Tennessee BOE approves tougher student standards: math and science requirements will be expanded.

The state Board of Education has approved tougher standards for Tennessee students and include math all four years of high school and mandatory chemistry or physics in addition to biology. The requirements will take effect in the 2009-10.

The Gateway exams are a series of tests that have been required for students to get a diploma will be dropped, but will be used until then. Other changes approved Friday include aligning language arts and math standards for students in kindergarten through 12th grade with national standards. The state board will replace the Gateway exams- a series of three tests - with statewide end-of-the-year course exams that will account for 25 percent of a student's overall course grade.

The changes mean that all Tennessee students, whether they're bound for college or the work force, will follow the same academic track of study that meets national standards for a high school diploma. The goal is to have the exams in 10 courses: English 1, 2, and 3; algebra 1 and 2; geometry; U.S. history; biology; chemistry; and physics.

The exams haven't been developed yet. Let's hope they don't tamper with them when most of the students fail like they did in Virgina with the SOLs. BOE executive director Gary Nixon said, "the new standards are "rigorous but they are doable. What we want students to do is to develop their minds, and think critically ... and to better assure that when our students graduate from high school, they are truly prepared."

Bredesen held a series of meetings with business leaders last year and heard complaints that Tennessee high school graduates lack basic math and English skills, among others. The main goal of the education overhaul is to ensure that children in grades K-12 learn more rigorous material and take tests that more accurately gauge their progress. Ref. Associated Press 1/22/08

Washington County only has 69 teachers who earned more than $50,000 last year. Conversely, Bristol Tennessee City Schools has 82, even though Bristol has 262 teachers compared to Washington County's 580. The city's 2006-07 salary scale started new teachers at $35,695 and gave them bonuses for up to 30 years of service, at which time they earn $51,130 a year. Ref. BHC 12/03/2007

Area employers want high school grads who have better math, verbal skills

12/09/2007 Kingsport Times-News (extract) ...These are the skills state business leaders say are most needed for entry-level jobs in today's economy, according to a final report issued by the Tennessee Diploma Project (TDP).

TDP, an initiative of state and business officials with the Tennessee Business Roundtable, involved statewide meetings with more than 130 business leaders representing 112 companies and organizations between June and August. Nearly 350 business leaders were also surveyed to rate the importance of job skills. TDP's report said that job skills wanted by employers also tended to be the skills frequently cited as missing among high school graduates.

TDP's major recommendations: Tennessee schools should place more emphasis on basic math; schools need project-based instruction; schools need to emphasize verbal communication; and schools should explore approaches for helping instill professional skills, including promoting appearance, punctuality and work ethic. The result could be a push for higher academic standards by either the Bredesen administration or lawmakers next year...

For more information, go to tndiplomaproject.com, which is just what I did. Some selected quotes from Tennessee Diploma Project and business leaders:

...when you look at the gateway job, or the entry-level supervisor - which is really the position people move into that allows them to get to a job where they've got a real middle-class income and can build a life - that's where we're missing the key skills.

Not only the communication and analytical ability, but just the ability to construct arguments. A college prep curriculum offers so much of that. If we really get that type of curriculum as strong as it can be, it not only moves as many students as possible into post-secondary education, but it lifts up the group that would not make it to that level."

W. Andrew Burke, president and CEO, Regional Alliance for Economic Development:

"We recently completed a workforce profile and analysis in this region. More than 53 percent of the responding employers reported seeing deficiencies in basic skills...almost 28 percent of our population did not have a high school education, and that's very serious...In our world, it used to be, 'Where is the cheapest place to do business?' Now it's, 'Where is the best talent pool, the best human capital?' That overcomes everything else. If you can deliver that, then you're going to be in good shape."

So far this makes sense, but to quote Governor Phil Bredesen:

"Let's focus for the moment on people coming out of high school into careers rather colleges..."

So what are the problems? Scott Keys, plant manager, Cooper Standard Automotive:

"Along the lines of math, what we're finding in the manufacturing world is that statistics and probability - which aren't core subjects required for a high school diploma - are absolutely critical in this day and age. The majority of our people on the manufacturing floor come straight out of high school..."Just basics. Means, deviations, understanding what a Bell curve is, understanding when your process is shifting, understanding what the data is telling you. We have them do measurements and plot, but we have to educate them as to what it's actually telling them, and how to react to it. As I say, it's not advanced."

Mike Rohlwing, plant manager, Delta Faucet Co.: "On the manufacturing side, we've got 800 employees and 750 are the non-college graduate type..."

Fred Cooper, president, Kingsport Book Inc.: Basic math is a huge issue. I'm talking about fractions and decimals and working without a calculator. They're dependent on machines to do basic math...I would love to see something in the curriculum - either on the vocational side or the traditional side of the high school - that prepares these young people for getting out into the real world...

Bo Passey, plant manager, Procter & Gamble: "From a hard skills standpoint, I see challenges beyond just the basic math skills. Analysis. Statistics. More and more of our business is becoming much more scientific. The days of putting the widget with the widget are gone. Technology would be the other area where we're finding folks are not capable. We're not teaching sufficient computer skills in high school. That gap is going to get bigger."

Fred Cooper, president, Kingsport Book Inc.: "we're trying to reach out and get high school educated young people who have some basic skills and who we feel like we can turn into craftsmen as the more experienced guys grow older and retire and move out of the workforce."

Ann Lewis, vice president of human resources, Jackson Energy Authority: "Even when kids have the knowledge, they have got to actually apply that knowledge in the workplace. If they could figure out how to self-manage, organize and prioritize their time, and do the research needed for problem solving, then maybe they can better transition to the workplace."

Larry Nunley, CEO and president, Accuforce Staffing Services: "We processed over 100,000 people to place 11,000 people last year...no high school diploma or GED. That's a big cross-section. Use of recreational drugs. That's a big knockout factor. But we've also raised our quality standards. Especially over the last five years, we saw our customers' demands increasing, in terms of process improvement that led to new equipment and machinery. So the job is totally different than it was 10 years ago, and significantly different than it was five years ago."

Jeff Thomas, human resources manager, Delta Faucet: People identify a path that maybe does not involve college. There are apprenticeship programs. A higher percentage of people come into the workforce with skills. And that makes a difference. Right now, we have some very high-paying jobs, and we can't find the skill sets."

Who is to blame? Arthur S. (Art) Powers, publisher, Johnson City Press: "To a person, the answer was: 'It's the parents Much of the education business and the business community blame each other. To quote Lisa Meadows, president and CEO, Bristol Chamber of Commerce: "One of the things we hear continually from our members - whether it's small business, manufacturing or health care - is that there is a lack of connection and dialogue between educators and business. You hear from education, 'Businesspeople do not understand what we go through,' and I think they really don't understand what business needs. So I'm hoping this effort will get the two integrated."

But someone finally said what I already knew, but still missed the point. To quote Jason Bates, administration manager, Bodine Aluminum Inc.: "In addition to those issues, we look at specific technical skills, like basic math. Individuals who have a higher level of math skills typically go into the college ranks. The ones who don't tend to be the ones who struggle. But those are important skills that are required for our entry-level positions."

Most community colleges are not aimed at producing workers, but also know that business doesn't want college graduates to begin with. To quote TN Gov. Bredesen: "Well, I don't think our community college system does a wonderful job of aligning what it's doing with the real needs of the workplace. One thing I'm interested in exploring is any kind of joint effort where a community college can help train people in exchange for some honest attempts on your part to employ them when they're done." That's the point, they won't hire people with college unless the job calls for college or is in management. One can't get into management without getting the job! It's called social apartheid!

To sum all of this up, the region suffers chronic dropout rates because the large numbers of dropouts breed more dropouts. Most of those with the motivation and skills business here demands, are rejected because they want high school graduates, not people with college. Most of the remaining employment is government, which is plagued by nepotism. So the vast majority of qualified workers out-migrate to get jobs elsewhere leaving a huge concentration of welfare losers, drug abusers, and more dropouts. All of this would change if the economic climate and corporate politics would change. Both Virginia and Tennessee rank in the top ten most anti-union (thus anti-labor) states in the country.

Wall of separation in education

Printed Kingsport Times News 1/8/08: Area employers claim to want statistics, probability, and good English skills. So why are so many hiring illiterate illegal aliens? This region is very labor hostile, and the Tarnoff Report made it clear employers refuse to increase pay or improve working conditions. Accuforce had to go through almost 100,000 people to get 11,000 qualified workers, many at $7 an hour. What am I missing here?

As an adjunct in vocational trades in the local college system, many (not all) of my younger students are lazy, while older students often lack science, math and English skills. There is a rigid wall of separation in education between academic and vocational, practical versus theoretical. The often left-wing humanities advocates are more interested in social engineering than math and dominate most school systems.

We face large numbers of disinterested or hostile parents and waste our time fighting over divisive political issues such evolution and condoms in schools. These are family issues that belong in the home, not the classroom. Many vocational programs are often wrongly used as dumping grounds for those considered academic failures. Business for some reason seems to hold the same hostility towards higher education on the factory floor while screaming they need those skills.

This nonsense must end because we need workers with both. We have far too many worthless humanities degrees for people that can't change a light bulb, while welders can't read a blueprint, as one factory manager told me. We need less global warming politics and more ability to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius. Students need to learn computers (number bases and computer logic), not just Microsoft and Google. We need to get politics and class warfare off the factory floor and out of the schools and employ some real teamwork. This wall of separation needs to go.

Lewis Loflin, Bristol, VA

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