September 29, 2021
Last week the House Education Administration and Education Instruction Committees convened for a summer study that evaluated the impact of summer learning camps and other proactive measures to mitigate learning loss established by the TSS-supported Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act passed during the special legislative session.
Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) shared encouraging data around the state’s more than $160 million investment in academic summer camps that addressed learning loss with the goal of accelerating achievement for Tennessee students. One factor highlighted for contributing to the success of the camps was TDOE funding $18.5 million for transportation costs to ensure students could attend.
While the data should certainly be viewed as encouraging, the reality is most Tennessee students were not on track prior to the pandemic. To prevent pandemic-exacerbated learning loss from becoming a lifelong education crisis, TSS will advocate for a continuation of funding sound measures that further mitigate systemic learning loss that has long plagued Tennessee public education.
With appropriate and thoughtful education reform that puts students’ individual learning needs first, Tennessee schools can correct course and provide teachers with the thorough support necessary to help ensure students get back on track for lifelong success.