Tennessee Improves High School Graduation Rate

According to an article in the Commercial Appeal (click here for the link), Tennessee has made dramatic gains in its high school graduation rate. In 2002 we had one of the lowest rates in the country at 59.6%. By 2008 that had improved to 74.9%. This 15% improvement led the nation. This article is reporting findings from a study by Johns Hopkins University and America's Promise Alliance, founded by Gen. Colin Powell. The website for that organization and a link to the full report can be found at http://americaspromise.org/ and at full graduation rate study report.

Busy Times

Over the last couple of weeks, we had a tremendously successful TCSA fall conference, announced a new training program for county commissioners in conjunction with CTAS, welcomed several new members to the TCCA board and saw an election that had dramatic results. All these developments have made for a busy work schedule. I hope to update you soon on all these developments, as time permits.

Today, I'm at a hearing of the business tax study committee which is considering several issues today and tomorrow that impact county governments. Tomorrow afternoon I hit the road to Oak Ridge to teach the first training class in a new program designed to provide county commissioners with evening training opportunities to help make them better informed about their job. Three more classes will be taught across the state this month in Cookeville on the 8th, Gallatin on the 16th and Jackson on the 18th. I hope to see you at one of these classes. We hope to hit at least three more locations in the future if one of these locations is not convenient to you. This first class is a basic overview. More classes are planned on budgeting, capital planning, parliamentary procedure, education funding and several other issues.