Statement from U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on "Teacher Evaluation in Tennessee: A Report on Year 1 Implementation"

July 16, 2012
Contact:   Press Office, (202) 401-1576, press@ed.gov

"The Tennessee Department of Education's report on implementing a new teacher evaluation system documents yearlong efforts to strengthen instruction and improve student outcomes through Race to the Top. The report also sets a course of action to make the system better through ongoing feedback from teachers, principals and other leaders. It took extraordinary courage to comprehensively fix a longstanding system that was fundamentally broken. Thanks to Tennessee's hard work, and the strong leadership of Governor Haslam and Commissioner Huffman, the state is making unprecedented progress in producing statewide reform and boosting student achievement in a relatively short period of time."