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Sixth Teach Tennessee Class Commences Training

Released on Thu, Jun 05, 2008 - 2:00 pm under

NASHVILLE – Military veterans, chiropractors, researchers and more are making a career switch to teaching through the Teach Tennessee program which trains its sixth class this summer. Teach Tennessee is a highly selective alternative licensure program devised by Governor Phil Bredesen that targets experienced professionals who have a strong desire to teach.

Twenty-seven ‘Fellows’ from 18 Tennessee counties and North Carolina begin training June 9 to earn certification to teach in the fall.
 
“Teach Tennessee is designed to attract people with expertise in a subject such as math or science who would like to pass that knowledge on through teaching,” Governor Bredesen said. “It is one way to provide the highly-knowledgeable teachers necessary to prepare Tennessee students to be top achievers.”
 
“Governor Bredesen recognized a valuable, untapped resource for Tennessee schools – successful, experienced professionals with a desire to teach,” Acting Commissioner Tim Webb said. “Teach Tennessee expands the teacher candidate pool with well-qualified individuals at a time when the nation is facing a critical teacher shortage.”
 
The sixth Teach Tennessee class represents the following counties:

County

Number of Fellows

Blount

1

Cheatham

1

Davidson

5

Giles

1

Hamblen

2

Hancock

1

Knox

1

Marshall

1

Maury

1

Monroe

1

Polk

1

Putnam

2

Rutherford

3

Scott

1

Shelby

1

Union

1

Warren

1

North Carolina

1

 

Teach Tennessee gives priority to teacher candidates with the expertise
to teach math, science or a foreign language. To date, 90 percent of the endorsements
earned by Teach Tennessee Fellows are in math or science, two subject
areas hardest hit by a shortage of teacher candidates.

“The Teach Tennessee Fellows we have trained are of high caliber
in their subject knowledge, but I am struck also by their enthusiasm for helping
students achieve,” Teach Tennessee Executive Director Becky
Kent said. “These folks genuinely want to make a difference and commit
the hours and energy to make it happen.”

To learn about the Teach Tennessee program, visit http://state.tn.us/education/teachtn/.

For more information, contact Rachel Woods at (615) 253-1960 or Rachel.Woods@state.tn.us.