Teacher pay and ... Megan Thee Stallion?

Good afternoon, and happy first day of November, y'all! It's Anika Exum, back with another round of School Zone.

I hope you've recovered from the load of sugar you maybe had last night alongside your kids or neighborhood trick-or-treaters and are ready to dive into some stories with me. 🎃

We've got a lot to cover, so let's get into it.

What does teacher pay look like in your school district?

Teaching is a hard job, and the pandemic made that super clear. But adequate pay is one of the ways districts and states hire and retain talented people in the profession, especially as the cost of living rises in so many places across the country, and schools are expected to be more than just places to sit and learn.

Tennessee is in the middle when it comes to average teacher salary in the Southeast. But when it comes to ranking states nationwide, Tennessee comes in 42nd. So I spoke to researchers about the complexities and difficult decisions that go into setting teacher pay at every district in the state and why some are able to pay more than others.

I also got to connect with Donnie Holman, superintendent of Overton County Schools, which had the lowest weighted average pay in the state in the 2020-2021 school year, about the challenges administrators and leaders face in paying teachers what they deserve at the small, rural district. 💰🏫

Middle Tennessee counties fired up over recent anti-LGBTQ rhetoric

Angele Latham, our new First Amendment reporter and former reporter at the Jackson Sun in Madison County, has been covering the controversy surrounding what was supposed to be a family friendly drag show at the Jackson Pride Festival.

When conservative officials got word of the event, they immediately pushed back, saying that a drag show scheduled as part of the event was indecent and not family friendly. They even took legal action, saying that holding the event in a public place violates state law.

The move led to an agreement limiting drag show participants to those age 18 and older and the relocation of the event. But the controversy continues, and last week Latham heard from the conservative figures who sparked the controversy about the application of the First Amendment in this issue.

At the Columbia Daily Herald, Dave Campbell wrote about the official resignation of Columbia library director Zac Fox after locals called for his resignation and the removal of several LGBTQ and gender-related books from library shelves.

In response, dozens gathered at a recent Maury County library board meeting, where 20 people, including local resident Jessee Graham, sounded off in support of Fox and the local LGBTQ community. Video of Graham has touched hearts across the nation after a viral post by the Tennessee Holler and retweet by former White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

🎥 Watch her public comment here: "Maury County resident passionately defends the LGBTQ community before the library board."

Who wouldn't want Megan Thee Stallion as a teacher?

Lizzo was in Nashville performing last week, and so was Lil Nas X just a few days before. Plus, Nashville's home-grown Black music scene continues to grow. So Music City is no stranger to modern day Black musicians and pop culture icons making their marks. 🎼

But to see one pop up in your college classroom? Now that's new.

Published this Sunday, country music reporter Marcus Dowling writes about a humanities class taught by Michael Eric Dyson and Gilman L. Whiting at Vanderbilt University titled "From Dr. King to Lil Wayne," which wrestles with "the possibilities, conflicts and contradictions of popular articulations of Black identity glimpsed in iconic figures."

Several other Black stars and public figures, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, Don Cheadle, John Legend, and NBC "Sunday Night Football" host Maria Taylor, have dropped in on the class, sharing insights with students on their motivations, aspirations and Black-defined popular and social culture. ✨

Marcus texted me a photo from a class where Erykah Badu just happened to pop in during one of his visits, and I've got to say, I was jealous of the students in class that day.

Take me back to college! Now!

Celebrating a beloved Williamson County bus driver

Here's a sweet story from Williamson County. Tennessean reporter Chris Gadd wrote about a retirement send-off for longtime WCS bus driver Glendra Thompson.

Residents and generations of former riders attended to celebrate Thompson's 32 years of service on her bus route to Walnut Grove Elementary in Franklin.

"Mrs. Thompson has been the first and last smiling face the children of Cottonwood Estates have seen for the last 32 years,” said Laura Coons, a parent of Walnut Grove students.

And now for extra credit 📔

► Last Wednesday, Nashville Mayor John Cooper launched the city's first"Out-of-School Time Program Locator," a new online tool connecting Nashville parents with nearly 60 local after-school programs as a part of his agenda for Nashville youth, announced earlier this fall.

► Gov. Bill Lee has also launched the "School Safety Toolkit for Tennessee Families," following his signing of Executive Order 97 this summer. The toolkit is aimed at helping parents prepare and engage in their children's school safety plans and protocols. Watch his video message via YouTube.

► With a vote, the Williamson County Board of Education affirmed a district policy stating that complaints regarding board-approved instructional materials can only be made by "a current WCS parent/guardian, employee, or student," despite pushback.

► Knox News' Becca Wright gives us the low-down on a new $227 million building coming to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as part of the expansion of the Haslam College of Business, which houses more than 6,000 undergrads and 150 full-time faculty.

That's all for now, folks. As always, don't forget to subscribe to The Tennessean if you haven't already, and send me your ideas, tips and feedback at [email protected].

Thanks for your time and support,

Anika