State Rep. Mark Cochran, R-Englewood, and State Senator Mike Bell, R-Riceville, guided passage of legislation increasing transparency in public school educational material. The bill passed unanimously in the House and Senate chambers.
House Bill 1513/Senate Bill 1034, also known as the ‘Textbook Transparency Act,’ ensures all textbooks that are in the hands of Tennessee students are accessible for the public to view. It makes available online textbooks that are adopted by the state of Tennessee and used by public schools.
“Parents and all Tennesseans should have the ability to read and review materials that are in our schools,” Rep. Cochran said. “This legislation makes it easier for the public to do so, and makes sure that all textbooks and instructional materials before our students in Tennessee have more eyes on them.”
Compared to the 90-day timeframe textbooks are currently required to be available to the public, this legislation requires publishers to make these materials available so long as they are actively being used in the classroom.
“When it comes to educating our children, transparency with parents is extremely important,” said Senator Bell. “Increasing transparency in the textbook adoption process by giving the public access to instructional materials, helps parents better understand what materials are being taught to their children in the classroom. I was glad to work with Rep. Cochran to pass this legislation.”
The act will take effect on July 1. For more information on the bill, click here