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Top 2018 Legislative Issues: SCORE on education

tnscore.org

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (OSBORNE)  --  The Tennessee General Assembly goes back into session next week and WMOT is asking decision leaders around the state what they think should be top priorities for lawmakers.

Today we talk to the education advocacy group SCORE, the State Collaborative on Reforming Education. SCORE’S Teresa Wasson says the group recently asked more than 1700 Tennesseans what their education priorities are.

The top five responses include improved teacher training, more focus on reading and writing, student focused school leaders, high school graduates ready for college or the workforce, and greater protections for at risk students.

Wasson says Tennessee universities need to up their game when it comes to preparing teachers.

“Every prospective teacher deserves to graduate from their teacher preparation program ready to teach on day one, and ready to be an effective teacher as soon as they walk into the classroom.”

One thing SCORE says it will not support is any major change to TNReady, the state’s new student academic assessment system. Some lawmakers have suggested changes might be needed following a troubled program rollout.

“It would be yet three more years, probably, before we had a new assessment in place and operating completely flawlessly. So it would really be a starting over point set back the progress that has been made.”

Wasson says SCORE believes Tennesseans can be proud of the improvements that have been made to the state’s system of public education in recent years. She notes that Tennessee is widely recognized as a “national leader in K-thru-12 education.”