Inside TNSuccess

TN Legislative Corner 

The Tennessee General Assembly is in session again this week and legislators are hard at work. This week, Tennesseans for Student Success is keeping an eye on several education-related items, including:

• Senate and House Education Committee schedules
• House Government Operations Committee vote on the SEM Advancement Act
• Senate Education Committee Chairman Brian Kelsey’s 3rd grade retention bill
• Several notable bills being considered by the House Education Instruction Subcommittee
• Expected action by the House K-12 Subcommittee

More details are available on the TSS blog here.

Major Vaccine Eligibility Announcement

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee today announced that all Tennesseans age 16+ will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by April 5, nearly one month ahead of the federal deadline outlined by the Biden administration. This means some Tennessee students will be eligible. Currently, all adults 55+ and those in Phase II of the state’s vaccination plan are eligible to receive the vaccine. For more information or to find a vaccine appointment, visit vaccinefinder.org. Watch the governor’s announcement below.

Working together, Tennessee can be No. 1 in public education

In an op-ed in The Daily Herald (Columbia), Tennessee Representative Scott Cepicky writes: “While Tennessee has made great progress in education over the last decade, we still have a long way to go. Student assessments are a critical element for measuring that success and finding out where we need to put more focus.”

“We can’t afford to wait another year to find out how Tennessee students are doing, so they will take these tests as they normally would at the end of the school year. This data will help districts and educators determine where our students are and what remediation may be needed to offset learning loss. This provides meaningful flexibility for districts, teachers and students and while preserving our state’s high standards,” he adds.

In Case You Missed It

Times News (Kingsport): Carnegie honors Sullivan County school system for reading initiative
WSMV (Nashville): Report: High school to college rates declining in Tennessee
USA Today: Students are struggling to read behind masks and screens during COVID-19, but ‘expectations are no different’
Education Week: Cardona Keeps Tough Stance on State Tests as He Focuses on School Reopenings
McKinsey: COVID-19 and learning loss—disparities grow and students need help