Tennessee lawmakers OK education bills in special session

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers on Friday finished tackling education issues that surfaced during the pandemic as Republicans fumed that some districts still are not back in classrooms but declined to act on their proposal to withhold state funding for staying virtual. “Opportunities present themselves, this is an opportunity we have to take advantage of.” For months, the state’s top education officials have raised alarms that students have experienced serious adverse learning effects that could plague them for years. He commended schools that have opened for in-person learning for not choosing “the path of least resistance” and said officials “can’t say, ‘Follow the science,’ and keep schools closed.” That prompted rebuttals from critics, who say Lee should use the same appeal to medical expertise and finally implement a statewide mask requirement, since studies have shown better outcomes in Tennessee counties that require masks. The back-and-forth over in-person schooling resulted in GOP majority legislative leaders proposing a bill that would let the Tennessee education commissioner withhold state funding if a school district can’t provide at least 70 days of an in-person schooling option during the 2020-2021 school year. Noting the disproportionate effect of the pandemic on Black and brown communities, Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray chided state leaders for sending a “mixed and hypocritical message,” and beckoned them to “ step away from privileged podiums and try to understand the many concerns of our students, parents, and teachers.” Though Lee’s administration didn’t propose the bill, a spokesperson indicated that the governor’s position on the bill is to “defer.” That means he didn’t oppose the bill and would have likely signed off on it — if it were to pass.