TDOE Announces Members of Student- and Parent-Focused Funding Review Subcommittees

Tuesday, October 19, 2021 | 07:14pm

Tennesseans Engaged in Discussions on Student-Based Investment Strategy

Nashville, TN - In the next phase of announcements on Tennessee’s review of a student-based public education funding strategy, today the Tennessee Department of Education announced the members of the Student Engagement Subcommittee, the Students with Disabilities and Gifted Students Subcommittee, the English Learner Subcommittee, the Economically Disadvantaged and Highly Mobile Students Subcommittee, and the Parent Choice and Voice Subcommittee.

On Friday, October 8, Governor Lee called for a full review of the state’s funding formula for public education to focus on a student investment strategy that emphasizes all students rather than systems, empowers parents to engage in their child’s education and outcomes, ensures all students are prepared for postsecondary success, and reflects Tennesseans’ values. In total, eighteen subcommittees will convene twice per month to hold conversations on how to create a student-focused investment strategy from the lens of their subcommittee’s respective stakeholder group.

"As we review and discuss the funding strategy for Tennessee’s public school students, I am thrilled to have formal subcommittees that will focus specifically on our students and their direct needs,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Each of Tennessee’s public school students are wonderfully unique, and often require unique supports and resources. Bringing parent voice and representation to the table is essential and the department is excited to begin these conversations, engage folks from across the state and discuss how to best serve and fund our students in our state’s public schools.”

The 70 members of the student- and parent-focused funding review subcommittees are:

Student Engagement Subcommittee

Chair: Elizabeth Brown, State President, Future Business Leaders of America – Tennessee; Senior, Coffee County High School
Tetteybea Addo, 2021-22 President-Elect, HOSA; South Gibson County High School
Hadley Brown, President, Tennessee DECA; Beech High School
Harrison Falcofsky, 2021 President, Tennessee FFA; Stewarts Creek High School
Samuel Howard, President, Tennessee Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA); Wartburg Central High School
Kevin Hu, 2021-22 President, Tennessee SkillsUSA; Lawrence County High School
Mansi Patel, Vice President, West Tennessee DECA; Waverly Central High School
Zoe Tripp, President, Technology Student Association; Middle College High School
Cali VanCleve, Student Council President, Volunteer Girls State; Wilson Central High School
Comfort Markwei, Student Council President, Central Magnet High School
Ella Paligo, Student Representative of Sumner County Board of Education; Beech High School
Garren Hamby, Tennessee Technological University; Member of State Board of Education
Michele Carringer, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly
Becky Massey, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Students with Disabilities and Gifted Students Subcommittee

Chair: Commissioner Brad Turner, Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Jennifer Aprea, Director of Family Engagement in Special Education, The Arc TN
Sandra Edwards, Superintendent, Tennessee School for the Deaf
Mandy Fisher, Academic Dean, Bethel University
David Martin, Superintendent, Tennessee School for the Blind
Lynette Porter, Deputy Director, Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
LeAnn Simmerman, Co-President, Tennessee Association for the Gifted
Lori Smith, President, Decoding Dyslexia
Stephen Smith, Director, TENNCare
Anna Thorsen, Metro Nashville Public School Parent and Dyslexia Advocate
Wendy Tucker, Senior Director of Policy, Center for Learner Equity; Member, Tennessee Public Charter School Commission
Carol Westlake, Executive Director, Tennessee Disability Coalition
Bill Powers, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly
Sam Whitson, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

English Learner Subcommittee

Chair: Raul Lopez, Executive Director, Latinos for Tennessee
Megan Barolet-Fogarty, Director of Youth & Family Engagement, Centro Hispano de East TN
Claudia Caballero, President & CEO, Centro Hispano de East TN
Mauricio Calvo, Executive Director, Latino Memphis
Dr. Laura Clark, Director, ELL Collaborative, Middle Tennessee State University
Tara Lentz, Co-Executive Director, Conexión Américas
Luis Parodi, Vice President, Senior Regional CRA & Community Development Officer, Republic Bank
Meghan Vigil, ESL Instructor & Tennessee Teachers of English Speakers of Other Languages Teacher of the Year, Smyrna Middle School
Dr. Jeanne Barker, Director of Schools, Lenoir City Schools
Todd Gardenhire, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly
Harold M. Love, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Economically Disadvantaged and Highly Mobile Students Subcommittee

Chair: Victor Evans, Executive Director, TennesseeCAN
Cherrell Campbell-Street, Assistant Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Human Services
Diarese George, Executive Director, Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance
Mary Graham, President, United Ways of Tennessee
Elissa Kim, Member, State Board of Education
Courtney Mott, Director of State & Electoral Campaigns, Save the Children Action Network
Jennifer Nichols, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Children’s Services
Gloria Sweet-Love, President, NAACP of TN
Dwayne Tucker, Chief Executive Officer, LEAD Public Schools
Sam Wigand, Chief Executive Officer, Communities in Schools
Brenda Gilmore, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly
Chris Hurt, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

Parent Choice and Voice Subcommittee

Chair: Dr. Derwin Sisnett, Commissioner, Tennessee Public Charter School Commission
Melanie Allen, Parent, Knox County
Dr. Maya Bugg, CEO, Charter School Center
Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director, Memphis Lift
Denny Darnell, Parent, Kingsport City
Sherry Hage, Founder and CEO, Noble Education Initiative
Christy Carroll Highfill, Parent, Hamilton County
Dwight Hunter, President, Tennessee PTA
Wendy Jarvis, Parent, Putnam County
Tom Marino, Executive Director, The Poplar Foundation
Nate Morrow, Member, State Board of Education
Bob Nardo, Executive Director, Libertas School of Memphis
Latoya Robinson, Parent, Shelby County
Dr. Sonia Stewart, Community Superintendent, Midtown Learning Community, Hamilton County
Blair Taylor, President and CEO, Tennesseans for Quality Early Education
Kevin Tennant, Parent, Bedford County
Josh Thomas, Regional Advocacy Director, ExcelinEd
Jennings Wilson, Parent, Weakley County
April Garza-Wright, Parent, Williamson County
Dr. Berthena Nabaa-McKinney, CEO, Nabaa Consulting
Mark Pody, Senator, Tennessee General Assembly
Sabi Kumar, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly

“As a current high school student, I am honored to represent my classmates and provide a student’s voice on how our education is funded and how to best meet our needs,” said Kevin Hu, 2021-22 President, Tennessee SkillsUSA; Lawrence County High School. “With a funding strategy focused on students, funds can be better allocated for resources and tools that students need.”

“As a person with disabilities myself and the parent of two children with IEPs, one who is gifted and the other who is Twice Exceptional gifted with dyslexia and complex medical issues, I am proud to provide a parent’s voice to the Students with Disabilities and Gifted Students Subcommittee. Too often, the over 110,000 Tennessee students with disabilities are misunderstood in our schools and they are not provided with the tools they need to thrive,” said Anna Thorsen, Metro Nashville Public School Parent and Dyslexia Advocate. “We not only need to give more training to our general education teachers so they can better meet the needs of students already identified with disabilities, but our districts need funds to identify underrepresented categories like dyslexia, giftedness and children who are Twice Exceptional - meaning they are gifted but also have a learning disability or autism. I am ready to dive into this long-overdue, important work to redesign how we fund our public schools to support students.”

“Focusing on the future of our babies and making sure all their needs are met must be our focus and these are important conversations about how to fund their futures and the future of Tennessee,” said Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director, Memphis Lift. “I am excited to engage with people representing all walks of life to make sure our kids have access to what they need and are able to have access to the best education possible.”

The state’s approach for public engagement includes the central steering committee and 18 subcommittees, in addition to a committee of national experts, regional meetings of county commissioners and school board members, public engagement representatives, and an opportunity for public comment through a formal survey later in the fall. Each of the 18 subcommittees are led by a chair who is tasked with capturing ideas and feedback based in the unique perspective of the stakeholder group or respective topic area they serve.

The subcommittees will meet twice a month, either in person or virtually. The central steering committee will convene monthly and review finalized feedback provided by the subcommittees. All associated committee meeting materials, including recordings, transcripts, and minutes, will be posted here. Additional subcommittee members will be released in the coming days.

Over 1,000 Tennesseans have already submitted their interest in engaging in discussions and receiving updates related to a student-centered investment strategy. Members of the public are encouraged to continue to submit their interest via this form.

Visit this webpage for more information and learn how to get involved: https://www.tn.gov/education/tnedufunding. For funding related inquiries, contact tnedu.funding@tn.gov.

For Tennessee Department of Education media inquiries, contact Edu.MediaInquiries@tn.gov.

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