Here is the release, and here are the survey results.

WBIR’s anchor John Becker interviewed BEI Executive Director Bonny Millard and William Blount High School graduation coach Virginia Loflin about improvements in county graduation rates as well as the work that graduation coaches do.  http://www.wbir.com/video/default.aspx#/Newsmakers%3A%20Blount%20Co.%20Education%20Initiative/66874940001

In addition to the listed candidates, businessman Ward Cammack will also be participating in the forum.

 We invited you to submit questions about the future of education in Tennessee to be considered for our forum. You may submit them here in the comments section or send them to bonny@blounteducation.org. The deadline for submitting questions is 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 22. Thanks for your participation. For more information, check out our press release. WBIR_to_cover_gubernatorial_forum

Blount Today

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009

In 2008, Gov. Bredesen commended the State Board of Education’s decision to officially adopt more rigorous graduation requirements in Tennessee. The Tennessee Diploma Project (TDP) redefines the K-12 experience as an initiative to raise Tennessee’s standards and curriculum to better prepare students to be successful after high school, says the Blount Education Initiative, a grassroots organization charged with advancing educational priorities in Blount County.

In a press release, the BEI said it believes the objectives of the new program will challenge students and better prepare them for college and the workforce. The goals of the diploma project include producing students who are workplace and/or college ready; have a deeper understanding of math and science and their relationship to technology; can work cooperatively in groups and are ready to demonstrate responsibilities in their own lives and in service to their community.

“These new standards will equip students in Blount County with additional knowledge and skills to help them succeed after high school, which ultimately will help improve the quality of life in Blount County,” said BEI Executive Director Bonny Millard. “As a community, we should rise to the challenge that these new standards present in order for our students to gain stronger skill sets.”

Part of implementing the TDP requires schools to align their curriculum to secure a pathway for students, parents and teachers to reach those high standards. The new requirements will begin with this school year’s ninth graders.

Requirements include:

• Current basic high school requirements requirement 20 credits while new requirements for students beginning high school in the Fall of 2009 are 22 credits.

• Currently students must have three math credits (including either geometry or Algebra II) while the new requirements call for four math credits, including Algebra I and II, geometry and a fourth higher level math course.

• Current requirements call for three science credits including one physical science course and biology. New requirements for students starting high school in the Fall of 2009 call for three science credits, including biology, chemistry or physics and a third lab course.

• The English and Social studies requirements for students beginning high school in the Fall of 2009 remain the same as the current requirements – four credits for English and three for Social Studies.

• The current requirement for Wellness is one credit and the new requirement for students beginning high school in the Fall of 2009 is one and a half credits for Wellness and Physical Education.

• Additional requirements for students beginning high school in the Fall of 2009 include a half credit for Personal Finance, two credits for a foreign language and one credit in Fine Arts.

The Fine Arts credit may be waived for students not going to a university, which then expands and enhances the elective focus requirement of three credits. The Elective Focus can include math and science courses, career and technical education, fine arts, humanities, Advanced Placement courses or International Baccalaureate courses.

Other dimensions of the new standards include end-of-course examinations, which will be factored into the student’s grades as a percentage along with performance-based assessments being developed by the Department of Education’s Division of Accountability, Teaching and Learning.

The Tennessee Diploma Project also will require faculty to participate in professional development. All teachers will be informed of changes in the standards and assessments along with best practices for engaging students and increasing retention.

More information about the Tennessee Diploma Project and the new graduation requirements may be found on the Tennessee Department of Education’s Web site at www.state.tn.us/education or www.tnelc.org.

The event will be held at Clayton Homes Corporate Office, 5000 Clayton Road, Maryville. Please let us know if you would like to attend at rsvp@blounteducation.org.

Penny Ferguson will join the ranks of only two other Tennesseeans when she is inducted into the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Kansas this summer.

Dr. Ferguson was recognized at Maryville High School on Tuesday afternoon as students, fellow-teachers, administrators, public officials, and others joined to honor this special educator. Since the Hall of Fame was established in 1989, only 80 educators nationwide have been inducted.

Mary Barth, retired MHS teacher, nominated Penny for the award. You can read more about Dr. Ferguson’s many accomplishments at the National Teachers Hall of Fame website … http://www.nthf.org/inductee/08ferguson.html. In her 39 year career, Ferguson has taught over 6,500 students, and 18 of her former students work at Maryville High School.

“My students are my estate — they are my legacy,” said Ferguson. And as (Director of Schools) Stephanie Thompson stated, “Our greatest hope is that Penny will continue to find great joy in her work.”

Best wishes to Penny for continued success and great joy!

Reprinted with permission from Maryville City Schools e-news for employees April 22, 2008