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Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder lays out CMCSS priorities: expand Ready Graduate, boost teacher recruitment and supports
Summary
CMCSS Director Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder outlined district priorities for the 2025–26 school year: expanding the Ready Graduate program into elementary and middle grades, strengthening career and technical education, recruiting teachers through regional outreach and nontraditional pathways, and increasing supports such as tuition reimbursement and mentoring.
Dr. Jean Luna-Vedder, Director of Schools for the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System, opened the 2025–26 school year by outlining priorities to boost student readiness and staff retention.
She said district leaders set annual strategic goals to ensure students graduate with a “solid academic foundation and a clear path forward” to high-skill, high-wage careers, and described an expansion of the Ready Graduate initiative into elementary and middle schools to introduce college- and career-oriented pathways earlier.
Luna-Vedder said the district will strengthen Career and Technical Education programs and expand early post-secondary options so students can gain real-world skills and a head start on their careers. “Our Ready Graduate work isn't only for high school anymore,” she said.
To address a growing teacher shortage, the district will continue regional recruiting at university job fairs and expand non-traditional pathways into teaching. The district will offer monthly information sessions for prospective teachers, tuition reimbursement opportunities, mentor programs, Praxis preparation materials, and differentiated training for new hires.
The director emphasized a data-driven approach to instruction, saying CMCSS will implement high-quality instructional materials and evidence-based practices and use data to identify learning gaps and provide targeted interventions so every student receives rigorous, aligned instruction.
She also highlighted workplace climate improvements, reporting a double-digit increase in overall workplace climate over the last three years and the continued use of the Upbeat employee feedback survey to guide retention efforts.
The district plans to continue building a portfolio of school choice programs and role-specific professional learning to give families more options and to equip staff with job-specific skills. Luna-Vedder asked families and staff to engage with the district, noting that collaboration and clear communication are central to student success.
The remarks set the district’s operational and instructional priorities for the year and framed short- and medium-term initiatives for educators and families.
