How SuccessCard holds Tennessee policymakers accountable | Opinion

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

Every year, the Tennessee General Assembly convenes in Nashville to work through policy and pass legislation that will affect the lives of all Tennesseans. When debate turns to public education, the policies that our leaders prioritize will also impact our children's future — for better or for worse.

For this reason, voters across the state must remain engaged and active in the work of our elected officials so that the most critical education issues, positively impacting students across the state are passed and implemented to set up Tennessee's one million students for a bright and prosperous future.

Tennesseans in every corner of the state recognize the need for lawmakers and representatives to champion policies that will improve student growth and achievement.

Ensuring voters head to the ballot box informed, prepared, and confident that the members of the legislature are fighting on their family's behalf is imperative to seeing our children well-equipped for success in college, career, and life.

Hold elected officials to a high bar

Annually, Tennesseans for Student Success releases the TNSuccessCard. This valuable tool allows voters to have access to a detailed review of each legislative session's educational outcomes, with a helpful report on how each member of the General Assembly voted on the policies that directly impact and influence student improvement.

During these unprecedented and unpredictable times, we must not lose sight of what is best for our kids. At Tennesseans for Student Success, we believe everyone involved in making decisions that impact student learning share the responsibility for student success.

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That's why we produce the SuccessCard to help parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, teachers, principals, and community members know how the legislation sponsored and votes lawmakers take affect students.

We must hold our elected officials to a high bar, especially during times of great uncertainty. 

Lawmakers should be evaluated honestly

Tennessee students have bright futures ahead of them, and our elected officials must do everything in their power to advocate on their behalf. Whether by sponsoring legislation or being a loud voice for the policies that have led to Tennessee's rise in national standings, the people we send to represent us must demonstrate that education issues matter.

Further, lawmakers should be evaluated fairly and honestly to ensure their work is creating opportunities and giant strides for Tennessee kids.

Tennessee has a record of making historic gains in education, twice named the fastest improving state in the nation, by championing rigorous academic standards, supporting an aligned assessment to those standards, accountability for all involved in student success, innovation in education, and securing economic opportunity for all.

The bleak reality is these gains will be lost if we do not continue to move the needle forward for our kids. Now, we must do more than ever to ensure all students have access to excellent public education and can become economically independent.

To view the SuccessCard and local legislators' grades online, visit TNSuccessCard.com.

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