Dear Friends, A strong education touches all facets of society. Schools mold students, but those students then become doctors, farmers, soldiers, business owners, and citizens of tomorrow. From healthcare to the economy, K-12 education affects the vitality of diverse fields of industry and the community at large. Education is not just an end in itself,…
Dear Friends, Opportunity. That is the one word astronaut Butch Wilmore, a Tennessean who spent half a year on the International Space Station, wants Tennessee students to remember. “Education gives opportunity. And that’s the only thing that gives you opportunity to choose what field you want to go into,” Captain Wilmore told students during a…
Dear Friends, Tennessee has become a national leader in raising student achievement because of strong resolve to set bold student achievement goals and to make ground-breaking change to reach those goals. On Tuesday, SCORE released Prepared for Day One: Improving the Effectiveness of Early-Career Teaching, a report that explores new opportunities to support greater student…
Dear Friends, The SCORE Prize Summit, a 36-hour event that brought hundreds of Tennessee educators together to learn, grow, and develop new strategies for student success, began bright and early on a Friday morning. With their first cups of coffee, these educators from all across the state began conversations that echoed around the convention site…
Dear Friends, As school starts again, I cannot help but think of Tennessee’s teachers. The teachers I know are busy creating engaging lesson plans, planning their own professional learning, and focusing intentionally on how best to help their students broaden and deepen their understanding so they are ready for the next week, the next grade,…