November 3, 2020
NASHVILLE – Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) today released the following statement after a successful election night for Tennessee General Assembly candidates who support student growth and improvements in the state’s public education:
“Every election day brings the possibility of changing course in the Tennessee General Assembly and tonight’s results speak to the continued commitment to improving and reimaging public education across the state,” said Tennesseans for Student Success President & CEO Adam Lister. “Despite national trends and a complex political environment, the education reform movement remains strong in Tennessee. Ensuring every child has the opportunity to succeed is paramount, especially among the upheaval in education brought on by COVID-19. Every state policymaker must be committed to work that prioritizes and lifts up all students. Through this year’s primary and general elections, voters have made clear that Tennessee kids must be second to no one and no groups when elected leaders are making important policy decisions.”
In July, TSS released extensive statewide polling that shows prioritizing improvements in education and supporting Tennessee’s students is a top priority for the people of the Volunteer State. Knowing this, and in keeping with our policy priorities around improving student outcomes and bettering our public schools, TSS launched a comprehensive issue advocacy and voter education campaign engaging voters in HD8, HD37, HD83, HD97, SD4, and SD20 stand on higher standards in education, aligned assessments to those standards, protecting accountability for student success, promoting innovation in schools, and securing economic freedom for all. In each of these districts, education reform candidates outperformed the expected national ticket by focusing on student-focused initiatives.
That campaign garnered nearly 8 million impressions and voter contacts across various mediums focused on 200,000 voters.
Tennesseans for Student Success actively works on behalf of families and children across the state to leverage political influence in the Tennessee General Assembly to promote our policy priorities. Utilizing first-party data-modeling, comprehensive polling, and building an extensive network of voters and advocates, TSS’ work in public education aims to put students first and champion the issues that Tennesseans care about the most as evidenced through tonight’s victories.