Representative Tim Hicks took a different path than most to the state capitol in Nashville.The Washington County Republican lawmaker didn’t attend college and instead followed his father’s advice and built a career in home construction with his family’s business.“My father was a hard-working guy, and he had worked hard ever since he was a kid and he kept telling me every single day, you know if you will learn a trade, you will always have something to fall back on. So, you will always have a job,” said Hicks. “I’ve never intended to go to college. I’m a guy that learns by doing.”¶
Representative Hicks believes there are a lot of students in Tennessee that are similar and, in some respects, it’s what drove him to run for office in the first place and serve on the House Education Instruction Committee.
Championing Career and Technical Education¶
Hicks believes many struggling students in Tennessee need career and technical education pathways that aren’t as available today as they were in the past.“There’s a certain percentage of students, and it’s a large percentage, that need a little bit different avenue than just education. I mean I think that we’re finding that a lot of students if you get them interested in something and they start down a pathway of some sort of CTE (Career and Technical Education) then all of a sudden, they want to learn. That’s the way I was,” said Hicks.That point of view drove Representative Hicks to sponsor one of the most innovative educational bills this session.He proposed creating the Career Development Success (CDS) Pilot Program to provide local school districts with $1,000 in additional funding for each student who earns an industry credential, finishes a workplace training program, or completes an AP Computer Science course.The legislation aimed to address the state’s middle-skills gap, where 56% of jobs in Tennessee require at least some education beyond a high school diploma but not a four-year degree while less than half of Tennesseans have access to the training necessary to fill those jobs.“Somewhere down the path a few years ago we started with one-size fits all in education and the clear path was college,” said Hicks. “There’s probably 50% of the students, 40% to 50% of the students that college is probably not their best option.”Ultimately Representative Hicks pulled the legislation after receiving assurances that the Department of Education would work to implement its goals.CTE programs were also one big reason why he strongly supported Governor Bill Lee’s Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act last year.TISA updated the way the state funds public schools to be more student focused and added a billion new dollars to education, including vital funds for CTE programs.“It brings a whole new perspective to education,” said Hicks. “It will really open up our CTE and vocational programs. I think it addresses mental health issues that I think (are) so important in early education. I pray that that really works out and we’re able to really help the kids that need it the most.”This year the growth of public charter schools is expected to be a major education issue not just in the Tennessee General Assembly but also in school districts across the state.Hicks’ 6th House District encompasses part of Washington County where there are currently no public charter schools.Representative Hicks doesn’t believe that will change anytime soon but he believes charters and school choice in general, serve a valuable purpose in other parts of the state helping struggling students succeed.“I believe we need all hands on deck. I believe that there’s districts that desperately need good charter schools,” said Hicks. “In some ways it’s the only answer there is to the problem to be brutally honest with you.”
