Since 1999, Stand for Children members in Tennessee have won 19 state and local victories leveraging more than $150 million in public funding for schools and other programs serving more than 1,383,303 children. Our objectives are to improve Tennessee schools and achieve legislative and electoral victories for our students.
Recent Legislative Work
Stand played a meaningful role in developing and passing the First to the Top Act (2010), which lifts a prohibition on using student achievement data in teacher and principal evaluations and gives the state greater flexibility in turning around low-performing schools. Tennessee’s work on First to the Top led the state to be one of the first two recipients of millions of dollars in a federal Race to the Top grant.
Stand also supported the follow-up Senate Bill 1528/House Bill 2012 (2011), which reforms tenure, links tenure status to performance evaluations, and makes performance a primary criterion for district layoff decisions.
Recent Electoral Work
This past fall in Memphis, Stand supported four out of seven candidates that were appointed to the new unified Shelby County School Board, two of whom are Stand members.
Recent Community Engagement
In Memphis, Stand provides ongoing support for the Teacher Effectiveness Initiative by leading the Community Coalition for Education and creating a 2012 community engagement plan. Our Memphis team has also been hosting Memphis Education Study Circles and Achievement School District community forums to engage the community and rally support for the future of Memphis public schools. Learn more about Memphis and the Put Education First campaign.
In Nashville, Stand has conducted Vibrant Schools Forums, supported the Metro Nashville Board of Education’s movement toward a balanced school calendar, and partnered with city school officials and Vanderbilt University to offer an ongoing survey seeking input and opinions from hundreds of parents about city schools.