Welcome to Professional Educators of Tennessee
GIVING TEACHERS A CHOICE Professional Educators of Tennessee (PET) is an association developed to promote the professional status and growth of educators and the welfare of students, in order to make the state of Tennessee a better place to teach and learn. Organized in the 1990-1991 school year with 67 members, PET was formed to give teachers a professional alternative to union membership. PET gives teachers a choice.
PET provides access to professional liability insurance, legal assistance, state lobbyists that represent PET only in Educational issues, state meetings with all professional members having an equal vote, and much more... all for hundreds of dollars less than union dues.
FOCUS ON EDUCATION
PET is a growing professional association of teachers that supports and gets involved only in educational issues. It does not use your name or money to endorse political candidates, nor does it use your name or money to support controversial social or gay rights issues. PET believes that there are groups that specifically address those things if teachers want to get involved. PET's focus remains exclusively on educational issues.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION
When an educator joins a local NEA/TEA sponsored union, they are forced to join the state (TEA) and national unions (NEA). In contrast to this, members of PET retain the option of joining other state, local, and/or national organizations. PET members retain the freedom of association that should be provided to all who teach in a right-to-work state. Professional Educators of Tennessee urge educators to check out all available organizations, what they support and what they represent, before making a decision as to which best fits their philosophy and meets their professional needs.
We look forward to working together as educators with a common goal: doing the best job we can for the education of the children with which we are entrusted.
Mission Statement
v We are a professional association of educators that embraces the responsibility of bringing honor to the teaching profession.
v Our primary mission is to create a quality educational experience in a safe environment for our students.
v Membership benefits include excellent liability coverage and legal protection at an affordable price.
v We concentrate on education issues and the improvement of teaching and do not support compulsory membership or political endorsements.
Values Statement
v PET values the intelligence of its members to make their own political and personal decisions, therefore it does not endorse or contribute to any political candidate or party, nor does it endorse, contribute to, or lobby for controversial social issues.
v PET values the professional status and professional compensation of educators, and seeks to further them.
v PET values the child and recognizes the essential duty of the teacher.
v PET values the responsibilities and rights of teachers, and provides its members guaranteed professional liability insurance and legal representation.
v PET values the right of freedom of association for teachers to belong to any or all professional education organizations of their choosing.