Bo WatsonThis week the local state legislative delegation hosted a mini-summit to bring together key stakeholders in the public education system in Hamilton County for a crucial conversation about public education in our community.
Our plan was to have a straightforward conversation about the the brutal facts of our current situation and depart with three to four items that the delegation could be helpful in executing that would improve student and school outcomes.
We didn't quite get there, but we did reach some valuable conclusions that the public should be aware of if we are going to have any chance of re-establishing a top-tier public education system in Hamilton County.
- Take action now. We cannot wait any longer to address the problems that we have in our school system. If we do not execute with a sense of urgency, then we will have lost a complete generation of students. There is no time to waste. It is no time for pointing fingers and blaming others. This is a school system in crisis, and we are ringing the alarm bells.
- Leadership matters. Let me state that again: Leadership matters. A rudderless boat will drift aimlessly in the ocean. There are more than enough plans and strategies. That's not the problem. The problem is in the execution. A system cannot execute its processes without stable leadership at all levels of its operations but especially at the top of the organization.
- Executing best strategies requires hard work. This is going to be really, really hard work. It's easy to become cynical because the problems seem so enormous and the solutions so complex that it's just easier to turn, walk away and let it be someone else's problem.
Here's the hard truth - that's not an option. In Tennessee we have a constitutional requirement, yes, a constitutional mandate (Article XI, Section 12), to maintain " a system of free public schools." If we have to do it, then we should do it to the best of our ability, executing our best strategies, and engaging our citizens.
That's how we do things in Hamilton County.
Before you think it, let me go ahead and write it: "More money is not the answer." We must maximize our resources and effectively execute our strategies.
So what now?
It's time to execute. It's time to take action.
The delegation represents the largest financial investor in the school system - the taxpayers in Tennessee - and that investor needs to see results. We are sensitive to the local control of our public schools, and we are committed to working side by side with our local officials and all others to turn this ship around. Failure is not an option.
The time for talk has passed.
The time for accountable action has begun.
State Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, is the Senate speaker pro tem.