Virtual schools that fail their students won’t be allowed to stay open under new legislation that’s poised to be headed to Governor Bill Lee’s desk.¶
House Bill 2420, sponsored by Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, will require the state to close virtual schools that make the state’s priority list or fall “significantly below expectations” for three consecutive years under the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System (TVAAS) that measures student growth. The Senate passed its version of the bill last month, and the House passed it on a 69-21 vote on Monday. Both chambers are expected to work out the differences between their respective bills in a conference committee later this week.¶
The bill comes in the wake of a spike in attendance at virtual schools following the COVID-19 pandemic. It would also ensure that any closures would occur at the end of a school year and include parental notification, a freeze on new enrollees, and the withholding of student records.¶
The Discussion
Representative Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, one of the legislation’s co-sponsors, advocated for the bill on the House floor, emphasizing that only the bottom 5 percent of schools under TVAAS for three consecutive years would be affected by the bill, and that the measure would raise the quality of education in the state’s virtual schools as a whole.¶
“I think we would all agree that, in education, we want our kids to get the best that they can, and so we need to make sure that what's being provided to them is going to drive those students across the finish line so that they can be successful in life,” Cepicky said.¶
Cepicky also joined the Tennessee Firefly’s On The Fly podcast earlier in the week to discuss why he believes the bill is so important, given that the number of virtual schools in the state is rising. He said there were only about seven or eight virtual schools in Tennessee before the pandemic. Now, there are 65, with 49 sprouting in the past nine years.¶
A recent State Board of Education hearing revealed that at least one of those virtual schools that’s receiving a failing School Letter Grade from the state hasn’t been taking daily attendance.¶
Cepicky emphasized that the bill addresses that issue and others, with the goal of improving virtual school quality across the state.¶
“It's all about demanding excellence, and I think we're on the right path,” Cepicky said.¶
The House version of the bill will allow underperforming virtual schools three years to exit the priority list or attain a minimum TVAAS Level 2 before closure. The Senate’s version would shut down underperforming virtual schools next year.¶
