special section:
Diane
black
Thank you for taking the time to share with our
educators today. On behalf of our members, I would
like to say we are grateful you are offering yourself
for Governor. Please share with educators a little about
who you are, and why you are running for Governor.
My name is Diane Black. I am a registered nurse and former
educator. I currently serve the people of Tennessee’s sixth
congressional district as their Congressman.
Who I am can be traced back to how I was raised. I grew up
in Maryland, and spent the first years of my life in public
housing. My parents came of age during the Depression and
didn’t have more than a ninth-grade education.
I never thought I would have the opportunity to go to college,
but a guidance counselor helped me to get a scholarship to
go to nursing school. If it were not for him, I wouldn’t be
where I am today.
From my counselor, I learned to have high standards and
high expectations. From my parents, I learned the value
of work hard, to never quit, and to stick close to the most
important thing – my values.
I am running for Governor because I want our state to
be the best it can be from education to healthcare to job
creation. I want every child to know they can reach their
full potential here.
We made quite a few changes in public education in
Tennessee the last decade - some necessary, some
debatable. What are we doing right?
As the fastest improving state in the nation since 2011,
Tennessee has been making great strides in getting public
education right. Closing achievement gaps and improving
college readiness among students is no easy feat. I applaud
the hard work and dedication of the high-quality educators
who made it possible.
Tennessee has set high expectations for teachers and
teachers have met the challenge. Increased accountability
has been a positive for teachers and students. The current
wave of education reform has produced real, measurable
results that have benefitted our state.
In your opinion, what are the top 3 challenges still
facing education in Tennessee?
The looming teacher shortage is the greatest challenge
facing education. Half of Tennessee’s teachers will retire or
leave the profession in the next decade. The next Governor
will be a key factor in how we solve this problem.
A second challenge for education in Tennessee is expanding
our focus on college readiness to include career readiness as
well. There is widespread agreement for a renewed focus on
Career and Technical Education but it is crucial we have a
plan as we move toward that goal.
Another challenge for Tennessee is making sure students
explore various career paths before graduation. The
renewed emphasis on CTE is a welcome development, but it
is just one tool in the toolbox in exposing students to all the
careers from which they can choose.
What are the steps that the state and local districts
need to take to address the challenges you identified?
What impact will that have on classroom teachers?
Much of Tennessee’s teacher shortage lies in grades 7-12.
Shortages in Pre-K through Grade 6 exist mostly in Special
Education and English Language Learners (ELL). ELL
(formerly English as a Second Language), World Languages,
Math and Science are the areas where the shortage is most