Educators for Dean

The following was taken from a Core54 for Karl Dean email:

Another exciting addition to the campaign is the launch of Educators for Dean. Educators across the state are supporting Karl because he is committed to making public education a top priority.  Our co-Chairs for Educators for Dean are Jolinea Pegues and Penny Ferguson.

On one side of the state, Jolinea is a special education teacher at Trezevant High School in Shelby County.  On the other side of the state, Penny Ferguson is an English teacher at Maryville High School in Blount County.  Jolinea and Penny both outlined the reasons that they are supporting Karl Dean for Governor.

Jolinea: “As an educator, I am voting for Karl Dean because he supports education. As Mayor of Nashville, he supported initiatives that were beneficial for the students and the educators which in turn made Nashville a better place to learn, live and work. As an educator, I believe the goal is to leave people better than you found them and that is what Karl Dean will do for the state of Tennessee. #EduDean”

Penny: “Mayor Karl Dean is the rare combination of a leader with a proven record of commitment to public education and the expertise to know what will help move students and teachers to new heights. He is a grounded, forward-thinking individual who is open to new approaches in education and understands the ripple effect of bettering the system from the bottom up.  He is willing to listen to teachers—those in the trenches—and realizes that they need quality resources to provide the best education for our future citizens—the students of Tennessee.”

During his eight years in the mayor’s Office, Karl worked with the Metro Council to:

• Increase funding for Nashville schools by an astounding 37 percent.
• Invest $629 million in school buildings and other capital infrastructure for the school district.
• The graduation rate increased, the dropout rate went down and test scores improved.
• Increased teacher pay--taking it from 30th in the state to 3rd in that state.

As governor, Karl will do the same for the state. He will make education a funding priority every year he is in office with specific emphasis on:

• Increasing teacher pay.
• Investing in high quality early childhood education.
• Expanding after school program opportunities.
• Ensuring all school districts get the resources they need.
• Investing in quality workforce development and vocational training.

Karl Dean is the right choice for Governor because he has a proven track record of improving and prioritizing public education. Educators are proud to support Karl Dean for Governor!

Click here to sign-up for Educators for Dean.

View our other Educators for Dean.

Written by Anne Davis