Randy’s Vision is to Make Tennessee THE State of Opportunity –
Opportunity for a Better Education
Opportunity for a Better Job
Opportunity for Everyone
SMARTEST STATE IN THE SOUTH
“Setting a goal for Tennessee to be the ‘Smartest State in the South’ is not just an idle slogan.
Becoming the Smartest State in the South has a real return on investment for all of us. When 55 percent of our citizens have earned a job-ready certificate or college degree after high school, we will have moved Tennessee to #1 in the entire Southeast for postsecondary attainment. That will mean higher-paying jobs, more than $9 billion in additional income for Tennessee families, and much greater opportunities for every citizen and community in our state. But our work cannot wait until high school or college. It has to be ‘K to J’ – with a renewed emphasis on early learning and literacy – great teachers and principals in every school and classroom – and boosting college and career readiness with more work-based learning and technical training opportunities in every Tennessee high school.
BETTER PAYING JOBS
“My commitment to education and completing the Drive to 55 is about our people and providing them with the skills and opportunity they need for a great paying job and an even better quality of life.
We need more Tennesseans with advanced skills to fill the jobs that are here, and for those we are going to grow and attract in the future. But for every percentage we are short, that’s a percentage of our population that is either going to be unemployed or underemployed in the years to come.”
A HEALTHIER, WEALTHIER TENNESSEE
“If we are going to be a more prosperous and educated state, we must also be a healthier state.
In Tennessee, we must focus on our health like never before. This means a renewed focus on overall wellness – like attacking our high rates of smoking and obesity that drive so many of our health problems – encouraging regular exercise and a more active lifestyle – promoting better nutrition and finding ways to lower our stress – and restoring vital mental health and substance abuse services to look at every area of treatment and recovery to help folks who are struggling get back on their feet.
