Education commissioner visits West Carroll Special School District

CARROLL COUNTY, Tenn. — West Carroll Primary School hosted Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn for a visit, which they say was vital.

“She got a chance to see our other teachers down on the floor with our students, meeting them where they are. She got a chance to see our students engaging with one another,” West Carroll Special School District superintendent Dexter Williams said.

Schwinn toured classrooms in kindergarten, first and second grade. The teachers discussed their cross-curriculum, which focuses on reading.

“Reading with their science, reading with their history, even some of our math. We try to cross-curriculum with our reading,” West Carroll Primary School second grade teacher Misty Evans said.

As part of Gov. Bill Lee’s agenda, the state plans to set new standards and curriculum for literacy training in kindergarten through second grade.

Williams says an investment will be needed.

“It’s very expensive, which could be a huge burden, especially to, actually to all school districts, but especially to small school districts” Williams said. “We just hope that the state will see the need to kind of push some funds our way, to help us out with the initiative because it’s much needed.”

Teachers also told Schwinn about their goals for enhancing their teaching. They hope there’s more opportunities to visit other districts and learn teaching methods from each other.

“See other schools, see it in action because we’re visual learners just like our students, and we have to have the access to see how it’s taught,” Evans said. “If they’re not visiting and we’re not visiting, then we leave cracks and we leave holes, and we’ve got to build that bridge together to make the best education we can.”

This is Commissioner Schwinn’s second visit to West Tennessee this week.

The previous visit was to Haywood County Schools on Monday.