NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen has a message for the state’s teachers: You’re valued.
That might seem intuitive, but teachers say it offers a refreshing contrast to her predecessor, Kevin Huffman. He left the state Education Department under fire last year for his aggressive approach to education reform. He was especially criticized for how he handled teachers, especially when he tried to tie their licenses to standardized test scores.
McQueen says she wants teachers to help determine how the state measures what they do.
“It’s extraordinarily important to make sure that teacher voice is being heard as we analyze the policy decisions that have been made over the last several years, and start planning for the future,” she said during a visit this month to a Nashville high school. “We value them.”
The new commissioner, who took office in January, recently launched a statewide effort to visit with 10,000 teachers by the end of the 2015-16 school year.