Maury County Leaders Invited to Share Education Insight at Regional P-16 Council Meeting

The Maury Chamber and Economic Alliance announced today that Maury County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Chris Marczak and Mount Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone Artsministrator Dr. Ryan Jackson and Maury Alliance President Wil Evans have been invited to share insight on Maury County’s strides and achievements in education at the quarterly North Central Tennessee P-16 council meeting.

The council, whose vision is to promote the relationship between education and developing a highly trained workforce and culture of lifelong learning, is comprised of elected officials, education institutions, chambers of commerce, economic development agencies and business and industry leaders from five counties in Middle Tennessee: Macon, Robertson, Sumner, Trousdale and Wilson.

The meeting is set to take place Friday, July 14 at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee.

P-16 is the shorthand term for a student-focused, comprehensive and integrated system that links all education levels from preschool (P) through post-secondary. It is a powerful framework for citizens and policymakers to use to improve teaching and learning and better prepare students for living, learning and working in a changing world.

The North Central Tennessee P-16 council has invited Marczak, Jackson and Evans to share Maury County’s innovative approach to education and how it has enabled the school system to make progress and achievements in college and workforce readiness.

In 2015, Maury County instituted the “Grow Maury” initiative, now entering its third academic year. This unprecedented effort aims to elevate educational attainment and achievement as a top community priority, in support of Maury County Public Schools (MCPS) students, educators and leadership. The end-game: multi-year economic development.

In 2016, under the leadership of Marczak, MCPS launched its “7 Keys to College and Career Readiness”— a list of educational goals for each student to reach in order to achieve his or her full potential. Studies show that students who hit these seven benchmarks are more likely to find success in college and the workforce.

The implementation of these initiatives bore results. In his visit to Columbia, Tennessee, Governor Bill Haslam praised Maury County’s educational progress during a speech to the Kiwanis Club on March 3. The governor cited the county’s 32 percent increase in college readiness scores and ACT score increase and pointed to the county as an example of the educational growth his administration has encouraged across the state.

“We’re honored to be invited to speak on behalf of Maury County’s educational successes,” said Evans. “Innovation in education, preparing students to be college and career-ready and developing strong pro-education awareness in our community is making Maury County a competitive place to grow and prosper.”