From the Tennessean, a White House student offers better ideas than Gov. Haslam and the legislature:
As a high school student, I offer a different insight on public schools than many Tennessee government officials. Colleges and universities constantly boast their “low student-to-faculty ratios,” because parents equate that with more one-on-one time for their students.
With the class-size bill, each student would have received HALF the personal attention she or he is getting now, diminishing the learning being done in school.
I am relieved that the class-size bill has been dropped, but we must not allow this subject to be dropped. Tennessee school systems are in desperate need of a change on both sides of the classroom. Students need a renewed zeal for learning. Hard work and ambition need to be encouraged in students’ homes, schools and communities. Teachers need better incentives to educate. If salaries were determined by order of importance, teaching would be one of the highest-paying careers.
Our teachers have a huge influence on the people who will soon be responsible for our nation and its posterity. We must keep this in mind and hold their positions in a higher regard.
Emily Tate
White House 37188