September 24, 2019
NASHVILLE – Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) recently released its third annual 2019 TNSuccessCard, a tool to keep Tennessee voters informed and engaged at the ballot box.
Check out this op-ed featured in The Tennessean from TSS President and CEO Adam Lister, on the importance of ensuring elected officials are prioritizing education and voting for policies that support student success.
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Scorecard lets voters see which legislators prioritize education
By Adam Lister
September 23, 2019
“Whether we know it or not, many facets of our daily lives are affected by state legislation and the work done by the Tennessee General Assembly. When it comes to education, that is especially true. If you are (or have been) a student, teacher or parent in Tennessee schools, your experience with our education system has been directly affected by decisions made by our elected officials — for better or worse…
“Well-informed voters are empowered voters, but how would a voter determine whether their local legislators are supporting critical education policies?
“The Tennessee SuccessCard, launched three years ago with a goal to help Tennesseans answer that exact question, is an accountability tool that scores state legislators’ support for student achievement based on their voting records…
“Our legislature and state policy leaders must be unequivocal in their commitment to put the state’s 1 million students first.
“Over the last few months, we at Tennesseans for Student Success have evaluated hundreds of pieces of legislation related to advancing high expectations, measuring what matters, encouraging innovation in education, protecting accountability in the classroom and securing economic freedom for all Tennesseans. Further, success after high school graduation does not look the same for every student, so we also evaluated bills that focus on providing more pathways for students to pursue a higher education, including early post-secondary opportunities like dual-enrollment or career and technical education.
“Legislative action was scored with one simple question in mind: Will this legislation help Tennessee students succeed?…
“By evaluating voting records openly and honestly, the SuccessCard offers Tennesseans an easy-to-use tool to gauge their legislators’ dedication to student success. As voters approach a new legislative and election cycle, we hope the SuccessCard will empower constituents to elect or reelect only the strongest champions for education.
“To view the scorecard online, go to TNSuccessCard.com.”
Read the full op-ed in the Tennessean here.