Gubernatorial candidates discuss state's No.1 priority: education
By Matthew Stewartof The Daily Times Staff
Originally published: October 27. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: October 26. 2009 11:51PM
Four gubernatorial candidates gathered in William Blount High School's Patricia B. Lane Auditorium Monday night to discuss the state's No.1 priority: education.
The Blount Education Initiative (BEI) hosted the community forum that was open to the public. Candidates discussed a wide range of topics from Pre-K, special education, taxes, higher education to the new state standards.
The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) has released a report titled "A Roadmap for Success: A Plan to Make Tennessee Schools #1 in the Southeast Within Five Years." Candidates were asked if they thought it was a reasonable goal for Tennessee, which is nationally ranked in the 40s in a variety of educational performance categories.
Zach Wamp answers a question from the audience Monday while candidate Kim McMillan listens in William Blount High School's Patricia B. Lane Auditorium. Wamp, McMillan, Bill Haslam and Ward Cammack attended the community forum hosted by the Blount Education Initiative.
Ward Cammack, a Democrat, said he thought it was an admirable goal but was apprehensive about how teachers would continue to teach to the test.
Kim McMillan, a Democrat, said she hoped Tennessee's schools would be No. 1 in the Southeast within five years. McMillan said she would like to see more partnerships between the business and educational communities.
U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, a Republican, said he thought it would be a worthwhile investment and wanted to involve educators in the process. "Educators know a lot more about education than politicians," he said. Wamp also said he thought it'd be a more reasonable goal to see Tennessee's schools within the nation's top 25 in the next eight years.
Bill Haslam, a Republican, said he didn't think people should be driven by rankings. Haslam then referred back to his five-point program for education that includes higher standards, great principals, great teachers, giving parents more of a say in their child's education and using data to make decisions.
If schools have great principals and teachers then the rest will follow, Haslam said.
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