Senator Alexander Discusses Education

Senator Alexander began by mentioning the familiar faces he saw in the crowd, including Harvey Sperling, who was USN's director when Lamar and Honey Alexander were USN parents. He also mentioned Cathie Sperling, who taught the Alexanders' son, and at one point said, "I assume Ms. Schneider is still around." She was in the auditorium.

Vince Durnan asked Senator Alexander questions about education, eliciting his opinions on charter schools, which he sees as "cause for optimism." He argued that the most important contributors to a school's success are the parents and the teachers, citing the example of Maryville High School in his home town.

Read the article in The Tennessean about Senator Alexander's visit to USN.

When he was asked what role a school like USN could play in the future of education, Senator Alexander said, "You should train your students to save the world rather than try to save it yourself." Then he listed three ways an independent school could "be part of the solution," as Vince Durnan said.

1. Show the world what an independent school can do and be part of the charter school debate.
2. Become involved in the school board.
3. Help public schools figure out what to do about digital education.

People in the audience asked Senator Aleander's opinions on such topics as teacher tenure, charter schools, the FAFSA form (which the senator had displayed earlier), and standardized tests in college admissions.