Professional Educators of Tennessee To Hold Event Friday in Mufreesboro

Professional Educators of Tennessee (ProEd) will host an event Friday at Middle Tennessee State University offering classes and the latest news on where the state is headed in K-12 public education.

Leader U is for educators, public school parents, business and community leaders, and the media. ProEd is a nonpartisan teacher association headquartered in Nashville.

The keynote speaker will be Tedx Talk Speaker Ryan Jackson, the executive lead principal of the Mt. Pleasant Arts Innovation Zone in Maury County, the nation’s first K-12 STEAM campus. He will discuss the importance of creating a sense of student belonging in the classroom based on research conducted during his years teaching for Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Teacher leaders and presenters from across the state will lead professional development classes on topics related to poverty, trauma, special needs and more. Classes are tailored to meet the needs of teachers and administrators at all levels, and multiple classes are available for up to six TASL credits. College students and new teachers can also benefit from the networking opportunity and classes on financial literacy, advice for new teachers, technology and project-based learning.

In addition, the following ProEd award recipients will be recognized:

• Michael Ridenour Advocate of the Year Award: William Freddy Curtis, a U.S. government, sociology, and AP U.S. government and politics teacher at Cannon County High School in Woodbury, Tennessee.
  
• Superintendent of the Year: Dr. Melanie Miller, who serves as director of schools for Athens City Schools in Athens, Tennessee.
  
• Principal of the Year:  Thomas Fuhrman, principal at Jere Whitson Elementary School in Cookeville, Tennessee.
• Teacher of the Year: Pam Hood Roberts, who teaches at East Ridge Elementary in Hamilton County.  

For more information about Friday’s event or to register, visit leaderutn.com. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.