Encourages public input on state standards
Nashville, TN – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam today unveiled a website, https://apps.tn.gov/tcas/ , where Tennesseans can review and comment on the state’s current K-12 academic standards.
Academic standards set grade-specific goals that define what students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of a given grade or course.
There are more than 1,100 for English language arts (ELA) and more than 900 for mathematics in Tennessee.
“There has been considerable concern about Common Core State Standards, currently in place state-wide,” said Tennessee State Representative Joe Pitts (D-Clarksville). “The standards do offer some advantages for students and our public education system, but the quick roll-out did not, among other issues, allow time for educators, students and parents to understand how they work.”
Standards are typically reviewed in Tennessee every six years. The current standards are now in their fourth year. The governor believes that with all of the conversation about standards happening in the state and country it’s an appropriate time to look at them again.
“This is a real opportunity to get a ‘peek behind the curtain’ of the state standards and offer constructive opinions about changes or improvements,” said Pitts. “This is not just an exercise for our educators, but a great chance for every citizen to get involved in the process.”
The Southern Regional Education Board, as a third party and independent resource, will collect the data from the website in the Spring and then turn that information over to be reviewed and analyzed by two committees and six advisory teams comprised of professional Tennessee educators.
The advisory teams will review Tennessee’s current standards and gather input to make recommendations to the two committees, which will then propose changes to the State Board of Education. There are three Clarksville-Montgomery County educators on the advisory teams.
If you have questions about the above or other issues of concern, please call me at 615.741.2043, or email me at rep.joe.pitts@capitol.tn.gov
