Commentary: Writing Tennessee’s future starts in our schools

Student working in school (Photo by Pexels)

With the election season finally behind us, I find myself returning to two key themes after some reflection. First, the national electorate, and its preferences, has fundamentally realigned over the last decade. Our country and our state spoke decisively last Tuesday, and we must listen.

Second, as I reflect on the tremendous progress our state has made in public education over the last twenty years, I look to the future. As Tennesseans, we will all play a part in writing this future, and we will need to make choices.

These are not opinions, but realities.

Tennesseans for Student Success was founded in 2014 on the guiding principle that the student must be central to all good education policy. We have constantly striven to ensure access to high-quality public education for all Tennessee students and remain focused on promoting innovation and strong outcomes in our schools.

These principles are more relevant today than ever. As our nation embarks on this new path, Tennesseans must be equipped to meet the demands of a competitive economic climate where education will be the currency.

We must not shy away from greater competition, but instead choose to meet it boldly. I believe in the boundless potential of young Tennesseans, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the tools to succeed.

Lana Skelo (Photo by Tennesseans for Student Success)

Writing the future starts in our schools. Parents, teachers, administrators, lawmakers, and advocates will all play key roles in ensuring our students are able to meet and exceed the high standards that will be expected of them in the workforce. We are all stakeholders in the future of our students, and we owe them the best possible opportunity.

A willingness to innovate will be increasingly vital to ensuring the success of Tennessee students. Education models producing tangible outcomes should be encouraged and scaled up, and we must support modernization of existing schools.

Partnerships between K-12, higher education, and the business community will also serve as crucial drivers for innovation. A strong culture of communication and collaboration between stakeholders will ensure students are gaining the skills necessary for postsecondary success.

Our choice will be whether we adopt a forward-thinking mentality, embracing change and adapting to new challenges. If history has taught us anything, I think Tennessee is up to the task.

Regardless of any opinions on the election results or the direction our country appears to be heading in, all Tennessee students deserve to grow up in an optimistic, positive, opportunity-rich environment. This will not happen by accident—we must all work together to create it.

I ask for your partnership today in writing our state’s future.

Lana Skelo has served as the President and CEO for Tennesseans for Student Success since May 2024. The Tennessee Firefly is a project of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.