RETENTION
Tennessee is a unique state, not only because
we have the greatest citizens, but because of our
geography. We border eight states, which can be both
an advantage and a disadvantage at times. When
economic times are good, people want to relocate
to our state. When economic times are difficult, it
allows residents to move to a neighboring state and
pursue more money in their chosen occupation. In
education, we lose teachers to our border states
regularly.
Effective educator preparation remains critical to
the future of education in Tennessee. When we lose
teachers to other states, it hurts Tennessee. We
must work on teacher retention and continue to offer
suggestions on the front end. Also, we must work to
have a pipeline of high-quality educators who can
move into our classrooms.
FOCUS AREAS
The existing teacher shortage - especially in special
education, math, and science, and in schools serving
students of color, low-income students, and English
learners - will likely only increase, based on the
predicted increase in the school-going population
in the future. Colleges of Education must also
address how to serve Career & Technical Education
(CTE). Areas such as business, agriculture, health,
automotive, and mechatronics programs need high-
quality teachers. We should also consider how to
better build the skills of paraprofessionals who work
alongside teachers in classrooms in critical roles.
There is no way to ensure that all teachers are
great before they begin teaching. However, we can
make the effort to equip our educators with skills
for a modern age. We cannot afford to lose great
teacher candidates across our borders. We think
it is imperative that the state continues to support
districts in recruiting and better preparing future
teachers, and the “Grow Your Own” partnership is
a great new model. This may also necessitate some
changes to teacher licensure.
Change is on the horizon in how we prepare those
who educate our children. Policymakers and
stakeholders need to work together to make the
necessary changes that benefit our students and
ensure that quality educators enter and remain in the
profession. Together we can make schools a better
place for teachers to work and our students to learn.
The Commissioner is correct: If you want to be an
educator, you should be in Tennessee.