The past few years have seen significant developments in education at the state level, resulting in a new funding formula, myriad culture-war-inspired legislation and much more. Though this year’s legislative session likely won’t be as monumental as previous ones, it will still see plenty of bills affecting students and educators across Tennessee, for better and for worse.
Among the most discussed issues going into this session is 2021 legislation that would hold back certain third-grade students who don’t pass the English Language Arts section of the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program tests and who don’t receive specified interventions. The legislation, which is set to go into effect this year, has seen widespread criticism from parents, educators and school leaders. Legislators on both sides of the aisle have expressed interest in revisiting the law, and a slew of bills seeks to address it through various approaches, from starting retention requirements earlier to rolling them back altogether.
Though it may feel like the Tennessee General Assembly’s Republican supermajority has exhausted every possible wedge issue, several more culture-war skirmishes have popped up this year. One bill seeks to remove implicit bias training requirements and another targets trans athletes in private schools by authorizing institutions to “create a policy to regulate a student’s participation in the school’s athletic activities or events based upon a student’s biological sex.”
Elsewhere, several bills seeking to expand eligibility for the Education Savings Account program — which allows certain students to use taxpayer money to attend private schools — have been filed despite the fact that the initial pilot program is still in its infancy after years of being held up in court. Additionally, several bills attempt to address school safety; while some offer vague guidelines regarding school safety plans or allocate funding to enhance security measures, others seek to allow school staff members to carry firearms. State House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) has discussed legislation that would opt the state out of $1.8 billion in federal K-12 education funding, replacing it with state funds in order to forego federal oversight of Tennessee schools.
Bills that could actually help students and educators include many seeking to increase the teacher pipeline by widening access and removing barriers to the profession, along with bills aiming to widen postsecondary opportunities for students.
This year, the Republican supermajority plans to focus on infrastructure, punishing Metro Nashville and culture-war issues
