Students at Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools will have their standards raised come this fall. Governor Phil Bredesen, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and Mayor AC Wharton announced on July 22 the new initiative, “Expect More, Achieve More: Raising the Bar in Tennessee Schools,” as part of the First to the Top Coalition.
As a remedy to low standards that have plagued Tennessee schools, the higher standards hope to improve the quality of education in all of Tennessee. The immediate concern with this initiative is that test scores as a whole will result in being lower this year, and students who have been proficient in the past under the lower standards, may fall below the proficiency line under the new higher standards. The “Expect More, Achieve More” campaign is intended to raise parent and public awareness of these higher academic standards in the classroom.
Hear thoughts about “Expect More, Achieve More” by Mayor AC Wharton, Bill Frist, and Governor Phil Bredesen:
The quality of education is directly impacts economic development in our community and our state. In a The Chattanoogan article, Tennesseans “Strongly Support” High Standards Despite Expected Drop In Test Scores, 4 out of 5 Tennesseans agree that education is a must for the future of our economy. Governor Phil Bredesen shared his view on education and economics at the “Expect More, Achieve More” press conference:
The Commercial Appeal covered the details of this story in the July 22nd article, Bredesen and others predict a drop in student test scores, as well as in an editorial on July 24th, Editorial: Students face tough transition.
You can learn more about “Expect More, Achieve More” and the First to the Top Coalition, by visiting ExpectMoreTN.com and TNracetothetop.org.
