Statement on Candice McQueen’s Tenure as Tennessee Education Commissioner

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced Education Commissioner Candice McQueen will leave state service in January to become the CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET), a non-profit organization that helps states, districts, and schools attract, develop, and retain high-quality educators. McQueen is a member of Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of some of the nation’s boldest, most innovative state and district education chiefs. Chiefs for Change CEO Mike Magee issued the following statement in response to today’s news:

Students in Tennessee have made significant gains under Candice McQueen’s leadership. She has dramatically improved academic achievement, expanded supports for teachers, and created new and affordable pathways for students to attend college and pursue careers. Tennessee is a national model for education in a number of areas. Candice has led groundbreaking work on teacher leadership and has helped many Chiefs for Change members develop their own teacher leadership initiatives. We applaud the outstanding work she has done as commissioner of education and look forward to her continued impact through the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.

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