Press Releases

NASHVILLE – Today, Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) released statewide polling of 3,000 registered Tennessee voters conducted during June.

Consistent with earlier TSS polling, Tennessee voters believe improving education should be a top priority for the Governor and the State Legislature – even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Tennesseans overwhelmingly want to see more rigorous academic standards in public schools and support assessments to gauge whether students are on track in their learning. Four in five voters believe it is important to hold schools and teachers accountable for the quality of their children’s education.

Ensuring Tennessee has a well-trained, highly skilled workforce remains a top priority. Across the state, 92 percent of voters support public funding for skilled trades and vocational education, and nearly two-thirds of voters support public school choice. Voters also see the investments in public education as the priority for utilizing future budget surpluses.

When asked about the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennesseans believe increasing investments in innovation is the most important step in helping students recover from learning loss.

“This polling data confirms what we have known to be true: measuring for success and keeping schools and districts accountable, especially in turbulent times, is instrumental in knowing how to best address and eliminate learning loss for our students,” said Adam Lister, TSS President and CEO. “Year after year, we see that prioritizing improvements in education and supporting Tennessee’s students is a top priority for the people of the Volunteer State. It is essential that lawmakers make a public commitment to a continued focus to defending and advancing the policies that have and are improving outcomes for students across Tennessee.”  

Data highlights: 

• 62 percent of respondents believe it is important to test public school students from grades 3-12 each year to know if they are on-track.
• 83 percent of respondents believe it is important to hold schools and teachers accountable.
• 65 percent of respondents support assigning every school an A-F school rating grade based on student achievement and student growth.
• 68 percent of respondents view skilled trades and vocational education as a great alternative to college for lifelong success, with 71 percent strongly supporting funding for skilled trades and vocational education.

View the full results of the survey here.

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