Lisa Choate selected by SCORE

Lisa Choate, math teacher at Cannon County High School, is one of 22 teachers selected statewide for the inaugural Tennessee Educator Fellowship.

The new program is designed to provide an opportunity to learn and communicate about student-focused educational policy issues.

The fellowship is sponsored by SCORE, The State Collaborative on Reforming Education.

“The work of Tennessee teachers has been fundamental to helping Tennessee become the fastest-improving state for student achievement,” Educator Fellows Coordinator Cicely Woodard said. “This program will give them insight into the policies that have the greatest impact on them and their students and many opportunities to share a student-focused perspective and represent thousands of classroom teachers across the state.”

The Tennessee Educator Fellows were selected from more than 350 applicants. The class includes teachers of nine different subjects who work in urban, suburban, and rural schools and traditional and charter schools in East, Middle, and West Tennessee. Four of the Tennessee Educator Fellows teach elementary school students, 10 teach middle school students, and nine teach high school students. The teachers are affiliated with many different professional groups, including the Tennessee Education Association, Professional Educators of Tennessee, Teach Plus and Teach for America.

 “SCORE has always emphasized the importance of including diverse voices in discussions of how best to ensure Tennessee students are fully prepared for success after high school,” SCORE President and CEO Jamie Woodson said. “The first class of Tennessee Educator Fellows includes incredibly talented teachers with a combined 188 years of experience in the classroom. We are honored to have the chance to work with them.”

 The teachers in the Tennessee Educator Fellowship will continue to work in their classrooms while in the one-year program, which will provide the opportunity to  learn about, reflect upon, inform and communicate about policies, practices and systems that impact educator effectiveness and student achievement.

 The fellows will participate in professional learning focused on education policy issues and then will work to help inform their peers, policymakers and their communities about issues affecting students and teachers. Most important, the Tennessee Educator Fellows will provide a clear, consistent and student-focused voice as Tennessee works to ensure all students graduate from high school prepared for postsecondary education and career.