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Gov. Lee’s state of state address: ‘We will do whatever it takes to make Tennessee the best state in America to be a student’

In this Jan. 7, 2020, file photo, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks to the media during a tour of Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Tenn. Lee's administration has invoked executive privilege multiple times to withhold documents from public records requests, even though such privilege is not defined in the state's law, nor mentioned in its constitution. (Robin Rudd/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File)
In this Jan. 7, 2020, file photo, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks to the media during a tour of Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Tenn. Lee's administration has invoked executive privilege multiple times to withhold documents from public records requests, even though such privilege is not defined in the state's law, nor mentioned in its constitution. (Robin Rudd/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File) In this Jan. 7, 2020, file photo, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks to the media during a tour of Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Tenn. Lee's administration has invoked executive privilege multiple times to withhold documents from public records requests, even though such privilege is not defined in the state's law, nor mentioned in its constitution. (Robin Rudd/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File)

By Andy Sher 5 min read

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is expected to announce increases in teacher pay and other education improvements during his annual State of the State address Monday evening.

But the question for educators is how far the Republican governor will go in his second budget in terms of improving teacher pay. Tennessee last fall was ranked as the nation’s 43rd “worst” by WalletHub in terms of “opportunity & competition” for teachers, a category that includes competitive salaries and job security.

In selected excerpts of the Republican governor’s remarks, released in advance of his 7 p.m. (EST) speech, Lee will say “make no mistake: we will do whatever it takes to make Tennessee the best state in America to be a student, and that means making Tennessee the best state in America to be a teacher.

“That means better pay, as we’ve said, but it also means better training and professional support, so that our teachers can perform at the top of their trade,” the address reads.

(UPDATE: Gov. Bill Lee pitches what he calls the ‘largest investment’ in teacher pay in Tennessee history)