• Special Education Pre-Kindergarten Classrooms

    • These classrooms are federally mandated and have been for many years, yet they are completely unfunded by the recently adopted Tennessee Investment Student Achievement (TISA) formula.

  • Houston High School Update

    • The Houston High Master Plan has been modified to update the Houston High School facilities in stages and overtime based on funding availability and projections. The City of Germantown recently bonded $10 million for upgrades. Additional fundraising will be needed to add to the updates.

  • Per Pupil Public School Spending

    • Tennessee ranks 51st in the National Education Associations most recent comparison of current expenditures at $12,147 per student, while the national average is $19,393.

    • The City of Germantown’s annual budget for GMSD is around $3 million. Conversations with city leaders for continued support will be needed.

Building on Success

The main issues I wish to address include GMSD FUNDING, CLASSROOM SUPPORT, and STUDENT SUCCESS FOR ALL by maintaining academic rigor and expanding CTE opportunities.

Funding

  • College Ready, Post Secondary Learning, Career and Technical Education (CTE) Support/ Expansion

    • GMSD provides an excellent background of academics for our students destined for college.

    • The CTE options provide a number of students with the ability to continue additional post secondary learning and/or industry certifications in careers of high demand in today’s world.

    • With the recognition that a majority of future jobs will not require a 4-year college degree, CTE expansion has moved into place with incredible speed.

    • With current projections, keeping pace, by updating facilities, introducing curriculums, and finding proper instructors will continue to be challenge for our district.

  • Civics Education

    • There are parents who are concerned civics education has taken a back seat to other curricular options. No matter which path our students take after high school, a strong civics background leads to informed, engaged and responsible citizens.

Student Success for All

  • Testing

    • A recent TEA survey indicated that over 80% of the teachers reported their number one concern was too much testing that robbed instructional time. Our GMSD teachers are saying the same thing.

  • Technology

    • Parents are reporting concerns with TOO MUCH screen time and are requesting a better balance with pen and paper learning and practice.

    • Current data indicates greater cognitive development and better learning outcomes with the physical experience of books, pencil, and paper

  • Teacher Retentions

    • There is a national teacher shortage and GMSD fights to attract and retain teachers who reflect the school system’s goal of empowerment of each student to their full potential . Too much testing, comparatively poor salaries, and over-integration of technology (and the resulting long-term failure of student mastery) are all contributors to this shortage. Additionally, the ever-growing list of expectations for teachers outside of direct instruction adds to the pressure already straining the backbone of our education system .

Classroom Support