"Parent Trigger" Bill passed through the Tennessee Senate Education Committee yesterday.

Press Release, NASHVILLE, TN- Parent Revolution applauds the passage of The Parent Empowerment Bill through the Tennessee Senate Education Committee yesterday.  The bipartisan legislation, filed by Representative John DeBerry (D- Memphis) in the House and Senator Brian Kelsey (R- Germantown) in the Senate will give parents a stronger voice in determining the direction of their local schools.

The Parent Empowerment Bill also known as the "Parent Trigger" bill, HB 651/SB 600, will equip parents with the tools to take immediate and dramatic corrective action at their child’s school should they feel it necessary. Under the proposed law, at the request of a majority of parents, a struggling school would be subject to one of three options: a public charter conversion, turnaround strategies, or a transformation intervention. 

Parent leader Andrea Evans testified at the Committee hearing noting:

  Parent leader Andrea Evans testifies at the Senate Education Committee

Mis-education needs to stop. I had to pull my children out of their school, because it was underperforming so badly. I had to put them in charter schools – but what about the rest of the children? What about everybody else? I’m here for everyone in my neighborhood. There has to be accountability and with this bill being passed it will allow parents to be involved. We have 333 signatures of parents ready to say we want to raise test scores and help with academics. With the bill being passed not only will my children have a better education, but all children will have a better education.

 Senator Kelsey introduced the bill urging his colleagues to support and empower parents to turn around schools that are persistently failing their children. Senator Kelsey reflected:

What we’re talking about now – these are schools that are failing these children. They are in the bottom 10% of schools in the state. There has been no action. That’s an extreme incidence in which we need to take action in favor of these children and their parents.

Senator Kelsey speaks in

 support of the bill he introduced

The bill now heads to the Senate Finance Committee on 5 yes votes with no objections. Parent Revolution Regional Advocacy Director April Popescu had this to say: 

If local systems fail to deliver effective solutions for students, this bill will empower parents with the ability to make a transformation at the most essential level. Parents, sitting around the kitchen table should have the power to demand a high quality education for their kids. Accordingly, this bill not only provides parents with an accountability mechanism, but also with a real voice in determining the best way forward for their local school.

 Read the full text of the bill here

Parent Revolution transforms underperforming public schools by empowering parents to advocate for what is good for children, not adults, through grassroots community organizing.

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