We have a lot to be proud of in Tennessee public education. In the past year, our state
has been named by multiple national studies for the progress our students have made
and the ways we are equipping each graduate to be successful after high school. We’ve
celebrated a number of moments – from recitals and district championships to science
fairs and spelling bees – that showcase our students’ talents, and we have loved hearing
about those day-to-day victories that happen when a light bulb goes off in the classroom.
The summer break in the school year provides a moment to reflect on our accomplishments
and see where we can continue to improve. I wanted to share a couple of those highlights
with you and relay how we are planning to move forward.
Education is a long game, and we all know it can take years – maybe even decades – to see our
investments pay off. In 2007, our state had a call-to-action moment when several agencies
and reports, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, gave us an “F” for the quality of our
“We are always
listening and im
we’ll continue to
~Commissioner of Edu
academic standards and
the honesty of our state
assessment – which said
more than 90 percent of
students were doing fine,
but national tests, colleges
and employers were telling
us our graduates weren’t
ready.
Now, all of that has
changed. Just this spring,
we earned an “A” for our
standards in 2017 – up
from that “F” in 2007 – and
Tennessee was noted as
the only state where we’ve
both raised the bar and
students are making gains.
H ow O u
the W ay