Test- penalty halt urged in Tennessee
MEMPHIS — Gov. Bill Lee is calling for the temporary suspension of negative consequences for Tennessee schools and teachers related to student tests for the current school year because of adjustments and disruptions to learning caused by the covid- 19 virus outbreak.
The Republican governor said Friday that while student testing will continue, he wants to “alleviate any burdens” associated with teacher evaluations and school accountability for the 2020- 2021 school year.
Lee said school districts missed critical learning time when in- person classes were suspended during the spring as the virus pandemic struck. While some districts started holding in- person classes when the current school year started several weeks ago, others have maintained online learning only.
Some teachers and school district administrators have called for cancellation of tests or suspension of accountability measures. Teacher pay can be influenced by teacher evaluation scores, and poorly performing schools can be moved under state control.
Lee said he will work with the Tennessee General Assembly on his call to “temporarily pause the accountability that we have in our state that ties student testing to teacher evaluations.”