New report shows how Nashville could better connect classroom learning with job opportunities

A new report released Friday stresses the importance of expanding career technical education for high school students as Nashville — and the need for high-wage jobs here — grows.

Educators, industry partners, civic leaders and students worked together for eight months to produce the 2024 Education Report from the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. This Education Report Committee conducted research, visited schools and engaged with stakeholders to highlight wins and make recommendations for improvement.

Stephanie Coleman, the Chamber’s president, said they spent the last year focusing on career technical education to help strengthen the bridge between education and the workplace. A necessity, she says, as the region is expected to add 300,000 new residents by the year 2034, creating a demand for high-wage jobs in the healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, and trade industries.

“We know that Nashville’s future depends on the readiness of our students,” she told the crowd of education professionals on Friday.

The event began on a somber note with a moment of silence honoring the memory of Josselin Corea Escalante, the 16-year-old student killed during the deadly shooting at Antioch High School this January. The release of the report was delayed due to the tragedy.

Revamping high school education and building business partnerships

Concerned with low graduation rates, Metro Nashville Public Schools began efforts to revamp high school education in 2005. They partnered with business leaders to transform some high schools into academies that provided students with practical experience based on their interests. The program affords students access to career fairs, college visits, industry related field trips, internships, and a capstone career practicum.

The report boasted of improvements among students since the introduction of these academies. Graduation rates and average daily attendance have increased, while suspension rates have gone down. Also, more students are passing industry certification exams and dual credit exams, and they are engaging in more work-based learning.

MNPS Board Chair Freda Player told WPLN News that everyone should care about students’ success even if they don’t have any school-age kids.

“It takes everyone in the community whether you have children or not to participate in the education of our children because they’re going to be your neighbors,” she said. “They’re going to be working for you anywhere from a plumber to an electrician to the cashier at the grocery store but even more importantly the business leaders of tomorrow for Nashville.”

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell echoed Player’s sentiments about investing in education, telling the crowd that it lays the foundation for generating greater economic output and better quality of life.

Metro Nashville Public School Superintendent Adrienne Battle said that the academies model is an international model, drawing groups of educators from near and far to study the program.

To continue growing this model, the report recommends expanding the number of career technical education teachers. This is best achieved, the Education Report Committee says, through state-level policy changes that address licensure and certification challenges. Specifically, the report cites implementing alternative methods for certification, like allowing candidates with documented work experience to demonstrate their knowledge without needing to pass an exam.

Another report recommendation includes fostering better business partnerships with schools.

Dan Phillips, the director of Academies of Nashville and former career technical education teacher, acknowledged that the academies model is often described as a business — stating that both schools and industry partners have something to gain. Students get experience, he says, and businesses get potential future employees.

He said that the purpose is to give students a chance to explore their interests and, hopefully, find a suitable career path after high school.

“Or they might find out it’s not for them through that deep dive,” he said, “and that’s great too.”