Tennessee Scholars coming to Dyer County

Representatives from business, industry, education and government were on hand Feb. 11 to learn more about the Tennessee Scholars program. Dyersburg and Dyer County high schools will recognize a total of 43 graduating seniors who have met the program's requirements. [Click to enlarge]

When Sharon Holleman was growing up, her grandmother always told her she wouldn't understand what her mother was telling her until she had children of her own.

Today, with a 14-year-old daughter of her own, Holleman understands what her grandmother was talking about.

That philosophy works the same with students.

Joe Randolph, who helped found the State Scholars program more than 15 years ago, led an exposure meeting in Dyersburg on Feb. 11. [Click to enlarge]

"Teachers, principals, counselors, parents are telling them all the time to take rigorous courses," she said. "It doesn't click until they hear it from business people. They want to hear from the people performing in jobs they want to be in."

That is part of the concept behind the Tennessee Scholars.

Holleman, implementation coordinator with the Center for State Scholars, and the program's founder Joe Randolph were in Dyersburg Feb. 11 to present more information on the program that involves the community, primarily its businesses, in motivating students to complete an academically enriched high school course of study.

The State Scholars program began over 15 years ago in Longview, Texas, when officials at Eastman Chemical began realizing how unprepared high school graduates were when they applied for jobs at the company.

"We had to go through 100 applications to find one we would consider interviewing and hiring," Randolph said.

It was a matter of students taking the minimum courses to get their diplomas.

"We had to do something at the grassroots level," Randolph said. "We got with others and launched Texas Scholars to train students for the jobs of today and tomorrow."

Over time, word of what was happening in Longview began to spread across the state and the program took off. A year ago, Arkansas and eastern Tennessee joined Texas and became part of the Scholars program. In August 2003, it went national and other states began going through competitive application programs to become involved. Chosen in the first round were Indiana, Maryland, Oklahoma and Rhode Island. Chosen in the second round were Connecticut, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico and Washington. Another nine will be added in the spring.

"The program has gathered tremendous merit and nearly all states are chomping at the bit to get involved," Randolph said.

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State Scholars is a community-based program that follows eighth-graders through their high school graduation. Using volunteers from the business and industrial community, it emphasizes the importance of education, sending the message that a passing grade is more advantageous than an "A" in an easy course.

Its core curriculum "helps them understand that to cross to the next level, they have to be academically prepared," Holleman said. "Their high school course of study prepares them for life -- a four- or two-year college, technical school or the work force, be it civil or military. Kids want to know what it takes to be successful and they want to hear it from the people in the jobs they want to be in. That's why it's important for business people to be involved. Kids want to hear the straight skinny."

The Scholars program came to Tennessee a few months ago. It's funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and Economic Development. The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry oversees that money and the program. Ruth Woodall, formerly of Trimble, is the Tennessee Scholars director.

Through the Scholars program, students are required to take certain courses through their high school career. Tennessee, Randolph noted, is added to those requirements. Students have to take four years of English, four years of math, three years of science, four years of social studies, two years of foreign language, two years of technical electives. In addition, during the course of their high school years, they must perform 20 hours of community service.

"This is a program for all kids," Randolph said. "We feel there are no losers in this thing. Whatever you try to do in the future, you have to have a sound education program."

This is the second time Tennessee Scholars has been brought to Dyer County. The first was a month earlier when Woodall presented it to the Vision XXI committee. Dyersburg City Schools superintendent Lloyd Ramer was among those at that presentation and asked Woodall to provide more information.

"This is a win-win proposition for everyone," Ramer told those education and business leaders at the Feb. 11 meeting. "When you look at our students, many are already doing the requirements for this, several are close and others would."

While Feb. 11 was an exposure meeting, both school systems are going forward with the program.

"Ours is on go," said Dyer County High School principal Peggy Dodds, who was in attendance. "When we got back, we checked and we have 11 seniors who qualify already. We plan to give (recognition) out to them this year."

Dodds noted that several other DCHS seniors would have qualified had they had the community-service hours.

"We are currently making changes to the handbook to incorporate it for the coming year," she said, emphasizing that those changes will have to go before the Dyer County Schools board for final approval.

"This is a plus-plus," Dodds said of the Tennessee Scholars program. "It's good for the kids. I'm glad we have it going."

Ramer said that Dyersburg High School will also recognize its 32 graduating seniors who have met the qualifications of the program.

"We felt we had seniors who meet the requirements and a few who were real close and we wanted them to be recognized," Ramer said. "We have several high school students who meet the goals" and will be recognized as they graduate.

The next step is to prepare for the coming years.

"We'll start primarily with incoming ninth-graders," Ramer said. "Indications are businesses would like to be a part of it. The ball is in business and industry's court to come up with incentives."