Here’s what one Tennessee teacher will be listening for in Haslam’s State of the State address

When eighth-grade history teacher Erin Glenn hears Gov. Bill Haslam’s State of the State address Monday night, she’ll be listening closely for what he says about education — not only for her own eighth-grade students in Chattanooga but for future teachers attending Tennessee’s teacher training programs.

A teacher at a Title I magnet school serving inner-city students, she’s especially interested in what Haslam will say about investments in career readiness, including state partnerships with business leaders to ensure that her students have the skills they’ll need after graduating from high school.

She also wants to know the progress of the state’s Ready to be Ready initiative, as well as how the state is using public feedback to improve its schools proposal under the new federal education law, the Every Students Succeeds Act.

Glenn has taught for a decade at the high school level and now teaches middle school U.S. history at East Lake Academy of Fine Arts in Hamilton County Schools. A Tennessee Educator Fellow with the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, she spoke with Chalkbeat over the weekend about Haslam’s upcoming address, in which he’ll set administration priorities for the upcoming year.

What specifically would you like to hear the governor say to Tennessee parents, educators and students about K-12 education?  

I would like the governor to remind listeners of the big picture — (how Tennessee’s) revised standards and assessment equips students with the skills and knowledge needed for post-secondary success. … Parents, educators, community leaders, business partners and stakeholders have a common interest — the success of all students beyond high school graduation. Recognizing the need to ensure our students’ preparedness, we are fortunate to have a statewide assessment, TNReady, that measures students’ proficiency and growth each year. Not only does this assessment reveal a student’s achievement from one year to the next, it is an assessment of skills needed for the workforce and military interests. Statewide accomplishments that enabled us to become the fastest growing state in the nation and rank 16th in science on the National Assessment of Education Progress will only continue with rigorous classroom instruction and examination of data provided in TNReady.

What are the most important ways that Gov. Haslam and the state legislature can improve our schools?

Gov. Bill Haslam delivers his 2016 State of the State address. (TN.gov)

Equitable outcomes are not easily attained for underrepresented groups. Given the achievement gaps among demographic groups and sub-categories, additional supports are needed to address this population of students. In order to prepare rising educators to effectively address our underrepresented (students), targeted teacher preparation and supports are needed. As rising educators develop their teaching philosophies to prepare for their own classrooms, additional considerations are needed to equip them with the tools, strategies and practices critical to equity of underrepresented students.

What would you like Gov. Haslam to know specifically about your classroom and your school when setting the budget and policy for Tennessee public schools?

In years past, my eighth-grade students were the recipient of a “Know How To Go” grant that allowed them to tour one of four college campuses across the state. While this grant no longer exists, a renewed interest in firsthand college and career experiences beginning in middle school will provide early exposure for these considerations. It is during eighth grade that students apply to high schools aligned to specific subjects and possible career paths. As a result, this is an ideal time to allow them to tour college and career opportunities available within their communities and possibly the state. Financial supports that afford exposure to college and career possibilities, as early as middle school, will enable students to determine which high schools are best aligned to their long-term goals.