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Bill Haslam on Education
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Boost public education by $1.5B
If the budget I am proposing for next year is approved, we will have added nearly $1.5 billion to K-12 education, with more than $500 million for teacher salaries. These are unprecedented increases and anyone who claims this administration is not fully
committed to public education is simply ignoring the facts. We have supported our educators and public schools and we will continue to do so. But we will do it in a way that improves student outcomes, not one that erases the gains we have made.
Source: 2018 Tennessee State of the State address
, Jan 29, 2018
Narrow score gaps for minority and female students
On education, there is no state in the U.S. that is demanding the spotlight like Tennessee. With the incredible hard work of our teachers and students, Tennesseans are the fastest improving in the country in math, reading and as of this year, science.
We received the science scores from the Nation's Report Card, and beyond being the fastest improving, we narrowed the gaps between African American, Latino and white students. We also completely eliminated the gap between male and female students.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Tennessee Legislature
, Jan 30, 2017
STRONG Act: tuition-free public college for veterans
I've had the chance to personally witness Tennessee's National Guard in action, whether it's in Afghanistan or McMinn County, helping those communities recover from devastating tragedy. Tonight, we're announcing the Tennessee STRONG Act to
provide tuition free attendance for these men and women at our public universities and colleges. If we can help our soldiers and airmen who protect us at home and abroad, I know you agree we should do it.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Tennessee Legislature
, Jan 30, 2017
Tennessee Promise: two years of free community college
Last year, we introduced the Tennessee Promise--the very first state in the country to guarantee high school graduates two years of free community college or technical school. This year, of our 65,000 high school seniors, 58,000 of them applied for the
Tennessee Promise. And 9,200 adult Tennesseans signed up to be volunteer mentors for those students.For the last 30 years, Tennessee's greatest need has been for better trained workers who can fill the jobs that companies want to bring here.
We think the Tennessee Promise is a game changer.
We're also going to include $400,000 in this year's budget to establish the Tennessee Promise Bridge Program. It's a pilot program to bring first-generation students to campus
prior to fall enrollment. When nobody in your family has ever gone to college before, being there can be intimidating. This is one more step to make sure these students have the best chance possible to succeed.
Source: State of the State address to 2015 Tennessee Legislature
, Feb 9, 2015
$2.5M for SAILS program: math tutors for high school seniors
It is also why our SAILS program is so important. SAILS gives students who need extra support in math that attention during their senior year in high school so they can avoid remediation when they enter college. We piloted the program two years ago, and
the results speak for themselves. Last year, 8,100 students were served by the SAILS program, and almost 70 percent of those students completed all remediation while still in high school. That saved families nearly $6.5 million in tuition.
This year we are including $2.5 million to sustain the success of the SAILS program.But the reality is that just reaching high school graduates won't be enough to reach our goal. In Tennessee, there are nearly one million adults with some
post-secondary credit but without a degree. We have to figure out ways to reconnect those adults and remove the barriers that are preventing them from earning their certificate or degree, which will lead to a better job and future.
Source: State of the State address to 2015 Tennessee Legislature
, Feb 9, 2015
Drive to 55: 55% get post-HS certificate or degree by 2025
In the year 2025, 55 percent of Tennesseans will need a certificate or degree beyond high school to get a job. Today, only 32 percent of Tennesseans qualify. To truly be America at its best, that's not good enough.This time last year, I announced the
Drive to 55--our effort to reach at least 55 percent by 2025. This isn't just about higher education--it's about better jobs for more Tennesseans. It's about building a stronger economy. I have spent a lot of time over the past two years on workforce
readiness. I am more convinced than ever that our urgent needs are in the areas of access, quality and relevance. To tackle these, our Drive to 55 initiative focuses on five key goals:
- Getting students ready;
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Getting them into school;
- Getting them out of school;
- Finishing what we started with adult students; and
- Tying education directly to workforce needs.
Source: 2014 State of the State address to Tennessee legislature
, Feb 3, 2014
Drive to 55: Increase college graduation to 55% by 2025
Today, we base funding on the number of students who are actually graduating [instead of on enrollment]. This shift puts the focus where it should be--on graduates. And because we're seeing results, this year's budget fully funds, for the first time, the
Complete College Act outcomes formula. Only 32% of Tennesseans have earned an associates' degree or higher. That's not good enough. Our goal is to move the needle so that Tennessee is on track to raise that number to 55% by 2025.
Tonight we begin our "drive to 55"--a strategic initiative to have the best trained workforce in America. To do that, we must improve affordability and access in higher education. To help us achieve this goal, we're partnering with
Western Governors University to establish "WGU Tennessee." It is an online, competency-based university that is geared to the 800,000 adult Tennesseans that have some college credit but didn't graduate with an associate or four-year degree.
Source: 2013 State of the State speech to Tennessee legislature
, Jan 28, 2013
Remove 90-cap limit on charter schools
Charter schools open new opportunities for learning and we have asked for the 90-cap limits to be removed and for more students to have the option of a charter school as a learning environment. There are a number of innovative approaches to
classroom instruction underway and we can learn from the experiences of others. The City University School of Liberal Arts is a charter school with a college preparatory foundation. Students have full access to diverse advanced placement
courses and dual enrollment at Christian Brothers University. In Nashville the LEAD Academy is the city's first charter high school with a vision to do Whatever It Takes to ensure students graduate from high school and attend college.
The Metropolitan Nashville school system is 1 of 9 in the country recognized by the Gates Foundation for a collaborative approach to blend charter schools in with other district schools.
Source: 2011 State of the State speech to Tennessee legislature
, Mar 14, 2011
Page last updated: Mar 09, 2019
