Mr. Wayne Qualls

We now feel like we've reached an important milestone," said Wayne Qualls, executive director of Tennessee School Systems For Equity.

Dipping into the "Pot O Gold" filled with candy is Tennessee Superintendents for School Equity Executive Director Wayne Qualls, who was one of the speakers at the event.
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Greene introduced Wayne Qualls, executive director for Tennessee Superintendents for School Equity, and applauded his efforts with the successful lawsuit.

"You're the first system in Tennessee to set aside a day to celebrate something that was a long time coming," Qualls said.

"The TEA (Tennessee Education Association) has supported our effort all the way through and we appreciate it," he added.

"What is this celebration about?Superintendent Greene has said we're going to have fun today, this first day of inservice," he said.

Qualls said the F in fun should stand for fairness and noted the history of the efforts that started with discussions on how to catch rural counties up with others across the state.

"We managed to come a notch up, but we still have a ways to go.But now we have a governor who will help us get there," he said.

Qualls is from Hickman County, a rural county similar to Meigs, and recalled when Hickman received $1 in sales tax revenue for every $21 in sales tax revenue that came into the adjoining county and earmarked to support schools.

"That money was for the equity on sales tax distribution.In 1940, when this was instituted, that portion (of sales tax) went back to the county where it was (originally) spent.Then the shopping centers came and that drained the state of taxes and put pressure on property taxes," he recalled.

"Finally, we reached an agreement that the only answer was for us to go to court.We would have to raise a lot of money and convince a lot of others to join with us.We would also have to sue people we knew and worked with.Initially, we thought the lawsuit would cost $250,000 but it cost us $1.8 million and it hasn't been easy," he said.

Qualls said during the lawsuit he was accused of "stirring up trouble."

"It took trips to court in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2002 and we fought because it was fair," he said.

Qualls said TSSE history goes back 20 years and has some 77 members.

"There have been 55 who have already paid their dues for next year because these people believe in what we're doing," he said.

Qualls noted the state Legislature has also reconstituted the Basic Education Program committee and new talks are set to start this week.

Wayne Qualls, executive director of TSSE, praised the Bredesen plan, which was negotiated with his organization and other groups including the State Board of Education, the Tennessee Education Association (TEA) and the Coalition for Tennessee's Future.

A court hearing was scheduled today on TSSE's efforts to follow up on the Supreme Court decision by seeking a court order for specific steps to end pay disparity.Qualls said the hearing would be canceled and the pursuit of any other legal action would be put on hold indefinitely.

The Bredesen proposal will raise the average salary in about 75 school districts to $37,000 for the next school year - still below the state average, which the TEA said is $40,071.That compares to a national average of $43,335 and a Southeast average of $42,234.

The $26.7 million includes $5.7 million for a "hold harmless" provision that will provide some funds to better-paying districts so they are not financially affected.They would be otherwise because of complexities in the Basic Education Program (BEP) formula for distributing state funds.

"This has been a long road for us, we now feel like we've reached an important milestone," said Wayne Qualls, executive director of Tennessee School Systems for Equity, which sued the state.

"We have to decide how much disparity is acceptable," said Wayne Qualls, executive director of Tennessee School Systems for Equity, an advocacy group that represents small school districts in the state.

"I feel like we've come to the end of a long journey," said Wayne Qualls, executive director of the Small Schools group and a former state education commissioner.

The Small Schools leaders will meet soon to develop a strategy for proceeding, Qualls said.They already have a plan they support, which would cost an extra $450 million, phased in over five years.That plan would raise the state's teacher salaries to the Southeastern average and narrow the disparity between urban and rural systems.

It won't close the gap entirely, because school systems are still free to spend as much additional local money as they want on teacher salaries.But Qualls said it would come close enough for the Small Schools to live with.

Other experts say the cost could be cut down to the $50 million range if the plan included a cost-of-living factor that recognized the need to pay teachers in urban systems more.

Who decides which route to follow?

The process starts with the BEP Review Committee, a group appointed by the legislature.The group is the official guardian of the BEP, and change starts there.

· Presenter: Wayne Qualls - Former Commission of Education for the State of Tennessee
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Wayne Qualls has served as the Executive Director of Tennessee School Systems for Equity since 1999.Previously, he was the Director of Intergovernmental and Legislative Services for the Tennessee Board of Regents.He served as the State of Tennessee's Assistant Commissioner of Education for two years prior to being appointed as the Commissioner of Education in 1994-95.His career in education has been varied, having served as a teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent.Mr. Qualls received his Bachelor's Degree from David Lipscomb University, his Master's Degree from Austin Peay University, and his Educational Specialist Degree from Tennessee State University.In 1992, he developed the state model on accountability for local schools in Tennessee.Mr. Qualls was instrumental in a ruling which brought $700 million in new funding to small schools in Tennessee.

You will truly enjoy this dynamic speaker and his words of wisdom.

Wayne Qualls has served as the Executive Director of Tennessee School Systems for Equity since 1999.Previously, he was the Director of Intergovernmental and Legislative Services for the Tennessee Board of Regents.He served as the State of Tennessee's Assistant Commissioner of Education for two years prior to being appointed as the Commissioner of Education in 1994-95.His career in education has been varied, having served as a teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent.Mr. Qualls received his Bachelor's Degree from David Lipscomb University, his Master's Degree from Austin Peay University, and his Educational Specialist Degree from Tennessee State University.In 1992, he developed the state model on accountability for local schools in Tennessee.Mr. Qualls was instrumental in a ruling which brought $700 million in new funding to schools in Tennessee.