Just like Donald Trump, state Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, is claiming he misspoke when he said it was a "misnomer out there that teachers are very low paid."
He said it before the State House Education and Planning Subcommittee on March 6. There's a video (see below).
Did he mean it?
Only Sparks knows what is in his heart.
I certainly don't.
I do know that if you say something on video and later regret it, it's not fake news like he said on WGNS. And it's not a misnomer either because that's not what that word means.
I also know that Sparks said in the same meeting that he was proud of how much Tennessee teachers make and how the Haslam administration had prioritized teacher pay.
I'll give him one thing. Since 2014, Haslam has made raising teacher pay a priority, which is why Sparks was before the State House Education and Planning Subcommittee on March 6.
We've climbed from 48th to 38th in the nation for teacher compensation.
And Sparks is proud.
So proud he was pitching a bill that would put every teacher in the state and their pay online so anyone can see how much their child's teacher makes.
The committee was split on the idea. One member expressed concern about exposing teachers to scammers by placing individual teacher pay within reach of any Nigerian prince who wants to see it.
I'm one who will argue for transparency in most cases. Sunshine is always the best disinfectant.
But (this is a big but) transparency must be balanced with privacy.
Just because we can put something online doesn't mean we should.
Plus, the information (with privacy protected) is available online.
The Tennessee Education Association has a statewide listing of teacher salaries by system. It includes how experience, educational attainment and benefits impact salaries.
Rutherford County, in particular, has its salary schedule within easy reach without exposing teachers to potential criminals.
And if you really want to know how much your child's teacher makes, you can submit an Open Records request. You'll get your answer within a week.
When presented with this information, Sparks doubled down and argued about transparency in government. He said his salary is online.
You can find his base salary of about $22,000 at Transparent TN but not how much he makes in per diem, his office allowance or other perks from serving as a state rep.
By his reasoning, shouldn't we know how much he really makes?
Sparks said he proposed the legislation because he is proud of how Tennessee has improved teacher pay in recent years.
"The state legislature has invested more in teacher salaries over the last three years than at any point in state history but there is still more work to be done," Sparks said in a Tuesday morning Facebook post.
I agree. It's got better.
We have come from the bottom to the lower middle of the pack (38th of 54).
But we've done it without publishing the name and salary of every teacher in the state.
And is it really worth bragging about to say that we're nearly average instead of terrible?
For his full comments, click here. The bill is HB2322. If you select it from the listing under the video, it will take you directly to the segment.
Michelle Willard is a freelance journalist who fills her days with social media marketing, politics, true crime, and taking complaints. You can complain to her on Twitter @MichWillard or by email michelle(at)murfreesborovoice.com.
