Issue Position: Great Schools

Issue Position

Improving our education system is the single most powerful tool for transforming the future of our state.
I want Tennessee to lead the nation, but in order to do that, we have to challenge the status quo. As governor, I'll work to improve our workforce development pipeline, increase choice and transparency in our schools, and focus on recruiting the best and brightest to lead schools and classrooms

Vocational, Technical, and Agricultural education
For politicians, the newfound focus on vocational and technical education is a talking point.

To me, it's been my life for 35 years.

My company employs 1200 working Tennesseans, hundreds of which are skilled tradesmen who are in rewarding careers without a college degree. And even though we were named the best place to work among large employers in Tennessee, and it's a challenge to fill the jobs we have. To fill this gap, we partnered with our local public schools, and we built our own trade school which has graduated over 1000 adults with industry-standard technical training.

I understand that a good education isn't defined only by a test score. It's realized in a student who becomes a whole person and has the skills needed for a successful career. That's why my top priority for education is bringing more vocational, technical, and agricultural education into our schools, equipping more students with real job skills at the time of high school graduation.

Civics and character education matter
We must also renew our commitment to character and civic education in our schools. For the sake of our future, we must ensure that our students grow up knowing and understanding our nation's founding documents and respecting the values they represent.

Supporting and developing educators is critical to student success.
Front and center in our efforts to improve public education are our state's teachers and what they do in the classroom has the biggest impact on our students. As governor, I'll fight to ensure that we lift up our educators and treat them like the professionals they are. Fair compensation is critical, but it goes even further to improving the workplace environment, supporting collaborative efforts among teachers, and ensuring access to quality professional development.

In my business, I know that my role as a CEO isn't to micromanage. It's to create an environment where my employees can thrive. And if we don't set our teachers up for success, then it's really us who are failing them.

Improving our education system means getting the federal government out of the way.
Decisions about education are best made at the local level, and those discussions should be led by parents, not Washington bureaucrats. Our state is made up of diverse and independent communities, and I believe our approach to education should not limit them through one-size-fits all policies. That's why I oppose universal mandates like Common Core and will work to reduce the testing burden on our parents and students. Accountability and transparency are crucial for ensuring that every student is getting the education they deserve, but we should ensure that a good test score is not mistaken for a good education.

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