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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.

Chrissy served as WUOT's News Director and host of monthly public affairs talk show Dialogue from late 2021 to early 2023. Her first job with the station was as weekend student announcer while earning her bachelor's in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee. She had previously been the station's local host for NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered news programs; occasionally filled in as host for WUOT's Morning and Afternoon Concerts; and won multiple awards for her interviews, feature stories, and Dialogue.