Tennessee’s much criticized Achievement School District has a new leader.Dr. Bren Elliott is joining the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) today as the new State Turnaround Superintendent. In the position Dr. Elliott will oversee and support the state-run Achievement School District (ASD) and serve certain priority schools identified as in need of improvement and support.The new superintendent will also oversee the entirety of school turnaround efforts in Tennessee, including moving schools out of the bottom five percent of student achievements, managing supports, interventions, monitoring, and funding for priority schools in the state.“I am excited to join the department and return to Tennessee as the State Turnaround Superintendent,” said Dr. Bren Elliott, State Turnaround Superintendent, Tennessee Department of Education. “As the new leader of the state’s turnaround efforts, I look forward to working with our schools most in need of support and intervention, including the Achievement School District, to improve student achievement and help all students in these schools succeed.”Dr. Elliott spent the first 15 years of her education career as a teacher and middle and high school principal for Metro Nashville Public Schools, where she served the lowest-performing schools in the district. Following her time as a teacher, she spent eight years leading initiatives for student support services that implemented a multi-tiered system of support and redesigned alternative schools in two large districts in North Carolina.Most recently, she oversaw comprehensive school improvement, school culture and climate, school-based leader and staff evaluations, as well as student services and initiatives for 116 districts and 50,000 students during her time as Chief of School Improvement and Supports within DC Public Schools.“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Bren Elliott to lead the state’s turnaround efforts, including as Superintendent of the Achievement School District,” said Lizzette Reynolds, Commissioner of Education. “Her experience in school turnaround will be an asset to the state and provide intentional support to these schools to ensure all students receive a high-quality education.”¶
