100+ Local Leaders Endorse TISA

Tuesday, April 19, 2022 | 09:36am

Strong support from county mayors, school district directors in each Grand Division

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s new student-based funding formula, called the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement formula (TISA), is gaining widespread support from more than 100 local leaders and stakeholders across the state.

“The most important part of preparing our state for future growth is improving public education for every child in Tennessee,” said Gov. Lee. “For the first time in 30 years, we have a unique opportunity to replace Tennessee’s outdated K-12 funding formula with a modern, student-focused approach, and we are honored to have strong support from countless local leaders who agree the time is now.”

“Thanks to thousands of Tennesseans sharing their hopes and dreams for the future of public education in our state, the proposed student-based public school funding formula, the TISA, is reflective of Tennessee’s values and focuses on the needs of each individual student,” said Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “Tennessee has an historic opportunity to transform the way we fund public schools and put the future of our students first with the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement.”

Over 100 local leaders and stakeholders – including county mayors, school district directors, chambers of commerce, non-profits, and more – have agreed to share their support:

ALLMemphis— Krista Johnson, Executive Director
American Federation for Children—John Patton, Tennessee State Director
Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank
Anderson County Schools—Dr. Tim Parrott, Director of Schools
API Middle Tennessee— Joseph Gutierrez, Executive Director
Ayers Foundation—Janet Ayers, President
Barbara and Pitt Hyde
Beacon Center of Tennessee—Justin Owen, President & Chief Executive Officer
Bedford County Schools – Dr. Tammy Garrett, Director of Schools
Benwood Foundation—Sarah Morgan, President
Big Brothers Big Sisters Statewide Association—Tyler Boldin, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee; Liaison of Big Brothers Big Sisters Statewide Association
Blount County Partnership—Bryan Daniels, President and CEO
Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis
Bristol City Schools—Dr. Annette Tudor, Director of Schools
Carroll County Mayor Joseph Butler
Carter County Mayor Patty Woodby
Carter County Schools—Dr. Tracy McAbee, Director of Schools
Centro Hispano de East Tennessee— Claudia Caballero, President & CEO
Cheatham County Schools—Dr. Cathy Beck, Director of Schools
Cleveland - Bradley Chamber of Commerce—Mike Griffin, President and CEO
Cocke County Schools—Manney Moore, Director of Schools
Dickson County Schools— Dr. Danny Weeks, Director of Schools
Diverse Learners Cooperative— Brooke Allen, Executive Director
Elizabethton City Schools—Richard VanHuss, Director of Schools
Equal Chance for Education — Molly Haynes, Executive Director
ExcelinEd in Action—Jeb Bush, Founder and Chairman; Patricia Levesque, Executive Director
Fentress County Mayor Jimmy Johnson
First 8 Memphis — Gwendy Williams, Director of Strategic Operations
Funding Review English Learning Subcommittee Member—Raul Lopez, Executive Director, Latinos for Tennessee
Funding Review Principal Subcommittee Member—Nancy Lay
Funding Review Student Subcommittee Member: 2021-22 President, Tennessee SkillsUSA; Lawrence County High School—Kevin Hu
Funding Review Student Subcommittee Member: Representative of Sumner County Board of Education; Beech High School—Ella Paligo
Funding Review Student Subcommittee Member: Vice President, West Tennessee DECA; Waverly Central High School—Mansi Patel
Funding Review Teacher Subcommittee Member: 2020-21 Teacher of the Year finalist, Tullahoma City Schools, South Central Region—Samantha Stevens
Funding Review Teacher Subcommittee Member: 2021-22 Teacher of the Year finalist, Anderson County Schools, East Region—Elizabeth Evans
FUTURO, Inc. — Jennifer Novo, Executive Director
Greater Memphis Chamber—Beverly Roberston, President and CEO
Greene County Mayor Kevin Morrison
Greene County Schools—David McLain, Director of Schools
Greeneville City Schools—Steve Starnes, Director of Schools
Grundy County Mayor Michael Brady
Hamblen County Mayor Bill Brittain
Hamblen County Schools—Dr. Jeff Perry, Director of Schools
Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger
Hancock County Schools—Charlotte Mullins, Director of Schools
Hardin County Mayor Kevin Davis
Hawkins County Schools—Matt Hixson, Director of Schools
HOLA Lakeway — Betsy Hurst, Executive Director
Hyde Family Foundation—Teresa Sloyan, President
Janet and Jim Ayers
Jefferson County Mayor Mark Potts
Johnson City Schools—Dr. Steve Barnett, Director of Schools
Johnson County Schools—Dr. Mischelle Simcox, Director of Schools
Kingsport City Schools—Dr. Jeff Moorhouse, Director of Schools
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs
Knox Education Foundation—Chris Letsos, CEO
Knoxville Area Urban League — Phyllis Nichols, CEO
Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce—Ryan Egly, Lawrence, President and CEO
Lawrence County Executive T.R. Williams
Libertas School of Memphis—Bob Nardo, Executive Director
Loudon County Mayor Buddy Bradshaw
Marshall County Schools—Jacob Sorrells, Director of Schools
Memphis Restorative Justice Coalition — Timothy Green Jr., Co-Founder
My Brother’s Keeper – Nashville — Lonnell Matthews, Co-Chair
NAACP of TN—Gloria Sweet-Love, President
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce—Ralph Schulz, President and CEO
Nashville Public Education Foundation — Katie Cour, President and CEO
Newport City Schools—Sandra Burchette, Director of Schools
Nikki and Scott Niswonger
Niswonger Foundation—Nancy Dishner, President & CEO
Oasis Center — Judy Freudenthal, Legacy Relations
Persist Nashville Inc. — Scott Campbell, Executive Director
Public Education Foundation- Chattanooga —Dr. Dan Challener, President
Reason Foundation—Aaron Garth Smith, Director of Education Reform; Christian Barnard, Education Policy Analyst
Rogersville City Schools—Edwin Jarnagin, Director of Schools
Rutherford County Heritage Sentinels—Katherine Hudgins, President
Seeding Success — Mark Sturgis, CEO
Stand for Children Tennessee—Cardell Orrin, Executive Director
State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE)—David Mansouri, President and CEO
Sullivan County Schools—Evelyn Rafalowski, Director of Schools
Tennesseans for Quality Early Education (TQEE)—Blair Taylor, President and CEO
Tennesseans for Student Success—Adam Lister, President and CEO
Tennessee Afterschool Network — Mary Graham, President and CEO
Tennessee Alliance for Equity in Education
Tennessee Business Roundtable—Patrick J. Sheehy, President
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry—Bradley Jackson, President and CEO
Tennessee Charter School Center—Dr. Maya Bugg, CEO
Tennessee Disability Coalition — Jeff Strand, Coordinator of Governmental and External Affairs; Carol Westlake, Executive Director
Tennessee Educators of Color Alliance — Diarese George, Executive Director
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition — Lisa Sherman Luna, Executive Director
Tennessee PTA — Dwight Hunter, President
Tennessee Rural Education Association—Jared Bigham, Board Chair
Tennessee School Counselor Association—Lauren Baker, Director of Legislation and Public Policy
TennesseeCAN—Victor Evans, Executive Director
The Arc Tennessee—Jennifer Aprea, Director of Family Engagement in Special Education
The Education Trust in Tennessee Gini Pupo-Walker, State Director
The Memphis Education Fund – Terence Patterson, President and CEO
The Memphis Lift—Sarah Carpenter, Executive Director
TN Latin American Chamber of Commerce — Jessie Garcia Knowles, Executive Director
tnAchieves—Krissy DeAlejandro, Executive Director
Unicoi County Schools—John English, Director of Schools
Union County Mayor Jason Bailey
United Ways of Tennessee—Mary Graham, President
Urban Child Institute — Gary Shorb, Executive Director
Urban League of Greater Chattanooga — Candy Johnson, President and CEO
Urban League of Middle Tennessee — Clifton Harris, President and CEO
Volunteer State Seal of Biliteracy — Samantha Singer-Swafford, Director
Washington County Mayor Joe Grandy
Washington County Schools—Jerry Boyd, Director of Schools
Weakley County Mayor Jake Bynum
Whole Child Strategies, Inc. — Natalie J. McKinney, Executive Director and Co-Founder
YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley — Rachel Haverkamp, CEO

Additionally, education stakeholders and organizations have shared statements and letters of support for the TISA:

“TISA...offers a new path with the potential to change students’ lives for the better. Missing the opportunity to do something significant this year would be a shame. Lawmakers should ask hard questions and seek equity for all school districts across Tennessee. This landmark legislation is a good step in that direction.” -The Tennessean Editorial Board

“’After much analysis of the plan, and speaking with business leaders across the state, we are confident this is the right step for our education system,’ said Chamber President and CEO, Bradley Jackson. ‘In addition to providing a student-tailored and transparent K-12 school funding mechanism, TISA also provides new funding for strengthening career and technical (CTE) programming and a career centered emphasis that are extremely important to the Chamber’s workforce/education efforts.’” -Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry

“In announcing the organization’s support for TISA, Roundtable President Pat Sheehy noted that the plan’s provisions respond to several of the Tennessee business community’s strategic education priorities. ‘In reviewing the TISA proposal, our business leaders asked themselves, ‘Will this improve student outcomes? Will this improve equity for all Tennessee students? Will this improve Tennessee’s workforce? Is now the right time for funding reform?’ In every case, we concluded that the answer for TISA was yes,’ said Sheehy.” -Tennessee Business Roundtable

“We are proud to be partners with Governor Lee and Commissioner Penny Schwinn as they strengthen Tennessee’s education system by creating policies that empower parents, support students, and enable educators. And by making early literacy a priority, Governor Lee is creating a strong foundation for all Tennessee students by making vital strides toward the critical goal of ensuring all students are reading at a young age, and on path toward future academic success.” -Jeb Bush, Founder and Chairman, ExcelinEd in Action

“We believe the student-centered approach in the new TISA funding formula, which provides even greater funding for economically disadvantaged students, those with unique learning needs, English Language learners, among others, will have a direct and positive impact on those students and our educators, leading to better educational outcomes for all Tennessee students.” - Victor Evans, Executive Director, TennesseeCAN; John Patton, Tennessee State Director, American Federation for Children

“This approach is a vast improvement for two key reasons: transparency and accountability. First, everyone — parents, educators, and taxpayers alike — can easily understand how much we are spending on each child’s education, a far cry from the current model. This transparency alone will improve educational outcomes, because when we know how much we spend and on what, we can demand more accountability.” -Justin Owen, President and CEO, Beacon Center of Tennessee

“The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement proposal to modernize the way we fund every Tennessee public school student represents a desire to improve outcomes for students across the state and from a variety of backgrounds. As we take time to fully analyze this proposal and hold discussions with lawmakers, education leaders, teachers, and parents, we also recognize that now is the time for action. We believe delaying or disengaging in this discussion any longer impedes a generational opportunity to positively impact millions of students.” -Tennesseans for Student Success

“Gov. Lee and Commissioner Schwinn’s education funding plan will improve the state’s education system by ensuring funding is more student-centered. This bold proposal ensures that the quality of education in the state improves, schools are better funded and educators are better supported.” -Patricia Levesque, Executive Director, ExcelinEd in Action

“The proposed Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement (TISA) formula would increase recurring K-12 education funding by $1 billion and creates a strong, student-weighted funding approach that directs more resources to students with unique learning needs, students who are economically disadvantaged, and students living in communities that are rural or have concentrated poverty.” -State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE)

“We applaud the new TISA’s student-centered approach that recognizes and supports the unique needs of Tennessee students. Alongside the additional $1 billion in funding for public education, this is a big win for Tennessee children and vital to building a better foundation for educational success.” -Tennesseans for Quality Early Education

“....Policymakers are on the right path to adopting a more fair, transparent and flexible school finance system. With the state experiencing a hefty budget surplus, legislators have a historic opportunity in 2022 to make students the focus of Tennessee’s funding strategy for K-12 education. This would be a win for kids, educators and taxpayers.” -Reason Foundation

To learn more about the TISA and access additional resources, visit the Tennessee Department of Education’s website.

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