By TEA President Tanya T. Coats

One of my favorite things about visiting schools across Tennessee is seeing all the ways people depend on one another.

You see it in the teacher who asks a colleague for an idea. You see it in the education support professional who knows which student needs encouragement. You see it when a principal stops to listen or a veteran educator supports a new colleague.

Those moments tell an important story about public education: None of us does this work alone.

Bill Withers reminded us to “lean on me, when you’re not strong.” I think about that line when I think about our public schools, because every day, we lean on one another.

A student succeeds because educators recognize what that student needs and create an environment where learning can happen.

An educator succeeds because colleagues share ideas, solve problems and offer encouragement.

A school succeeds because educators and district leaders listen to one another and work through challenges together.

And a community succeeds when families, educators and local leaders recognize that strong public schools are worth building—and protecting—together.

Student. Educator. School. Community. Each one connected to the next.

That is why connection cannot simply be something we value. It must be something we practice.

Throughout my career, I have learned that strong relationships do not happen by accident. We build them by showing up, listening, and making room for one another’s expertise.

That is especially important when it comes to educator voice. The people working closest to our students see how decisions made around a table eventually show up in a classroom, on a school bus, or in a conversation with a family.

Their voices matter.

But having a voice only matters if someone is willing to listen.

Connection builds relationships. Relationships build trust. And trust gives us the ability to solve difficult problems together.

Working together does not mean we will always agree. It means recognizing that even when we approach an issue differently, we share a responsibility to the students and communities we serve.

Across Tennessee, our public schools are woven into the life of our hometowns. They are where neighbors gather, families celebrate, children discover their talents, and generations learn and grow.

Our public schools truly are the heart of our hometowns.

And what keeps that heart beating is connection.

Let’s be intentional about strengthening those connections. Reach out to a colleague. Invite families into the conversation. Ask educators what they are experiencing. Listen to understand, especially when someone brings a perspective different from your own.

There will always be voices eager to remind us of what separates us—our roles, geography, politics, or perspectives.

Our students need us to remember what connects us.

That is how we strengthen schools. That is how we strengthen our hometowns.

And hometown by hometown, that is how we build a stronger Tennessee—the best place to live, teach and learn.