Blog Post

TSIN Welcomes Becky Ashe as Manager of Professional Learning

We are pleased to announce the hiring of Becky Ashe, former founding Principal of L&N STEM Academy in Knoxville, TN, as the Network's Manager of Professional Learning. In this role, Ashe will manage the Network’s Professional Learning Series where she will facilitate professional development sessions for Tennessee schools and districts around key STEM topics. Ashe will also lead the Network’s Innovative Leaders Institute , a year-long cohort of school-level leaders focused on infusing STEM leadership strategies, and she will provide technical support and expertise for other Network programming.

“The momentum for STEM in Tennessee is strong and the Network has seen an increased demand for targeted professional development opportunities for schools and districts,” said Wes Hall, Executive Director of the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network. “Through her diverse portfolio of experience, which includes leading one of the most innovative high school campuses in the country, Becky will be an incredible asset for all Tennessee educators, whether they are trying to start a STEM program from the ground-up or expand existing opportunities.”

Becky began her career in education as a biology and chemistry teacher at West High School in Knoxville, where she spent time as a teacher researcher in Haleakala National Park on Maui, HI doing avian mark and recapture studies and aboard a NOAA research vessel in Prince William Sound, AK as a teacher-at-sea. Wanting to create the same immersive experiences for other learners, she left the classroom to serve as the system Science Supervisor and Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Knox County Schools. In 2011, Becky founded L&N STEM Academy, the first school focused on STEM disciplines in Knox County.

“Today’s students are living in a world of constant innovation and growth, where the possibilities through STEM are boundless,” said Ashe. “I am excited to champion opportunities for students to dream big and support educators in making these dreams a reality through engaging instruction.”

The Network currently offers six targeted sessions through the Professional Learning Series, on topics including project-based instruction, finding and developing community partnerships, and incorporating engineering design challenges within instruction, among others. Educators can request a training with Ashe through the Professional Learning Series webpage.