New Education Laws Set To Take Effect In Tennessee In July

Image Credit: Tennessee Department of Education / Facebook

The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –

Some of the fruit of the Tennessee General Assembly’s labor earlier this year with regard to education is set to take effect July 1st. Of the many education related bills that lawmakers looked at, some of which are already in effect, these listed below are the ones that made it through the legislative process and are now taking effect at the beginning of next month.

HB 1895: An LEA can be denied some of the state education finance funds by the commissioner of education beginning July 1st if they fail or refuse to determine a student’s gender at birth for purposes of participation in school sports.

SB 2153: Individuals who were born male and now identify as female will be prevented from competing in female sports at the college level.

HB 210: LEAs must publish the curriculum the school district uses on the LEA’s website and to update any curriculum changes at the beginning of each semester.

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HB 1964: Requires all LEA’s in Tennessee to conduct a remote learning drill at least once, but not more than twice, each school year. Teacher training programs must provide instruction to candidates seeking licensure to teach, or licensure as an instructional leader, on effective strategies for virtual instruction. This law also requires all textbooks and instructional materials adopted by an LEA after July 1, 2024, to be electronically accessible and designed to support remote instruction. 

HB 2143: Provides for a new funding formula for schools that replaces the BEP (Basic Education Plan). The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (TISA) takes effect in the 2023-24 school year. The new law requires that school districts achieve a 70% literacy goal for students graduating third grade. If they fail to meet that benchmark, they must show a 15% improvement rate over the next three years or the Tennessee Department of Education will step in.

HB 2783: Until July 1st, 2025, retired members of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) or of a superseded system, or of a local retirement fund may be reemployed in a position covered by the retirement system without the loss or suspension of TCRS benefits if certain conditions are met. They must be reemployed as a K-12 teacher, substitute teacher or school bus driver, and must have been retired at least 60 days before reemployment. Retirement benefits will be reduced to 70% of the retirement allowance and their reemployment cannot exceed one year, although they can be reemployed for additional one-year periods. 

HB 7004: Requires school districts to implement after-school mini camps, bridge camps and summer school to remediate learning loss. Beginning with the upcoming school year this fall, third grade students who are deemed not to be proficient in English Language Arts based on TCAP scores will not be promoted to fourth grade unless they attend summer school and demonstrate adequate growth on a post test before the start of the next school year.

SB 1670: requires that everyone employed by an LEA who works directly with students, not just teachers, be trained at least once every three years on the detection, intervention, prevention, and treatment of human trafficking in which the victim is a child.  

About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.