TN Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds on Getting Education Freedom, Literacy Instruction, & Flexible Pathways Right

Freedom to Learn

After Tennessee expanded the state’s Education Freedom Scholarships program during a special legislative session earlier this year, demand for the state’s education savings accounts (ESAs) soared. TN Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds joins the podcast to discuss school choice implementation, parent empowerment, investing in literacy, and getting teacher training right. She decries the “soft bigotry of low expectations” and shares the education policy actions she hopes the federal government will take.

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Chapters

1. Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Education Policy Journey (00:01:35)

3. Tennessee's Education Landscape (00:05:18)

4. Priority on Student Outcomes (00:08:42)

5. Focus on Literacy and What Works (00:11:47)

6. Teacher Training and Literacy Instruction (00:14:18)

7. Addressing Barriers to Education Reform (00:16:57)

8. School Choice and Parental Empowerment (00:20:19)

9. Federal and State Education Dynamics (00:23:37)