When veteran educator Robin Moore found herself facing an unexpected suspension and a $14,000 pay cut, she turned to her association for help because she knew that navigating school district bureaucracy was not something she could do alone.

A tenured kindergarten teacher with 24 years of experience, Moore had never faced a single disciplinary action. That changed in March 2026 when a colleague reported Moore for what she perceived to be improper behavior on school property.

“I disciplined my own child before leaving work. It was about five o'clock in the evening,” Moore said. 

The following day, school administration placed her on suspension, triggering investigations by the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) and the school district.

Unsure of what to expect and how to proceed, Moore reached out to her local association president who connected her with Reginald Fentress, a TEA UniServ Coordinator.

“I was clueless. I was very nervous to start with,” Moore said. “So he was very calming. He answered my phone calls, he answered my emails.”

With decades of experience representing and advocating for educators, Fentress said he was relieved Moore was a TEA member.

“We receive so many calls from educators in distress, and the worst part of my day is having to say we can’t represent them because they are not a member, or they joined after an incident took place,” Fentress said. “I’m so glad Ms. Moore was a member so we could represent her."

Although the DCS case closed within two weeks, the district’s administrative process dragged on for months, allowing Moore to return to work during the last week of school in May.

Unexpected Twists

Tennessee law allows public-school educators to bring representatives to disciplinary meetings. That’s where TEA representatives can step in to ensure due process is followed and the educator’s rights are protected.

Fentress found ways to calm and help Moore.

“In most disciplinary matters, a rule of thumb is to expect the unexpected,” Fentress said. “It’s safe to say we’ve seen it all, but every case brings something new, so we’re happy to be the calming presence and offer support to our members in a time of need.”

Moore’s situation escalated over the summer when she inquired about her back pay. While district board policy outlines that suspension during an investigation is unpaid, tenured teachers are entitled to full back pay once they are reinstated. Even so, the district human resources office informed Moore she would not receive the missing funds, which amounted to roughly $14,000 of her salary.

During a subsequent meeting, district leadership refused to issue back pay and appeared to steer Moore toward dropping the matter.

“It got really kind of ugly there for a minute,” Moore said. “I felt like they just wanted me to walk away from it.”

Refusing to surrender her earned salary, Moore filed a formal grievance focusing strictly on the district's failure to follow its own payment policies. Fentress and local association leadership stood beside Moore throughout the appeal process.

In the end, the school board voted 6 to 1 to grant Moore an appeal hearing. During the presentation, Fentress pressed the board to respect its own established rules.

“Policy is policy,” Fentress said. “All we were asking was for the board to abide by what’s written into their own policy.”

The board ultimately voted to restore Moore’s $14,000 in back pay.

Reflecting on her months-long ordeal, Moore said her association’s representation kept her grounded and protected against administrative pushback.

“Just having that backing of them sitting during my hearing, and through the entire process, it’s just empowering,” Moore said. “I didn't want it to be the little teacher against the big man.”

Have a question or concern? Contact your UniServ Coordinator. 

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