As students across the state return to school, Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds wants them to think beyond graduation.¶
In a back-to-school conversation featuring questions from Tennessee students, Reynolds described post-graduation life as a balance, saying students should pursue challenging academic courses but also apply what they learn through career and technical education, work-based learning, extracurricular activities, and postsecondary programs, pointing to opportunities in healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and technology, as well as community colleges, TCAT (Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology) schools, and four-year institutions.¶
“We want kids to (really look at) what their academic careers need to be first and foremost, so then they can apply their skills after that,” Reynolds said.¶
Connecting School to The Workforce
Reynolds encouraged students to explore Tennessee’s work-based learning programs while they are still in high school. She said business partnerships can give students opportunities to use classroom skills in a workplace, including through paid internships and apprenticeships.¶
Her comments reflect a broader effort to connect K-12 instruction with postsecondary education and employer needs. She said students should consider the full range of available routes and that Tennessee’s economy is creating opportunities in industries that need employees with technical and academic skills.¶
“More employers are sponsoring paid internships and apprenticeships because we want skills,” Reynolds said. “We have this whole plethora of opportunities at our schools now, and students need to take full advantage of that.”¶
Reynolds also emphasized that career preparation should not come at the expense of academic rigor, urging students to take the strongest math, science, and English courses they can, then consider how to apply those skills to their future goals.¶
High Expectations and Human Connection
The commissioner’s definition of educational quality also centered on teachers. In response to a question about what makes a great educator, she highlighted care, communication, and high expectations for students.¶
Reynolds emphasized how important communication is for teachers when engaging students, stressing the need to connect with them on a human-to-human level. She also said students are more likely to engage when teachers connect lessons to their lives and show that the material is relevant.¶
“You can teach in ways that most kids can obtain the information, but there needs to be a heart alongside of that,” Reynolds said. “When I've walked into classrooms, (I) can tell when those students and those teachers have that connection. Kids are engaged. It doesn't matter how dry the content is; they want to learn, and those teachers know how to apply that learning in ways that kids can actually see how it's going to be relevant for them.”¶
She also acknowledged the growing discussion about AI use in the classroom and fears that teachers could be replaced by technology, arguing that the relationships teachers build in classrooms cannot be replaced.¶
You can never replace that human element of what those teachers bring to the classroom every single day,” Reynolds said.¶
Reynolds encouraged students to participate in band, choir, sports, and other activities while drawing on her own experience as a band and choir student. Reynolds said extracurriculars helped her become more comfortable meeting people and performing publicly. She urged students to balance technology and social media with opportunities to build community in person and experience Tennessee’s outdoors.¶
Reynolds said the state’s education system should keep evolving around student needs and cited progress on annual TCAP (Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program) assessments, noting that student accomplishments should be recognized not only statewide but also at individual schools and campuses.¶
Looking ahead, Reynolds said she is proud to have helped strengthen a foundation that future administrations can build on, and her goal is for more Tennessee students to achieve academically and pursue the pathways they choose.¶
“Students are going to achieve,” Reynolds said, “and our teachers are going to support them.”¶
