February 29, 2016
My students are becoming better writers.
Our students are prepared to compete on the national level.
I appreciate my students to take what they learn and apply it across multiple subjects.
I’m excited that the standards didn’t go backwards.
We are finally reaching our students how to think instead of just memorize.
We hope these words from some of our Tennessee teachers leap off the page and show you part of the reason for the work you do. It is part of the reason for our work to support a statewide assessment that supports high academic standards, that is in line with what our teachers are being asked to teach, and that will show parents, teachers, and education officials what our students are learning. We are seeing the success of our mission in classrooms across the state and parents, students, teachers, administrators, and community leaders are jumping in to see that success as well.
This work keeps us paying attention to the General Assembly to legislation that steps into Tennessee’s classrooms. Each week we come to you with an update, a look ahead, and an ask. We can’t thank you enough for leaping into success.
Last week we mentioned Senate Bill 1606 which would restore an antiquated system to elect school superintendents. Thank you for reaching out to the Senate Education Committee. This bill was rolled last week and jumps up again this week. We’ll keep you posted.
House Bill 1737, legislation to tie the hands of local education authorities to hire and retain the best and most skilled public servants, was taken off notice. You leapt to the call for action and shared your voice on behalf of Tennessee’s students. Thank you!
We wanted to let you know we are watching Senate Bill 1984 this week. This bill would replace TNReady with an ACT suite of tests. We don’t want to jump to conclusions, but we are determined to make sure every Tennessee student receives a top-notch Tennessee education. Thanks to your hard work, and the work of dedicated elected officials, Tennessee’s students receive a Tennessee-specific education. Replacing a Tennessee-specific assessment with a national test is not without concerns.
There’s hopping good news this week! House Bill 1537 is on the House Floor this week. This legislation reduces the number of tests given statewide every year, increases transparency for TNReady, and gives teachers the option on how to use TNReady data in their evaluations this year.
Not to jump around, but we hope you’ve taken a moment to hop over to our Facebook page and help us celebrate Leap Day! Leap into a book, leap into an art project, leap into a science experiment, or leap into success! Use your extra day to learn something new.