Why students need to be main priority in distribution of federal stimulus funds | Opinion

• Adam Lister is President and Chief Executive Officer of Tennesseans for Student Success.

One year ago, as COVID-19 cases surged in the Volunteer State and across the country, Tennessee students, teachers, and parents met a new reality: most schools had or would soon close their doors. 

The challenges our students, educators, and parents have faced in the days since—as they have shifted to online learning, hybrid schedules, and new health protocols—are immeasurable. Yet, unsurprisingly, they have met an unprecedented moment with grace, determination, and persistence.  

Unfortunately, and despite the valiant efforts of so many, the challenges did not end when school doors reopened. Students, parents, and teachers continue to grapple with learning loss and mental health issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic.  

The impact cannot be measured solely in academic year achievements and scores, they will have a lifetime of consequences for our students. And unfortunately, research suggests that equity gaps have also widened. Students of color have fallen behind by up to a full calendar year because of the “COVID-19 slide,” compared to four to eight months for white students.  

The reality is, while the pandemic and the obstacles that followed made these issues preeminent, the education bureaucracy in Tennessee has been failing our children for some time. Even before the pandemic began, our state’s literacy rates were at alarming levels, with only one in three students reading at grade level.  

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We have the ability to help our education system with stimulus funds

Already this year, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and the general assembly have taken bold action to address the crises facing our students with enactment of S.B. 7003, the Tennessee Literacy Success Act, during a special session on education.

The governor has also called for investments in rural broadband, student-focused reforms that will increase opportunities for every child across our state, and an increase in teacher pay that will help recruit and retain a committed, effective teacher for every Tennessee student. 

The Biden administration and Congress have taken some action as well.

With passage of the American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March, Tennessee will receive nearly $2.5 billion in new federal funding for K-12 education, more than $2,500 per student. This new tranche of funding follows the nearly $1.4 billion the state received through stimulus packages passed in 2020. 

It is imperative that Tennessee use these new resources from state and federal leaders to not only mitigate learning loss for our students, but to build a better public education system than before the pandemic.

Money is important, but only if spent wisely, with accountability, and in proven, effective solutions. The question now before state and local leaders is how we use this opportunity to improve outcomes for every student in every district of our state.  

At the end of 2020, Tennesseans for Student Success surveyed registered voters and found that 80% believe that accountability is important, and a majority consider teacher pay raises the highest priority for additional investments in public education. Our teachers have more responsibilities and are facing more complex problems than ever before.

Ensuring we take the steps necessary to recruit, retain, and equip the best educators to lead our students out of this crisis must be a top priority.

But we must also ensure that there is real accountability and transparency in how these funds are spent – and that funding is reaching the classroom to serve students rather than bureaucratic systems.  

We know the management and distribution of these funds will be a heavy lift. At Tennesseans for Student Success, we will continue our work to give parents a voice and promote transparency from every district and school. And we stand ready to work with Governor Lee, the General Assembly, and local school districts to ensure every single action taken and every single dollar spent puts students first. 

With each dollar in federal relief for education, we must ask ourselves: will this give every child in Tennessee an equal opportunity to succeed with real and measurable results that will help make our state the best in the nation for education?

With transparency and accountability from local school districts, we can achieve this, and not only help students recover, but realize their full potential. 

Adam Lister is President and Chief Executive Officer of Tennesseans for Student Success.