[Todd.Harvey]

good point, as you know, wages and salaries in Tennessee, as well as real estate, are lower than in a lot of places. Also, apparently the state numbers are not so meaningful, as teachers salaries vary greatly from county to county (Knox county being depressed, probably by all the graduating students choosing to remain) Some teacher friends tell me that a number of their co-workers have moved to Georgia for an immediate pickup of 15-20K.

[GailA]

IF the funds were MORE wisely spent, teachers in TN would be better paid. In Memphis their school board choses "pretty" schools at nearly double to cost of Shelby Co schools. Over putting those funds into the teachers pay, equipment, books, etc. One glass curtain wall $132,000 by an OUT OF STATE artist. I'm sure the students really cared about how pretty their school looked.