Tennessee Education Commissioner Candice McQueen Kicks Off Statewide Tour of Classrooms

Commits to Visiting 10,000 Tennessee Teachers

Nashville, TN – Education Commissioner Candice McQueen on Friday kicked off a statewide tour of classroom visits where she plans to connect with 10,000 Tennessee teachers. The commissioner, whose tour began in her hometown of Clarksville, is committed to this goal as a way to listen and learn from Tennessee educators.

Commissioner McQueen visited three schools on Friday, two of which she attended herself growing up: Burt Elementary and Northeast High. She spent time with teachers, students, and administrators, listening to stories of their successes and challenges.“I believe it is critical to listen to Tennessee teachers and engage them in policy discussions because they will be living it out in their classrooms. They need to be a significant voice in this discussion,” McQueen said. “We have to partner together to continue the momentum of historic gains in Tennessee.”

The commissioner plans to complete her visits by the end of the calendar year. As a former educator and teacher of teachers, McQueen says she never feels far from the classroom.

“In my both my heart and in my head, I will always be a teacher,” McQueen said.

Commissioner McQueen was sworn in to office in January. Previously she served on Lipscomb University’s executive leadership team as senior vice president, and as dean of the College of Education. McQueen, a native of Clarksville, has a bachelor’s degree from Lipscomb University, a master’s from Vanderbilt, and a Ph.D. from the University of Texas.

The department looks forward to sharing upcoming school visits as they are planned. Please check our blog, Classroom Chronicles, for updates, photos, and videos from the commissioner’s tour: www.tnclassroomchronicles.org

For more information, please contact Kelli Gauthier at 615.532.7817 or Kelli.Gauthier@tn.gov.