent to the length of the school year. As a courtesy to teachers who wish to maintain a paycheck throughout the summer, they can sign up to be paid in 26 installments.

This is accomplished by MNPS deducting a portion of each paycheck, after taxes, and dividing it between four summer paychecks – two in June and two in July. For some reason, according to MNPS, this year has 27 paychecks, requiring 5 paychecks in the summer.  Two in June, two in July, and one in August. That’s some fancy math turning 26 biweekly opportunities into 27.

For the record, an annual paycheck divided into bi-weekly paychecks provides 26 paychecks. Unless the year suddenly has 54 months. Last I checked it was still at 52.

Reportedly the move is born from teacher and employee desire.

Eighteen months ago SEIU and MNEA approached administrators about change to ensure that nobody misses a paycheck. Teachers not affiliated with either union also requested the change. Though I’ve yet to find one that embraces the change and is thrilled to get a lower paycheck.

According to further explanation by MNPS Human Resources, the move was necessitated by the increased Summer paychecks, and a desire to ensure that nobody misses a paycheck all year. I’m not sure that makes much sense. It appears to be a move that better serves those not fulfilling their contracts and HR, more than it does those drawing paychecks. But what do I know?

The system of paying teachers over 12 months is not a new one. It’s been in place for over a decade. Why has this issue suddenly surfaced?

Teachers do have the option to request the remainder of their pay in one lump sum. If they do so, they need to remember they won’t receive another paycheck until August 16th.

Human Resources claims that this move was well publicized over the last two years and that no one should be surprised. Yet somehow, a large number of teachers are just that.

In talking with teachers, it appears that while an explanation was provided in several publications and emails, it was done through a link teachers would need to open to fully access the information. The link was presented as information for those who wished to sign up for a year-long payroll plan. Since many teachers have participated for decades they didn’t feel compelled to open the link.

There has forever been a disconnect between Central Office and the classroom, neither side understanding the day-to-day life of the other.

It should be recognized that teachers cannot deep read every email, and administrators must recognize that and design communications that take that into account, especially during summer months when many teachers disconnect from technology.

I’ve long argued with the brass at MNPS that communications don’t end with you saying or writing something. It’s only communication if the other parties receive the information. Communication is a group activity.

When it comes to payroll, every effort should be explored to make sure no one is surprised.

The district has no problem doing call-outs when it comes to their agenda, so why not call-outs to teachers in this instance?

Why not face-to-face meetings? Call up the principal, ask when the next staff meeting is, and ask for 10 minutes to present.

Why not have extra meetings with bookkeepers?

Every effort should be made to ensure that the change in pay policy is adequately communicated. It should be done in a manner that communicates concern, and not one that is purely a CYA exercise.

Empathy is a key component of social and emotional learning. This would have been an opportunity to demonstrate.

No teacher raising concerns should be met with a lengthy listing of supposed communications offerings, but rather an apology and a how could we have communicated it better? Alas, that’s not what’s happening.

To me, this is a culture issue. If you truly cared about employees and understood the challenges they face in their personal lives, more effort would have gone into the execution of communication.

More attention should have been paid to modifying the process, instead of defending. But the reality is, that administrators feel more concerned with preserving their paycheck than they do with making sure that teachers and support staff understand theirs.

Living paycheck to paycheck is not optimal, but the reality is, too many of us do it. Less money blows a hole in a family budget where recovery is often difficult. That has to be taken into account when crafting policy.

The way this was handled communicates a message, whether intentionally or not, of a lack of concern by the district for its employees. It’s a message amplified by the disparity between recruitment strategies and retention strategies. MNPS is always recruiting but seldom working to retain.

“What! What! What!” I can hear the sputtering from Bransford right now. “We’ve made you the highest-paid teachers in the state. What else do you want?”

It’s not just about money, it’s about respect and empathy that should go with it.

Having spent my whole life working in the private sector, I can’t fathom the idea of advancing people on the first check. The idea that the district finds itself losing “hundreds of thousands” of dollars because they recoup when teachers leave mid-year further speaks to culture issues.

There was a time when the idea of a teacher quitting mid-year, minus a pregnancy or terminal illness, was unheard of. These days it’s all too common, as evidenced by the district’s change in policy.

Perhaps, a little less time spent on recruitment and a little more time making MNPS a more attractive place to work would alleviate the need to “claw back” such a large amount of money.

I promise you, that for some veteran MNPS educators, this will be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back. Those who may be eligible for retirement, or looking at a career change, might use this as an impetus to pursue that course. Necessitating the need for more recruitment.

When will the district learn that every interaction with the public, either internally or externally, is an opportunity to improve recruitment and retention?

How much time do you think the MNPS school board will spend talking about this issue?

I’m betting, that unless you can throw in a charter school angle, the answer will be none.

But hey, the budget is a moral obligation, though it appears teacher paychecks, are not so much.

Side note, if you received a letter informing you that the cost of health benefits is going up, don’t about an impact on your summer paychecks. Ten-week employees have already had their deductions removed, but will see the increase when they get their first paycheck of the 2024-2025 school year on August 16th.

– – –

So what were Nashville’s principals doing while its teachers were navigating the changes to their paychecks?

They were on retreat in Memphis, of course.

Since Dr. Adrienne Battle became Superintendent, principals are required to attend annual meetings – Principal Splash – outside of town during summer break.

Initially, the trip was just down the road to a local state park. But in the ensuing years, the trips have become much more ambitious. Recent Principal Splashes have been held in Kentucky and Alabama. So at least this year, we are contributing to the Tennessee tax base.

While in Memphis for three days, Principals were wined and dined in both the Elvis Presley Museum and the Museum of Civil Rights at special after-hours events.

Thursday morning they viewed the Nashville Public Education Foundation-produced documentary, “By Design: The Shaping of Nashville’s Public Schools”. The film takes a close look at how past policies worked to design a system of social structures that collectively inhibit the ability for students of color and their families to gain access to resources that help them succeed. The film is based on the work of Dr. Ansley Erickson in Making the Unequal Metropolis: School Desegregation and its Limits. 

After the viewing, a panel discussion was held featuring the Chief of Student Support Resources Elisa Norris’s father, John Norris, and former MNPS principal Bill Warren. Norris was a friend of former MNPS superintendent Dr. Jesse Register and serves the district as a Leadership and Organization Vitality Consultant.

My first question would be, why do principals have to go to Memphis to view a film that is available on line.

Secondly, when it comes to inequities in urban school districts, is there anyone more aware than a school principal? Kinda a job prerequisite, no?

I suspect that if we follow the money we’ll find that NPEF and other non-profits are footing a major portion of the bill for this one, and so a little time for a worthwhile subject is in order. That’s fair enough.

The rest of the time was spent on cluster activities and relationship building.

I get that principals deserve a little fawning over, but so do teachers and support staff.

Maybe that’s what the annual AVID trips are designed for.

Can’t wait to find out where next year’s trip is scheduled.

– – –

Speaking of Elisa Norris, she’s undertaking a new project for MNPS. Norris will be charged with the redesign of the city’s alternative schools. An interesting project for a woman who has never worked a day in a school.

MNPS has two schools – W.A. Bass Learning Center and Johnson Alternative Learning Center – that are set up to serve kids who have been expelled from district schools. Combined, the two serve roughly 230 kids. Johnson starts in 6th grade and Bass in 9th.

The district envisions moving toward each quadrant having a center that can accommodate similar kids for 60, 90, or 120 days. As opposed to the traditional year. The goal is to be more respectful and humane towards kids enrolled in these schools, while ensuring they have access to all education opportunities.

While I do applaud the district for it efforts to better serve students, I do feel the need to push back against some of the narratives put forth during a recent discussion by the MNPS board.

At that board meeting, several members described students at the ALC as being there because of “one bad day”. That is not entirely accurate.

First off, if you are enrolled at an ALC, your “one bad day” likely caused harm to someone else. Arguably that makes their day a little worse than your one bad day. I can name several MNPS educators whom are still suffering after-effects from a “one bad day”, several months after the occurrence. That shouldn’t be lost in the conversation.

Secondly, there is some kind of misconception that kids get expelled willy-nilly from district schools. That just ain’t accurate. It takes a great deal of effort, and it should, to expel a student. That “one bad day” has likely been preceded by a series of “one bad days”.

While every effort should be made to get kids back into their traditional school, it has to be done in a manner that doesn’t put educators at physical risk. Teaching should be a contact sport. Hopefully, we will be prudent with the shorter stays and put safety ahead of chasing statistics.

Must admit, based on history, color me skeptical.

– – –

Per usual, I need to rattle the cup a little bit before I head out the door.

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Categories: Education