Helping youth grow into financially literate adults

(Sept. 26, 2023) An East Tennessee State University faculty member has been named to a new state council dedicated to educating young people throughout Tennessee about financial literacy.

Dr. Stacey Fisher is one of six teachers making up the inaugural Distinguished Educator Council of the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission (TNFLC). Fisher, who teaches at ETSU at Sevierville, is a professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in ETSU’s Clemmer College of Education and Human Development.

Members of the TNFLC Distinguished Educator Council believe strongly in the importance of financial literacy and will help fill the critical need for teacher feedback and leadership as the commission continues to grow. Distinguished Educators can give voice to their own experiences teaching financial literacy while helping the TNFLC identify areas of improvement and equip their colleagues to provide high-quality financial education in their classrooms.

Realizing she needed to get control of her own spending and debt, Fisher began her journey to financial literacy in 2016. After studying various personal finance leaders and achieving her goal of being debt-free in 2019, she began sharing her newfound knowledge with others.

“I became passionate about helping future teachers learn these principles before they begin their early career, instead of in their late 30s, like me,” said Fisher, who also speaks at peer-reviewed academic conferences on financial literacy, personal finance and budgeting; coaches individuals in budgeting and debt reduction; and is licensed to teach personal finance in grades 9-12.

“Ask anyone who didn’t get started early and they will undoubtedly say, ‘Start now,’” she said. “When you start early, you can contribute less over your working years than what you have to contribute as you get older to reach retirement goals. Additionally, don’t depend on anyone else to fund your retirement. I consider financial literacy a social justice issue that has a reachable solution.”

Fisher is co-coordinator of the K-5 Elementary Education Program at ETSU at Sevierville, where she teaches both on-ground and online literacy courses and is a cohort student adviser. She holds a Ph.D. in exceptional learning from Tennessee Technological University, and her research interests focus on family literacy and financial literacy for rural, first-generation college students and non-traditional students. She received the TNFLC Financial Literacy Leadership Award for the East Tennessee Grand Division in 2021

“Tennessee was one of the first five states to implement a requirement for a financial literacy/personal finance graduation credit,” she said, “and there are now 22 states that have followed suit. Teachers across the state can get free professional development hours through the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission, and with their participation, they get access to free resources that are easily integrated into existing classroom subject areas or as stand-alone activities. There is also a classroom management system and a library of resources teachers may choose to implement.”

 “The teachers chosen as Distinguished Educators know that financial education is important to set children up for success as adults,” said Tennessee Treasurer David H. Lillard Jr. “The council will work to provide feedback critical to ensure the TNFLC continues to offer relevant resources that can be easily incorporated in any K-8 classroom.”

ETSU faculty and staff often win competitive grants and fellowships, using their expertise to improve the quality of life for the people of the region and beyond.

To learn more about the Distinguished Educator Council, visit the Distinguished Educator Council page on the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission’s website, TNFLC.org, which also features valuable education and resources for the public.