Scorecard lets voters see which legislators prioritize education | Opinion

• Adam Lister is the president and CEO of Tennesseans for Student Success.

Whether we know it or not, many facets of our daily lives are affected by state legislation and the work done by the Tennessee General Assembly. When it comes to education, that is especially true. If you are (or have been) a student, teacher or parent in Tennessee schools, your experience with our education system has been directly affected by decisions made by our elected officials — for better or worse.   

That’s why it is so important for voters in our state to ensure their elected officials are prioritizing education and voting for policies that support student success.  

Well-informed voters are empowered voters, but how would a voter determine whether their local legislators are supporting critical education policies? 

The Tennessee SuccessCard

The Tennessee SuccessCard, launched three years ago with a goal to help Tennesseans answer that exact question, is an accountability tool that scores state legislators’ support for student achievement based on their voting records. 

Accountability is the key word. We know that reporting on and taking ownership in student outcomes both empowers decision-making by parents, teachers and school leaders, and strengthens education policy and practice. While students across Tennessee are making gains, in part because of student-focused policies, there are still enormous opportunities for improvement.  

Our legislature and state policy leaders must be unequivocal in their commitment to put the state’s 1 million students first.   

Tennesseans for Student Success

Over the last few months, we at Tennesseans for Student Success have evaluated hundreds of pieces of legislation related to advancing high expectations, measuring what matters, encouraging innovation in education, protecting accountability in the classroom and securing economic freedom for all Tennesseans. Further, success after high school graduation does not look the same for every student, so we also evaluated bills that focus on providing more pathways for students to pursue a higher education, including early post-secondary opportunities like dual-enrollment or career and technical education.  

Legislative action was scored with one simple question in mind: Will this legislation help Tennessee students succeed?  

Our students, teachers, families and education leaders deserve elected officials who will and do champion student success and learning improvements. Whether by sponsoring legislation, pushing back against harmful amendments or serving as a strong, consistent voice for the policies that have led to Tennessee’s rise in nationwide rankings, the legislators we send to Nashville must signal that education is a top priority.  

By evaluating voting records openly and honestly, the SuccessCard offers Tennesseans an easy-to-use tool to gauge their legislators’ dedication to student success. As voters approach a new legislative and election cycle, we hope the SuccessCard will empower constituents to elect or reelect only the strongest champions for education.  

To view the scorecard online, go to TNSuccessCard.com.  

Adam Lister is the president and CEO of Tennesseans for Student Success.