TSS Statement on Governor Lee’s Calling for Special Legislative Session on Education
December 29, 2020
NASHVILLE – Tennesseans for Student Success today released the following statement after Governor Bill Lee (R-Tenn.) announced his intention to convene the Tennessee General Assembly for a special legislative session to address critical issues facing public education.
With only 34.9 percent of students meeting expectations in ELA across grade levels, we must address literacy head-on with comprehensive legislation that provides students with the necessary instruction and high-quality material to improve student success.
“Tennessee’s literacy rates are at crisis-level lows with only 34.9 percent of students reading on grade level. The life-long challenges created through reading gaps disproportionately impact Tennessee’s most marginalized students. We need a bold and urgent response to these issues if we are to chart a new path to success for hundreds of thousands of students,” said TSS President & CEO Adam Lister. “Adding to the already desperate and critical need for intervention, a global pandemic deepened the discrepancy in literacy rates and further accentuated tragic learning inequities for low-income students and students of color. We are Tennesseans; we have a history of taking bold steps in confronting challenges. We appreciate Governor Lee’s leadership and applaud his taking action to elevate and prioritize these issues through a special session. We look forward to working with the Tennessee General Assembly and Governor Lee to create and adopt bold solutions to improve student learning and success.”
Key Public Charter Schools Legislation, Annual Assessments, and more! The Tennessee General Assembly is beginning to wrap up work, with three of the four House education subcommittees now closed and... more
This Week: GIVE Act Pushing Forward, Final Calendars & More! As the General Assembly continues to discuss key pieces of legislation, we are excited by the GIVE Act– a Lee Administration... more
This Week: Budget, Legislation Updates, Volunteer Opportunities! This week, critical pieces of legislation make their way through the legislature, and the General Assembly marches toward hearings of... more
Legislative session is in full swing, and we are monitoring key pieces of legislation to help ensure a focus on students remains at the forefront of educational progress in Tennessee Students... more
There is only one you Recently, at the Tennesseans for Student Success Day on the Hill, our advocates heard from members about the importance and value of their voice and using it to influence public... more
Every few weeks we share a few articles, take a few minutes, and get all caught up together on the news of the day Feel free to share this with your networks and invite them to sign up for our... more
Have you heard Along with our work for high expectations for all students, continuing to measure what matters in our classrooms, making sure everyone involved in education is accountable for student... more
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... more
Every few weeks, we like to jump into your inbox with a rundown of what’s happening in the education world in Tennessee The highlights as follows: – Governor Lee named Penny Schwinn as the... more
Meet your Education Committee Members! As the First Session of the 111th General Assembly gets underway, we wanted to introduce you to the committee structure and procedure in both the House and the... more
Welcome to 2019! We hope your year is off to the right start and your Christmas season was full of good memories If you’re looking for ways to make sure this year is the best one yet, make sure... more
Every few weeks, we send around a few things you might have missed in the hustle and bustle of this season A news story, a few photos from social media, and an article or two below to read at your... more