Greetings to Senators Howard Baker and metropolis Kassebaum Baker. And to Dr. Cheek and alternative education leaders from round the state, many thanks for having American state here nowadays.
I'm honored to be a vicinity of the Distinguished Baker Lecture series. and that i am excited to own this chance to speak regarding however Tennessee helps to guide the state to wherever we'd like to travel in education.
It is no secret that for several years Tennessee has lagged behind most states in educational accomplishment and faculty attainment. however i'm not fascinated by wherever you were—I'm fascinated by wherever you're going. And my hope—my challenge to you—is that Tennessee be the quickest up state within the country.
Tennessee's students have created speedy progress within the last four years during a variety of areas. State assessment scores have jumped, high school graduation rates area unit up, and faculty enrollment seems to air the increase.
Yet everybody here is aware of that pressing challenges stay. Tennessee still has intolerably giant accomplishment gaps. and that i would really like to check Tennessee expand its' educational institution program for four year-olds, such a big amount of additional deprived kids will begin preschool at constant line as kids from additional privileged backgrounds. In some ways, it's currently clear Tennessee has created a model for education reform for alternative states to follow. And it is a model, quite honestly, that Washington will learn abundant from additionally.
When the history of education reform is written here, i http://www.schoolanduniversity.com/request-informationthink it'll show that the state's success in advancing education has 3 key components.
First, Tennessee's leaders, from the Statehouse to the governor's mansion, have worked during a two-way manner, rather than insistence on philosophical litmus test tests and partisan purity.
Tennessee's legislators associate degreed governors have treated Pre-K-to-12 education as an investment in kids, in its force, and in Tennessee's future—and not as simply another expenditure on the budget line. operating across party lines, Tennessee's leaders haven't let the right become the enemy of the nice.
Second, Tennessee has raised the bar, it's raised expectations for student learning, with the aim that every one students are college- and career-ready.
The state has insisted that up student outcomes and students' life probabilities is that the final purpose of strengthening education—and you have got not flinched once raising the bar exposed even larger accomplishment gaps and chance gaps.
Staying the course within the face of what I decision "brutal truths" takes real courageousness, and you have got incontestable that. Tennessee's commitment to try to to the correct issue, not the simple issue, for college students, parents, and academics has been apparent for the globe to check.
And finally, Tennessee has provided an excellent model of governance and partnership. Through its Race to the highest grant and alternative initiatives, Tennessee has done an incredible job of partnering not solely with North American country at the federal level, however with non-profits, educational activity, and also the personal sector. This work is thus onerous and then important—and we tend to should have it away along.
State and native leaders in Tennessee took the lead in elevating education. that is however it ought to be. it's not the duty of the federal to be a national board. the most effective concepts for strengthening education nearly always come back from the native level—and Tennessee has been a fount of innovation and creative thinking.
The federal ought to play second fiddle once it involves education. however second fiddle is a vital half, too.
Our department works to partner with states and districts to support their efforts. we offer incentives to encourage courageousness and innovation. and that we support states and districts to experiment with effective, research-based solutions to instructional challenges.
Under the law, the federal additionally should meet its obligations to confirm civil right for college students of color, students with disabilities, and West Germanic language learners.
Earlier nowadays, i used to be at an occasion with my sensible friend, Governor Haslam, over at West highschool. He has done an excellent job of moving Tennessee's education agenda reform forward.
Governor Haslam, a Republican, and Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman, a Democrat, embody these 3 traits of the Tennessee's education model that I've simply articulated: Real bipartisanship; associate degree insistence on setting a high bar; and a deep commitment to doing the correct issue for youngsters in partnership with all levels of the community.
I can't say enough regarding the standard of their leadership and political courageousness. however the reality is that they did not pioneer the Tennessee approach in education.
That tradition starts with the precedent set by Senators Howard Baker and metropolis Kassebaum Baker.
Over the course of his exceptional career, legislator Baker earned the title, "The nice peacemaker." Frankly, nowadays we tend to urgently want additional lawmakers in Washington WHO area unit willing to look for compromise, and WHO area unit willing to concentrate with all respect to people who see the globe otherwise than them.
Senator Baker's commitment to civility and his belief in civic education and engagement helped inspire the Baker Center's mission.
And I wish to feature that legislator metropolis Kassebaum Baker's career additionally epitomizes this commitment to education, to native management, to operating across party lines, and to doing the correct thing—even once it typically meant disagreeing along with her fellow Republicans.
The Bakers' record is all the additional putting nowadays as a result of each of them were rock-ribbed Republicans. Growing up in Topeka, Kansas, metropolis Kassebaum Baker was metropolis Landon, the female offspring of Kansas governor Alf Landon, WHO ran against President Roosevelt in 1936.
Howard Baker's father, Howard Baker Sr., was a seven-term Republican U.S. representative from Tennessee. And Howard Jnr.'s begetter was Everett Dirksen, the Senate Republican leader.
So if you will enable American state, bear with American state whereas I tell a handful of stories regarding the Bakers. Let American state begin with legislator Kassebaum Baker.
In Sep, I had the honour of speaking at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic web site in Topeka, Nancy's town.
The Brown v. Board of Education National Historic web site is that the former Monroe college. it absolutely was the unintegrated college Linda Brown attended in 1953 as a ten-year previous which helped launch a civil rights revolution.
When I spoke at that historic landmark, i used to be stricken by the actual fact that such a big amount of of our civil rights heroes were usually normal men, women, and kids.
Oliver Brown, Linda Brown's father, and also the named litigant in Brown v. Board of Education, wasn't a lawmaker, a civil rights activist, or a elaborate conference professional. He was a store craftsman for the railroad. alternative plaintiffs WHO sued to finish college integration within the Brown case were secretaries, teachers, and students.
One of them was Lucinda Todd, the primary litigant from Topeka to hitch the NAACP's proceedings within the Brown case.
Lucinda was a coach. She joined the Brown proceedings when her female offspring was nearly hit by a bus whereas awaiting her daily ride to highschool. White kids in Topeka may walk to the eighteen all-white neighborhood faculties in Topeka. however black kids usually could not attend their neighborhood college and were forced to be bussed cross-town.
And it simply did not appear right to Lucinda that her female offspring, WHO compete piano and string, couldn't participate in district-wide music recitals.
Gov. Landon and his better half knew the Todds. they'd nice respect for them. Lucinda's husband, Alvin, would typically aid with dinner events at their house.
As a young person, metropolis did not fathom Lucinda's fight against segregation. however as i will get to a second, she ne'er forgot the Todd's either.
In 1950, metropolis did not assume abundant regarding segregation. That was simply the approach things were in Topeka—and several elements of the South were abundant worse.
But as she married and had kids, metropolis developed a passion for education, a reverence for teachers—and the positive information that segregation was wrong.
She started by serving to out at her children's grade school in small-town Maize, Kansas. the varsity had no library, thus metropolis Kassebaum got the varsity to let her use the closet for the area to form a library.
Soon, she facilitate raised cash to open a true library at the varsity. then metropolis won her initial election—to the Maize board.
Nancy Kassebaum went on to be elective to the U.S. Senate and chaired the Senate committee on education. however as novelist, that son of the South, splendidly aforesaid, "the past is not dead and buried . . . it's not even past."
As it clothed , by 1990, the Monroe School—the unintegrated college very little Linda Brown attended—had been closed attributable to declining enrollment. the varsity was regular to be auctioned off.
But Nancy, operating with legislator Dole and representative Dan Glickman, intervened. They wrote the inside Secretary asking that he designate the Monroe college because the Brown v. Board National Historic web site.
That critically-important piece of our national history was saved—and exists nowadays thus of us like American state will still visit it—due partially to metropolis Kassebaum's efforts.
And legislator Kassebaum did not stop there in righting a wrong. Against the desires of the Reagan administration, she supported economic sanctions against South Africa's social policy regime. as a result of if it absolutely was wrong to mark picture show seats "Colored" in Topeka, it absolutely was even as wrong in Johannesburg.
When President Reagan vetoed general assembly sanctions against African nation in 1986, legislator Kassebaum helped lead the charge to with success override his veto.
Nancy Kassebaum did not forget Lucinda Todd either, the teacher WHO initial signed on to the Brown v. Board of Education proceedings.
When legislator Kassebaum was chair of the African Affairs committee, she was lucky enough to satisfy solon in 1990, shortly when Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was discharged from jail. throughout their meeting, legislator Kassebaum asked Mandela—one of my heroes—to autograph an image for her to send to the Todd's and their female offspring.
She told Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela regarding Lucinda—the teacher WHO merely needed her female offspring to be able to walk to highschool and play the string at school recitals.
Mandela fain signed an image for the Todd's. then he told metropolis Kassebaum one thing she remembers to the present day: whereas Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was jailed in Robben Island, he scan each word of the Brown v. Board of Education call.
A half-a-world off from Mandela's spartan cell, a coach from Topeka had stepped up to try to to the correct issue. With courageousness and commitment, normal individuals drive extraordinary modification.
Now, for Howard Baker, education wasn't at the highest of his legislative agenda. however like metropolis, Howard Baker believes deeply that education should be the good equalizer in America, the force that overcomes variations in race, privilege, and national origin.
He is aware of the federal incorporates a role to play in protective civil right for college students of color, students with disabilities, and English learners—and he wasn't afraid to mention thus, even once it place him at odds together with his party.
He believes that education, like charity, begins at home—but it doesn't finish there. In fact, Howard Baker initial co-sponsored legislation to form a U.S. Department of Education in 1978, 1 / 4 century agone.
"Education is associate degree investment of no tiny live in our Nation," he aforesaid once he introduced his bill. And once President Reagan tried to get rid of the U.S. Department of Education, legislator Baker, the bulk leader, opposed him.
In a terribly personal approach, Howard Baker has understood that education is that the civil rights offering not solely of our generation however of our predecessors'. thus let American state tell you a fast story regarding Howard Baker.
Not long when the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, lawmakers from the South banded along to oppose racial integration publicly places. the whole delegations of seven Southern states signed the Southern pronunciamento, a screed to segregation. however in associate degree act of political bravery, representative Baker, Howard's father, refused to sign.
That was Howard Jnr.'s legacy—and he lived up thereto. many years later, within the summer of 1963, Howard Baker Jnr. had nevertheless to start his political career. He was simply a young professional heading through Washington on business on his thanks to National aerodrome.
But traffic was all crowded right along the Washington Mall that day as his taxi inched its approach toward the aerodrome. it absolutely was August twenty eight, 1963—and the historic move Washington was going down.
The taxi driver had his radio tuned to the event, and one speaker when another challenged America to meet its promise of equality before the law. then Howard Baker detected a 34-year-old minister WHO had spent a part of that year during a Birmingham prison cell begin to talk.
As he listened to Dr. theologist King begin his speech, Howard Baker knew he couldn't sit in his taxi any more.
He hopped out and created his approach on foot toward the memorial. And there he watched Dr. theologist King deliver his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech.
Twenty years later, Howard Baker was the Senate legislator. And while not support from the Reagan administration, he visited the Senate floor to need a legal holiday to honor the birthday of theologist King.
Before the Senate voted for the theologist King Day vacation, legislator Baker told his colleagues regarding being attentive to Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. it absolutely was hobby, he said, to expand "the horizon of human freedom still additional."
And so it's that the Baker-Kassebaum model of treating education as a civil rights, of setting high expectations, of bipartisanship, of mixing native leadership with federal oversight, has characterised Tennessee's approach to education reform.
I'd be derelict in not mentioning here the two-way work of my friend, Lamar Alexander, WHO was Tennessee's initial "education governor." He has been astonishingly kind, generous, and thoughtful to American state from the day I arrived in Washington, and that i can always remember that.
But let American state tell you wherever Lamar got his begin in politics—as a legislative assistant to legislator Howard Baker.
With the tutorial transformation currently underneath approach in Tennessee, it's straightforward to forget that simply a couple of short years agone, Tennessee had a number of the bottom instructional standards within the nation.
In 2007, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave Tennessee associate degree "F" for its educational standards, one in all solely 2 states that flunked the Chamber's information.
Tennessee had the biggest gap within the country between p.cage|the share|the proportion} of scholars that were deemed skilful in reading and maths on state tests—90 p.c—and the percent that were deemed skilful on the National Assessment of instructional Progress—26 percent.
Because Tennessee was really lying to kids associate degreed parents—telling them they were doing fine after they were not—the Chamber gave Tennessee an "F" for "Truth in Advertising regarding Student Proficiency."
The cut scores for proficiency on Tennessee's assessments weren't solely dishonest, they were additionally set as low as they might go. They corresponded to a student GPA of a D-. And as low standards continually do, they hid Brobdingnagian accomplishment gaps that area unit particularly damaging to deprived students.
After the Chamber's report, a Democratic governor, Phil Bredesen, captive in bike with the Tennessee Board of Education to line additional difficult standards for college students and develop additional rigorous assessments with higher, additional honest cut scores.
The new cut score for proficiency corresponds to a B average. To graduate, students should currently take {algebra|pure mathsematics} II and a math course all told four years of highschool, rather than earning 3 maths credits. and that they should earn twenty two total credits, rather than twenty.
When Tennessee boosted cut scores in its new assessment in 2010, proficiency rates born by over [*fr1]. accomplishment gaps, already overlarge, over doubled.
Were students really doing worse? No, they weren't. For the primary time, the state was really telling the reality.
And in associate degree act of two-way leadership and courageousness, Governor Bredesen and Governor Haslam refused to dummy down the state's standards to do to form Tennessee's students look higher.
This two-way, Tennessee ballroom dancing, has additionally extended to reforming teacher analysis, one in all the foremost disputed areas in education. Tennessee was the primary state within the nation to push ahead with implementing a brand new teacher analysis system. And its example shows alternative states a way to neatly reform teacher analysis.
The new analysis system was developed by Governor Bredesen's administration—and in 2010, Governor Bredesen referred to as the Republican-controlled general assembly into a session to pass the primary to the highest Act.
In a sensible move, at Governor Bredesen's urging all seven major candidates running to succeed him—Democrat and Republican alike—signed letters spoken language they'd support Tennessee's Race to the highest application. This affected, and albeit, surprised me—no alternative state incontestable this sort of foresight, leadership, and coming up with for fulfillment .
Since then, Governor Haslam and Commissioner Huffman have done an excellent job of implementing the new teacher analysis system.
Under Tennessee's previous system, irremovable academics were evaluated simply doubly a decade. That doesn't send a symptom that teaching could be a valued profession, or that academics do unbelievably onerous, advanced work each day.
And a teacher's impact on student growth failed to issue the least bit into their performance analysis. Please stop and have confidence that for a minute—teacher analysis had no association, zero, to growth in student learning.
Under Tennessee's new system, fifty p.c of a teacher's analysis relies on student accomplishment data—initially shared into thirty five p.c for student growth, with fifteen p.c supported alternative measures of student accomplishment.
The remaining fifty p.c of analysis relies on ancient qualitative measures, like observations of academics by principals.
Using multiple measures is often, continually the most effective thanks to appraise success in any true profession. Ignoring student growth, or, at the opposite finish of the spectrum, focusing solely on check scores, area unit equally dangerous concepts.
But what has been even as instructive regarding Tennessee's approach is that the state department of education hasn't unnoticed or downplayed the critics of the new analysis systems—in reality, it's wanted their feedback. Department officers met with seven,500 academics round the state and surveyed sixteen,000 academics and one,000 directors for input on the new analysis system.
Because of the candid, thoughtful feedback the state received—and with the advantage of real proof of teacher impact on growth in student learning from nearly twenty,000 teachers—the department adopted or wanted variety of changes to the teacher analysis system. They listened, during a non-defensive approach, and moved, supported what they detected. that's leadership in action.
So, this commitment to continuous improvement in Tennessee is real, not a motto. And alternative states will learn from it. It takes courageousness to form yourself vulnerable however it additionally causes you to higher.
Tennessee has shown the state that it is important to not ignore a teacher's impact on student learning simply because it's tough to live.
And whereas there's no excellent system of teacher analysis, Tennessee failed to let the right become the enemy of the nice. Tennessee showed that higher teacher analysis propels higher room instruction.
Perhaps most vital, Tennessee's Race to the highest program and alternative reform initiatives aren't modification only for change's sake. they're manufacturing higher outcomes for youngsters and increasing opportunities in real ways that.
In 2012, Tennessee's students' performance improved additional on state assessments than in any previous year. Student learning was up in {23|twenty 3} of the twenty four assessments offered in grades three through eight.
During simply the primary 2 years of the Race to the highest grant, from 2010 to 2012, an extra fifty five,000 students in Tennessee were at or on top of grade level in maths and thirty eight,000 extra students were at or on top of grade level in science. Is there still a protracted thanks to go? fully. however this can be real progress and will be celebrated.
More rigorous standards area unit gap instructional doors and making new opportunities. Tens of thousands of extra students area unit graduating from highschool and enrolling in faculty.
Those new highschool graduates and faculty students currently have a more robust probability of obtaining a decent job, owning their house, and supporting a family. this can be not regarding check scores—it is regarding up the life probabilities of tykes WHO area unit urgently effort to finish cycles of economic condition and enter the thought of society.
Since 2009, Tennessee's on-time graduation rate has jumped four share points, to 87.2 percent. That helps place to the lie the parable that after you raise standards, additional students drop out. All my life, I've seen that after you challenge tykes, they rise to satisfy higher expectations.
And since the implementation of upper educational standards in 2009, fifteen p.c additional students have listed in faculty, in line with Tennessee SCORE.
The final space wherever Tennessee will facilitate lead the state is educational activity policy.
Today, just about all states use associate degree enrollment-based model to see funding for educational activity, although many states area unit adding performance-based components to see a little of state funding.
Simply put, the enrollment model provides incentives for enrollment growth—the additional students you have got, the more cash you get. however it does not support excellence. It does not encourage individuals to stay with faculty to urge their degree. And it does not enhance productivity. It focuses on inputs, not necessary outcomes, like student success.
Tennessee is that the American state to own born its enrollment-based approach for state funding in favor of associate degree outcomes-based model. In fact, Tennessee not has any enrollment-based allocation of state funds. All state higher disfunction funding here—not a part of it—is outcomes-based.
Tennessee has additionally pioneered distinctive and innovative post-secondary technical education in its twenty seven Tennessee Technology Centers. all of Tennessee's Technology Centers graduates over [*fr1] their students—well on top of the national rate—and students at the Technology Centers do not find yourself cornered in remedial categories. they're being trained for real jobs that too usually currently go empty due a scarcity of qualified candidates.
I want to shut nowadays by talking regarding the pressing instructional challenges that stay in Tennessee. we tend to all grasp there's still a protracted thanks to go.
Students in most states still out-perform Tennessee's students. And Tennessee has not bettered its standing, relative to alternative states, or among Southeastern states, since 2009. Compared to alternative states, accomplishment gaps in Tennessee between low-income students and alternative students area unit still larger than average.
Tennessee's faculty enrollment and completion rates stay intolerably low—and that's an enormous barrier for businesses and tykes trying to reach today's knowledge-based, international economy.
That's one reason I hope that Tennessee can reverse its steep cuts to educational activity funding since 2009 and reinvest in higher education—just because it has through with K-12 schooling.
And, at the beginning of its cradle-to-career instructional pipeline, i'd wish to see Tennessee expand its high-quality educational institution program for four-year olds from low-income families, West Germanic language learners, and kids with disabilities.
Tennessee endowed important resources in increasing its Voluntary Pre-K initiative in 2005 underneath Governor Bredesen. Today, Tennessee invests over $85 million a year in its pre-K program, with over eighteen,000 kids served in over 925 state-funded lecture rooms.
The National Institute for Early Education analysis ranks Tennessee as a high-quality program. And analysis studies from altruist University notice that the program is considerably boosting early accomplishment, language, and maths skills.
In fact, the annual educational institution program's positive impact is roughly equivalent in size to reducing the black-white accomplishment gap by twenty eight to forty two p.c.
However, the unmet want for high-quality educational institution in Tennessee continues to be giant. Nationwide, but thirty p.c of four-year olds area unit listed nowadays in high-quality educational institution programs. and also the truth is that Tennessee's pre-K program is that the reasonably state initiative that President Obama needs to supply incentives to states to expand.
The President's landmark educational institution arrange is tremendously necessary to our country within the semipermanent. it might give the most important growth of instructional chance within the twenty first century.
Briefly, here is however it might work.
The President has projected to form a federal-state partnership that might alter states to supply universal, high-quality educational institution for four-year-olds from low- to moderate-income families, up to two hundred p.c of the personal income.
This new partnership wouldn't be a brand new mandate or federal title program—it would be associate degree investment in states to jumpstart access to high-quality educational institution and to require the leading states to following level.
States would use federal funds from our Department to form or expand high-quality, state-run educational institution programs, administered in partnerships with native school-based and community suppliers.
Now, in associate degree era of tight budgets, it's fully honest that we tend to raise, what's the neatest use of our education dollars?
The answer, I believe, is that high-quality early learning is that the best instructional investment we are able to build in our kids, our communities, and our country.
Longitudinal studies of each the Perry educational institution Project and also the Chicago kid Parent Centers have projected a come of seven bucks to each one greenback of public investment in high-quality educational institution programs. that is a far higher come than you will traditionally get within the stock exchange.
Today, states like Sooner State and Georgia area unit leading the approach in making high-quality, universal programs. In fact, many countries, diode by each political party and Democratic governors, area unit finance heavily in quality and increasing coverage.
In Alabama, Governor Bentley, a Republican, has asked for a sixty five p.c increase in educational institution funding to hide an extra a pair of,200 four-year olds.
And at the stall, voters area unit approving vote to expand educational institution programs, notwithstanding it suggests that paying higher taxes. In urban center, in Denver, and in St. Paul, Minnesota, voters approved tax will increase last Nov to expand publicly-funded educational institution programs.
I have each religion that we'll before long see Tennessee expand its educational institution program, too. as a result of if you prefer state-led partnerships, wish to line high expectations for quality, aim to shut insidious accomplishment gaps, and get to take a position education bucks sagely, then this can be the correct issue to try to to for youngsters. it's time that we tend to finally level the enjoying field—and stop enjoying catch-up in our public faculties.
Improving education could be a collective effort that begins at home—and I convey all of these WHO have strived to raised education here in Tennessee.
Tennessee has done most to assist lead the state wherever we'd like to travel. i like the progress and clear sense of momentum here—and please hold American state and my team in command of being sensible partners during this transformational work.
I expect with nice anticipation to following stage of Tennessee's journey. I expect to seeing however you'll meet this pressing challenge, Tennessee-style, of providing a best education system to any or all of Tennessee's students. our kids, our families, and our communities, merit no less.
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