special section:
randy
boyd
Thank you for taking the time to share with our
educators today. On behalf of our members, I would
like to say we are grateful you are offering yourself
for Governor. Please share with educators a little about
who you are, and why you are running for Governor.
I am running for Governor to expand opportunities for all
Tennesseans. As Governor, if elected, I will have three clear
goals: Without great teachers we could not have made that school
a reality. My experience helping to launch higher education
opportunity programs like knoxAchieves, the Drive to 55
and Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect has
given me unique insight into the importance of getting
all students prepared for the next level of opportunities.
For me, education is not just about helping students get a
great education, but it is about creating opportunities for
better jobs and better lives for Tennesseans. By establishing
big and bold goals we can continue to build on progress
we have made and go even higher, leading to Tennessee
becoming the Smartest State in the South.
• Complete the Drive to 55 to ensure students and
Tennesseans of all ages are prepared for the jobs of
today and tomorrow. We made quite a few changes in public education in
Tennessee the last decade - some necessary, some
debatable. What are we doing right?
• Be #1 in the Southeast for High Quality Jobs. As the fastest-improving state in the nation, Tennessee is
a national leader. I believe we are on the right track and
have positive momentum, but we need to keep our eyes on
the prize. Some of the basic foundations center around the
following:
First and foremost, I am a proud husband, father and
7th generation Tennessean. A Republican and principled
conservative. And a business owner.
• Have zero distressed counties in Tennessee by 2025.
No matter the audience, when asked why I’m running for
Governor I always come back to education. For us to continue
to move forward in education we must have teachers at the
table. Teachers matter more to student achievement than
any other in-school factor. We cannot expect to make the
progress for ALL students without your ideas, input and
leadership.
Working to improve education is not a new issue for me.
Some of my most valuable insights into the challenges
we face when working to improve education came when
helping to form a public-private partnership to make one of
our Knoxville local schools the heart of the community and
ensuring that the school became the nexus for providing
each child a great education and the social, emotional,
wellness and mental health support to learn and flourish.
• The higher academic standards we set for students,
which Tennessee educators helped craft;
• The feedback and professional development systems we
created, which Tennessee teachers have provided direct
feedback of how this is helping them improve classroom
instruction.
• That we are listening and engaging teachers in
meaningful ways and we need to do more of it. We
need to make sure that all the assessment and evaluation
and accountabilities are centered around the very
practical need to make sure the teacher-student-parent
relationship is the most productive partnership that
maximizes every child’s God-given potential and talents.