Commentary: Contention gets the spotlight, but collaboration is helping Tennessee students succeed. See for yourself
Stock image of the Tennessee capitol (photo by Unsplash)
Following the day-to-day happenings at the state capitol can often feel like monitoring the change of summer weather in Tennessee. The enjoyment of the most pleasant days can be quickly outshined by a fast-moving storm cloud, entering with a roar and leaving behind a drenched masking of the favorable conditions that preceded it.
Lawmakers achieved transformational victories that will truly improve the success of Tennessee children during the 2025 legislative session. You just have to know where to look for the sunshine – especially when it’s easier to find the havoc of the storm. That’s one reason Tennesseans for Student Success created the TN SuccessCard.
Evaluating legislators openly and honestly helps voters better assess how local officials are working to improve the future of Tennessee’s one million public school students. When you look at the TN SuccessCard, you will see positive signs of prioritizing students over politics.
Lana Skelo (Photo by Tennesseans for Student Success)
Consider Senate Bill 1423/House Bill 1377, where Senator Raumesh Akbari and Representative Torrey Harris – both Democrats from Memphis – worked with Republican cosponsors across the state to unanimously pass legislation to add invaluable reading level data to every K-8 student’s quarterly report card. For parents and caregivers, this improved transparency will help drive support and discussions that will further advance Tennessee’s already historic improvement in literacy achievement for every student.
The Future Teacher Scholarship expansion is another shining example of putting students over politics. Tennessee’s teacher shortage is a major challenge for school districts across the state, and one factor is the financial cost of required certifications. Senate Bill 0682/House Bill 0504, cosponsored by Republican Senator Dawn White and Representative Mark White, expands access to the $5,000 Future Teacher Scholarship to help make it possible for more inspired students to become teachers in our classrooms. It passed unanimously thanks to forward-thinking lawmakers who made the effort to empower new educators.
Sometimes lawmakers demonstrate their strongest leadership by what they choose not to pass, and that was also the case this year. A proposal supported by the Tennessee Education Association that would weaken our state’s accountability systems that provide needed, efficient transparency to parents on what’s happening in the classroom advanced from multiple House committees. Ultimately, legislators in both chambers opted to work together and reject the plan.
Our TN SuccessCard kept track of this legislation throughout the entire session, and lawmakers who supported reducing accountability in committee, saw their scores reduced on our TN SuccessCard. The same is true of legislators who opposed bills that support providing families with high-quality public education options. Conversely, leaders who supported families and accountability were rewarded with a higher score.
Legislating can seem helter-skelter, drawing our attention away from the positive to overly focus on the divisive. When the full picture of a legislative session goes unseen, it warps our collective impression of what was accomplished, what more we can do for Tennessee students, and the pride we should have in the advancements the Volunteer State has already made.
Nearly a decade ago we launched the TN SuccessCard to help families learn more about the votes their elected officials are making on the bills that improve student achievement and outcomes in our state and set them up for a lifetime of success. This year we tracked votes on nearly twenty separate pieces of legislation to provide an accurate grade to each member of the General Assembly for 2025.
Our sincere hope is that parents, caregivers, educators, and all those with a vested interest in the future of Tennessee will use the TN SuccessCard to see a more complete picture of how their lawmakers voted this year. Equally important, we encourage lawmakers themselves to utilize this resource to work on raising the bar for education leadership and innovation in our state next year.
High academic standards and expectations have helped take Tennessee from the bottom of student achievement to a model of success other states look to. For the first time, Tennessee is ranked in the top half of states for student achievement in math and reading.
Together, we will maintain that progress. We just have to make sure we can always find the sunshine – and thank the legislators who remain dedicated to spreading the light.
Lana Skelo, Tennesseans for Student Success President and CEO
The Tennessee Firefly is produce of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success
