Image Credit: Fabrice Florin / CC
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Legislation that would eliminate mandatory bias training for teachers in Tennessee has been placed on the Senate Education Committee calendar.
Senate Bill 0102 (SB0102), sponsored by Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga-District 10), passed on first and second consideration in January and will be considered by the committee on February 22.
The bill’s prime co-sponsor is Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16).
As introduced, SB0102 prohibits a local education agency, public charter school, public institution of higher education, the state board of education, and the department of education from requiring an educator, employee of an LEA or charter school, faculty member, or employee of a public institution of higher education to complete or participate in implicit bias training; defines “implicit bias training”; prohibits adverse licensure and employment actions from being taken against such an individual for the individual’s failure or refusal to participate in implicit bias training. – Amends TCA Title 49.
The bill defines “implicit bias training” as “a training or other educational program designed to expose an individual to biases that the training’s or educational program’s developer or designer presumes the individual to unconsciously, subconsciously, or unintentionally possess that predispose the individual to be unfairly prejudiced in favor of or against a thing, person, or group to adjust the individual’s patterns of thinking in order to eliminate the individual’s unconscious bias or prejudice.”
Several school districts across the state have already contracted with groups to provide such training to teachers, giving reasoning such as “understanding the systems of racial inequality in the context of the United States” and committing to “dismantling unjust systems.”
The companion House Bill 0158 (HB0158) is sponsored by Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville-District 14).
The bill would take effect immediately upon becoming law.
If you are in favor of this bill and would like to express your support, please contact the members of the committee as listed below prior to February 22.
Senate Education Committee Members
Jon Lundberg (Chair) (R)- sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-5761
Bill Powers (Vice-Chair) (R) – sen.bill.powers@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2734
Raumesh Akbari (2nd Vice-Chair) (D) – sen.raumesh.akbari@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1767
Rusty Crowe (R) – sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2468
Todd Gardenhire (Chair) (R)- sen.todd.gardenhire@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6682
Ferrell Haile (R) – sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-1999
Joey Hensley (R) – sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-3100
Mark Pody (R) – sen.mark.pody@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-2421
Dawn White (R) – sen.dawn.white@capitol.tn.gov – (615) 741-6853
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
