SWEETWATER-Test scores, test scores and more test scores.

When we talk about education these days, test scores seem to be the main topic.

And while the age of accountability cannot be ignored, the best teachers remember the most how students reach their full potential and their dreams, not always their marks and test papers.

That's what Ken Green, chief district support officer for the Tennessee Department of Education, told top educators at the recent Little Tennessee Valley Educational Cooperative Banquet in Sweetwater.

"We change the trajectory of children's lives," said Green, who served as the keynote speaker at the banquet. "That's an amazing power."

The Little Tennessee Valley Educational Cooperative (LTVEC) is a public non-profit agency formed by local school systems in East Tennessee, including the Monroe County and Sweetwater City systems. The agency is governed by a board of directors, including member school system directors, school board members, and county commissioners. LTVEC promotes collaboration among member school systems to develop and provide needed educational services in the region as well as the state.

During the annual banquet held each winter, LTVEC honored top educators throughout the counties served through the cooperative and honored retiring educators in the cooperative as well.

To learn more about LTVEC, visit the cooperative's website http://www.ltvec.org.