Praise for TN Commissioner of Education

DFER and ExcelinEd applaud the bold steps TN Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman is taking:

ExcelinEd Stands With Tennessee Commissioner of Education on Bold Teacher Reforms

WASHINGTON – Today, the Tennessee State Board of Education voted to pass the State Minimum Salary Schedule, a proposal by Commissioner of Education Kevin Huffman to reform the state’s teacher compensation system by setting a minimum salary for teachers and providing school districts with significantly more latitude to create teacher compensation plans. Commissioner Huffman also presented today a second proposal that reforms and streamlines the teacher licensure process in Tennessee. The new licensure program would create a single practitioner license for nearly all pathways, tie advancement and renewal to performance, adopt incremental increases in Praxis scores over the next 10 years, and reduce the duration of the license. The licensure proposal will be considered by the Board at a future meeting.

Patricia Levesque, chief executive officer of the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd) released the following statement of support:

“We commend the State Board of Education for passing the State Minimum Salary Scheduled proposed by the Department of Education. By modernizing the state’s teacher compensation system, Tennessee is closer to ensuring all students have access to an effective teacher. Further, streamlining the state’s teacher licensing program would allow administrators at the district-level more control over how their teachers are compensated. These reforms are much needed in improving Tennessee’s education landscape.

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