MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The country’s top education official made a pitstop in Memphis Friday.
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is stepping down from his post in December, making Memphis one of his last official trips in that role. It was his fourth time in Memphis and 10th trip to Tennessee.
“You guys are ahead of many districts and challenging the status quo,” Duncan told Shelby County Schools leaders, teachers, parents and students at Douglass K-8.
He praised SCS’ iZone school system, which the district is using to improve underperforming schools.
“That’s one of the reasons I’m here is to shine a spotlight on you,” Duncan said.
WREG challenged Duncan’s praise of Shelby County and Tennessee in general.
This week’s national report card showed that in Tennessee, fourth grade reading scores were actually down.
This year’s TCAP English scores for grades three through six were down too.
Data from early this year showed only about one third of SCS third graders were reading on grade level.
“To be clear, this is not mission accomplished. This is not, ‘We’ve arrived.’ Shelby County, the state, frankly, the nation, we all have a long way to go,” Duncan said.
Duncan said Tennessee seems to be improving faster than any other state.
He said Tennessee’s climbed from the bottom to the middle of the pack.
“I think the challenge going forward in the next five, six years is can Tennessee go from the bottom to the middle of the pack to the top 10 nationally? That should be the goal,” Duncan said.
Representatives for the district shared more about what they’re up against, specifically poverty, and what goes along with it.
“Everybody in here can read, right? How well can you read when lions, wolves, and bears are chasing you? At that point, your focus isn’t on reading,” one teacher said.
Duncan also visited Southwest Tennessee Community College to announce that the federal government is going to offer Pell Grants for dual enrollment.
Those dollars will help high school students who want to take college classes.
