CLINTON, Tenn. — Hoppy Merryman said after 15 years in education she has seen a lot in the classroom, from trauma to homelessness.
"It's a very common experience for a student to walk in and say, 'Miss Merryman we don't have a place to stay,'" she said.
For this reason, she said mental health resources are vital and almost 4,000 teachers across the state agree.
A new report out this month from The Tennessee Department of Education compiled comments from more than 45,000 educators, and Merryman said that is important.
"We need to be conscious at the state level," Merryman said.
When asked what the state should focus on over the next five years, 3,725 teachers said student support -- but the majority of the comments revolved around testing.
"It impacts the way a student sees themselves," Merryman added.
Part of her job is to help students apply for college, but she said the pressure of school testing spans all grades.
"I don't know if we need to be judging someone's future based on what they did at age nine," she said.
The report notes 4,192 teachers commented about testing -- more specifically about having less of it.
"The classroom teacher the school administrator, they see first hand the impact of testing," Merryman said.
While many of these aren't new topics, Merryman said all movement starts with having the courage to try -- and that is all she wanted her students to do.
"I grew up in a family where I was the first to go to college, and it means so much to me to help students to have that opportunity themselves," she said.
