The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) announced Tuesday that more than 200 organizations have now joined the Expect More, Achieve More Coalition, a statewide alliance of business, community, and education organizations in Tennessee that supports high academic standards in public education.
The Coalition’s goal is to build statewide and local engagement, support, and awareness of Tennessee’s efforts to raise the bar in the classroom, through the Common Core State Standards, so that every student graduates high school prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce. The 213 coalition member organizations represent hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans across the state. (Click here for the latest coalition member list.)
“Higher academic expectations are a critical piece of Tennessee’s innovative work to improve student achievement,” said SCORE President and CEO Jamie Woodson. “For too long Tennessee’s standards have lagged behind standards in other states, putting our students at a significant disadvantage. The members of this coalition strongly support our state’s efforts to equip students with the skills they need to be successful in education after high school, in the workforce, and in life.”
The Expect More, Achieve More Coalition was first launched in 2010 to support and raise awareness for Tennessee’s efforts to increase academic standards, which determine the knowledge and skills that students are expected to learn in each grade and subject. Dozens of organizations have joined the coalition in the last few months, as Tennessee’s work to implement the Common Core State Standards has continued.
“The Common Core State Standards are critical to our state’s competitiveness,” said Gregg Morton, president of AT&T Tennessee and the Tennessee Business Roundtable. “Too often, our students are graduating from high school without the critical thinking, problem solving, and creative skills needed to succeed in today’s marketplace. Tennessee’s commitment to the Common Core State Standards shows how serious we are about making sure students are better prepared.”
The Common Core State Standards are a set of higher expectations in math and English Language Arts that were developed by state leaders to ensure that every student graduates high school prepared for the future. These new standards are replacing Tennessee’s old set of expectations for students in math and English Language Arts. The new standards are more rigorous, and students are learning important concepts in earlier grades.
“As a parent, I know that raising the bar in the classroom is critical to a child’s success,” said Anne Haston, co-chairwoman of Tennessee’s Military Child Public Engagement, facilitated by the Military Child Education Coalition, and former Knox County Council PTA president. “Raising academic standards is hard work for students and teachers, but I believe that our children deserve our highest expectations and will succeed if we provide them with the right supports.”
Organizations that have recently joined the Expect More, Achieve More Coalition include: CMT, AutoZone, Rutherford County Schools, Eastman Chemical Company, Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), Volkswagen Group of America, Tennessee Board of Regents, United Way of Greater Knoxville, and many others. The Coalition includes many of the state’s largest businesses and school districts, Tennessee’s largest Chambers of Commerce and the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry, universities and community colleges, and dozens of education, business, and philanthropic organizations.