Parent advisory council created by Tennessee Department of Education

The State Department of Education has formed its first-ever parent advisory council, comprised of 15 parents from across Tennessee.

Five parents were selected from each of the state’s three regions to serve on the panel in 2016, according to a story published Wednesday on the department’s website.

Michelle McKissack

The parents will provide feedback on implementation of state policy in their districts and the department’s parent communications strategies, as well as share important information with other parents in their communities.

The advisory council is the latest in Commissioner Candice McQueen’s efforts to create a culture of dialogue with education stakeholders. In 2014, then-commissioner Kevin Huffman started Tennessee’s Teacher Advisory Council.

You can read more about the selected parents here.

The list includes two parents from Shelby County: journalist Michelle Robinson McKissack, a mother of four students in Shelby County Schools, and Apryle Young, whose nine children attend Shelby County Schools and schools in the state-run Achievement School District.