Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who chairs the education-reform group Tennessee SCORE, today issued this statement following news that Tennessee is a winner in the federal government’s Race to the Top competition:
“Tennessee’s Race to the Top win is cause to celebrate. For a state that’s typically on the bottom rung of the national education rankings, it’s remarkable that we now are at the leading edge of the national reform movement. The reality is: Tennesseans are tired of being 40th-something in our public schools. We’re ready to lead.
“While the federal government’s investment is important, the competition’s real value comes in validating a statewide reform strategy that has real potential thanks to the leadership of Gov. Bredesen, the General Assembly, the TEA and others. For the first time, state and local officials, educators, business groups and foundations all are pulling together in the same direction toward lasting change.
“Statewide, the education-reform community stands ready to help bridge reforms across political transitions and make sure Tennessee lives up to its promise to be ‘first to the top.’”
The Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes education innovation. In October 2009, SCORE released “A Roadmap to Success,” a report outlining comprehensive strategies for improving Tennessee schools. Many of the strategies were adopted as part of Tennessee’s work in the Race to the Top competition.
Posted in News Releases.