Lobbying Organization Releases State-By-State Education Report Card

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An education report card released today by a lobbying group gave Tennessee a higher score than last year. 

StudentsFirst released its 2014 report card today, giving Tennessee a C grade. That’s up from a C- last year, and puts Tennessee sixth among all states.

The Tennessean newspaper reports that the state’s lack of a school voucher program received an F, but the state scored higher on its new teacher evaluation system and its Achievement School District, which turns low-performing schools over to charter school operators. Other improvements from last year include a rule that prohibits the mandatory placement of teachers, as well as a hybrid retirement plan for educators.

StudentsFirst is a lobbying organization based in Sacramento, California. Its state-by-state grading system doesn’t measure academic achievement, but ranks states on what it calls “student-centered policies”.

Brent Easley, state director of StudentsFirst Tennessee, says his group will use the report card to lobby education policy during the legislative session, which reconvened today.