Governor Invests in Strong Workforce of Tomorrow
Published Apr 07, 2006
Gov. Bredesen addresses students at the Tennessee’s Governor’s School, summer programs for gifted and talented high school students.
From education before kindergarten to keeping college students in class, Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s education priorities are designed with one goal in mind – to prepare students for the workforce of tomorrow.
“I believe that any young person today who doesn’t have at least a high school diploma is going to be completely marginalized in the America of 2020, 2030 and 2040. It’s vitally important,” Bredesen says, “and I’ve set a high goal.
“We need to figure out how to keep these kids in school and give them at least that much of a start.”
In his State of the State Address in January 2006, Bredesen challenged Tennessee high schools to graduate 90 percent of their students by 2012. And when it comes to higher education, he set a goal of 55 percent.
“I think there are a lot of reasons why kids who start college don’t finish. Sometimes it’s financial, but I think much more often it’s cultural and social issues,” Bredesen says. “I’d like our colleges and universities to do everything possible to help them succeed and help them graduate.”
Tennessee’s governor has some empathy for students who, like himself, grew up in small communities and are then “thrown into this great big, competitive environment of college today. I think sometimes these kids need a little help. They’re perfectly capable of doing the work.”
Bredesen hopes that for many students – at all levels – coursework includes an emphasis on science and mathematics.
“Success especially in math is an absolute indicator of success in a lot of other things in education,” he says. “I believe that people who are going to be successful and employable and who will help keep our country competitive in the future will major in math, engineering, physical sciences and similar disciplines.”
To give such students a leg up, Bredesen’s 2006-2007 budget includes funding for a two-year residential school in Tullahoma designed for high school students with special talents in math and science.
“I want lots of students to take more math and science and to reward and help those who are very skilled in this area,” Bredesen says. “I think it will help these kids get strong college scholarships and will prepare them for terrific careers.”
Putting skilled teachers in classrooms is a Bredesen priority, too. That’s why the governor supports accelerated credentialing for mid-career professionals who want to teach in their fields of expertise. In 2005, 59 new teachers were trained under the governor’s Teach Tennessee program, and most of them were mathematicians or scientists.
“I think it’s great to have someone in the classroom who has real-world experience,” he adds.
Finally, Tennessee’s Voluntary Pre-K Program, championed by Bredesen in 2005, is an education success story. Most Tennessee counties now participate in the initiative.
“Kids develop at different speeds,” Bredesen says. “Pre-K is enormously helpful to a lot of different children, not just at-risk children, to get them ready to hit the ground running when they get to kindergarten.”
For More Information
Gov. Phil Bredesen
tennessee.gov/governor
Story by Sharon H. Fitzgerald
Photo by Jed DeKalb, TSPS
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