The Tennessee General Assembly has passed the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act.
Starting in the 2023-24 school year, the TISA will invest an estimated $9 billion in education funding for the state, including state and local funds, which would include an additional recurring state investment of $1 billion.
“Thanks to input from thousands of Tennesseans over the past several months, our state is in a position to update how we fund public education for the first time in over 30 years and put the focus where it belongs- on students,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn.
The TISA is designed "to empower each student to read proficiently by third grade, prepare each high school graduate for postsecondary success, and provide resources needed to all students to ensure they succeed.
Under the TISA districts would receive more than they would under the BEP should enrollment remain stable."
JC Bowman of Professional Educators of Tennessee said, "There were many things to like in the bill, and we have recognized that from the onset. However, two facts remain: While nearly two-thirds of school districts will receive more actual dollars, they will receive a lower percentage of state funds than under the previous method of funding. This may lead to tax increases in the future at the local level once the hold harmless provision expires and local amounts increases.
"Ultimately, we also believe that the new formula fails to adequately ensure that state dollars earmarked for teacher salaries end up going into teacher salaries. We believe we could have addressed both of these problems if we were given more time to discuss and debate those critical issues. The process was up against a time constraint of ending the legislative session, and debate was limited. They were determined to pass the bill. We simply ran out of time. We hope we have done enough due diligence to have a framework to serve children, educators, and communities moving forward. We hope to address the issues we raised next session.
"We want to congratulate Governor Lee, Commissioner Schwinn, and those who advocated for, and funded, the passage of this legislation. However, it is time for outside influences to have greater scrutiny and levels of transparency. Tennessee's government must reflect the concerns of the citizens of our state, and not just those of the special interest groups funded by national foundations."
Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) released the following statement to thank members of the Tennessee General Assembly for voting to pass the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) Act:
"The gravity of this historic moment should not be lost on any Tennessean. For the first time in our state’s history, public school students will have a funding formula that's centered around them and responsive to their needs rather than an antiquated formula that distributes funds to schools and districts unfairly," said Adam Lister, President and CEO of Tennesseans for Student Success. “The leadership shown from members of the General Assembly and the Lee administration to put students first and increase funding and resources for education has resulted in transformational and impactful reforms that decades of previous legislatures have attempted to secure. Every child in Tennessee deserves a public education that understands his or her unique gifts, abilities, and experiences and then works to support his or her learning while unlocking the student’s full potential to succeed. With the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act, we have built the launching pad for success providing every teacher, leader, and parent with resources to ensure every child in Tennessee has access to an effective education.”
More information on TISA is at https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/education/2021-funding-engagement/TISA%20Overview.pdf