Nashville, TN – The Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Education Research Alliance (TERA) at Vanderbilt University have launched the 2022 Tennessee Educator Survey statewide.
All educators, administrators, and certified school staff in Tennessee are invited to take the survey and share their perspectives and expertise on education issues affecting their classrooms and schools, to inform strategies and goals at the state, district, and local school levels.
“For more than a decade, Tennessee has conducted the Tennessee Educator Survey to help connect with educators, hear their perspective, and better inform decision-making across public education,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “I encourage teachers to participate in the survey and share those great ideas and experiences that will help us achieve the best for all Tennessee students.”
“The annual Educator Survey is critical for ensuring that teacher and leader voice is reflected in the work researchers do here at Vanderbilt,” said Laura Booker, incoming executive director of the Tennessee Education Research Alliance. “Through survey responses, we learn more about what policies are working and what improvements could be made in Tennessee’s education system.”
Schools with strong participation in the survey can earn grant funding for their school. Last year, more than 40,000 educators across the state participated in the survey.
The survey measures key topics that district and school leaders monitor year after year, including school climate, educator evaluations, instructional practice, professional learning, and specific state initiatives. There are also specific questions around the challenges educators have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The Tennessee Educator Survey allows teachers to have a confidential way to share honest feedback about practices in their school. In order to have a clear mission and vision for our district, we must have authentic feedback from our teachers (and all other stakeholders) to chart our path forward,” said Dr. Versie R. Hamlett, Director of Schools, Fayette County Schools. “The Tennessee Educator Survey gives Fayette County Public Schools valuable data to inform decisions we make to honor our bright spots and to identify areas for improvement.”
“At Chester County Schools, our educators value the opportunities to share and receive feedback. Instead of completing tasks like this survey for compliance, we strive to complete and utilize the results for constructive purposes,” said Troy Kilzer, Director of Schools, Chester County Schools. “Our educators are on a trajectory of continued professional growth. Our leaders review the data of their educators and strategically include professional growth opportunities that support the feedback. Educator engagement and ownership in the professional growth opportunities have been higher since these opportunities are the fruit of their shared feedback.”
“The Tennessee Educator Survey is a tool that Haywood County Schools uses to reflect on our district and our schools’ climate, instructional practice, and professional learning,” said Joey Hassell, Director of Schools, Haywood County Schools. “Through survey results, we determine what and where we need to engage more closely or monitor and adjust. The results offer us a critical piece of qualitative data for decision-making.”
For more information about the Tennessee Educator Survey, click here.
