February 13, 2019
Bill filing deadline has come and gone, and we want to share with you the issues we’re watching this session. Want a reminder of our work during the last General Assembly? Take a look at our annual TNSuccess Legislative Scorecard for the bills, votes, and amendments we supported and opposed.
A bit of housekeeping before we dive in. Each week, we’ll share the bills up in subcommittees, committees, or on the floor of either the House or the Senate. The legislation will be related to one of five categories: high expectations for all students, measuring what matters, innovation in education, accountability for all, and our 5th policy principle, opportunity for all. You’ll find links to each proposed bill as well as short summaries of our policy priorities.
High Expectations for All Students
Rigorous academic standards taught at every grade level help make sure our students are ready to achieve, learn, and grow at every opportunity. -Protect rigorous K-12 academic standards that create high expectations for students and better prepare them for success in college, the workforce, or in the military.
-Support investments into the Response to Instruction and Intervention (RTI2) program to ensure all students are on track for success.
Measuring What Matters
Good tests, ones that accurately and fairly measure what our students know, where they are growing and achieving, and where they need more support, are critical in student success.– Support the implementation of an assessment aligned to the state’s K-12 academic standards to accurately measure student achievement.
Innovation in Education
No matter how or where a student learns in Tennessee’s public schools, those schools must be able to adopt the best practices for innovation and student success.-Support strategies to turn-around and improve underperforming schools that have a demonstrated track record for improving student growth measures.
-Support equitable access to resources for high-quality charter schools.
-Support strict accountability for charter schools by automatically revoking the charters of schools placed on the state’s priority school list and that have not demonstrated growth within a three-year period.
-Support alternative charter school authorizers to promote innovation and increase the number of high-quality seats across Tennessee.
Accountability for All
From legislators to administrators, teachers and students, and parents and community volunteers, everyone is accountable for the success, growth, and achievement of Tennessee’s classrooms.-Support an accountability system that incorporates student achievement and academic growth to improve instruction in the classroom.
-Support efforts to ensure talented new educators and school leaders are recruited, trained, and supported throughout the state.
-Support transparency and accountability by expanding the state’s A-F accountability framework to include summative ratings.
-Support the current system for selecting members of the boards of education and local school superintendents.
-Support strategies to increase access to effective teachers for all students.
-Support investments into teacher preparation programs to ensure talented new educators are recruited, trained and supported throughout the state.
Opportunity for All
We have advocated for higher, better academic standards which prepare students for success in a 21st century economy but to fully honor our promise to provide today’s students with an opportunity for success in the future, we must ensure all Tennessean are prepared for, can access, and complete a post-secondary credential or degree.
-Support career and technical education and early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs) that prepare all students to thrive after high school and increase college credit-earning opportunities for high school students and help Tennessee meet its college complete goals.
-Support strategies to increase the number of work-based learning programs throughout the state to connect high school students with both credit-earning opportunities and real-work experiences.
-Support comprehensive K12 to postsecondary to industry pathways to provide students with opportunities aligned with workforce needs while increasing postsecondary degree and credential completion rates.
-Support investments in higher education that increase college completion and improve affordability for students. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions or concerns. And don’t forget to sign up to use our advocacy center! It’s fast and easy, and a great way to let your elected officials know you support Tennessee’s students. Thank you for raising your voice for student success.