Tennessee Wants Parents More Involved
Tennessee is among a few other states that have enacted or are proposing legislation that aims to push parents to get more involved in the children’s school performance. One bill advancing in the Legislature would encourage school districts to develop a parental involvement contract, while another proposes what are commonly referred to as parent report cards. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, the contract legislation is similar to a proposal passed in Michigan in 2001, and Louisiana is currently considering legislation to grade parent participation. Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, who has implemented tougher education policies since taking office in 2010, says parental involvement is a “key issue.” He says one thing that separates schools doing well on mandatory tests from struggling ones is the work of parents.