Signed by Governor Bill Lee

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with a conference report for a bill that prohibits teaching "critical race theory" in K-12 schools.

Highlights:

• Requires the commissioner of education to annually publish information on the Department of Education’s website, including, but not limited to (Sec. 5.a):

• Student dropout rates organized by school and LEA, disaggregated by sex and race;

• Student suspension and expulsion rates organized by school and LEA, disaggregated by sex and race; and

• High school graduation rates organized by high school and LEA, disaggregated by sex and subgroup pursuant to applicable federal law. The high school graduation information must be placed on the annual state, LEA, and school-level report cards posted on the department's website;

• Authorizes the governing body of the University of Tennessee system, the state university and community college system, or a state university to lease public lands under the governing body's jurisdiction to fraternities and sororities for a nominal consideration for a term not to exceed 99 years (Sec. 13.a).

• Specifies if the state board of education finds that a teacher has broken the teacher's contract, then the state board may suspend the teacher's license for no less than 30 days and no more than 365 days (Sec. 21-4).

• Authorizes the governing body of the public charter school to petition the authorizer to amend the original charter agreement. The state board of education will determine the timelines for approval and the appeal process until 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2021. Beginning July 1, 2021, the commission shall determine the timelines for approval and the appeal process (Sec. 35.d).

• Requires development and adoption of a uniform grading system to be implemented in all public schools in the state for purposes of calculating the cumulative grade point averages of students who are seeking financial academic assistance provided by the state (Sec. 40-16).

• Requires evaluations to be a factor in employment decisions, including, but not necessarily limited to, promotion, retention, termination, compensation, and the attainment of tenure status; however, this does not require an LEA to use student achievement data based on state assessments as the sole factor in employment decisions (Sec. 49.A).

• Specifies a public school teacher is not required to take an assessment to reactivate a license from this state that has expired if at the time of application to reactivate the license, the public school teacher possesses an active professional license in a state that has a reciprocal agreement with the state Board of Education (Sec. 50).

• Prohibits an LEA or public charter school from including or promoting the following concepts as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or instructional program, or allowing teachers or other employees of the LEA or public charter school to use supplemental instructional materials that include or promote the following concepts (Sec. 51.a):

• One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;

• An individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously;

• An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of the individual's race or sex;

• An individual's moral character is determined by the individual's race or sex;

• An individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;

• An individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individual's race or sex;

• A meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or designed by a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex;

• This state or the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist;

• Promoting or advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government;

• Promoting division between, or resentment of, a race, sex, religion, creed, nonviolent political affiliation, social class, or class of people; or

• Ascribing character traits, values, moral or ethical codes, privileges, or beliefs to a race or sex, or to an individual because of the individual's race or sex.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with a conference report for a bill that prohibits teaching "critical race theory" in K-12 schools.

Highlights:

• Requires the commissioner of education to annually publish information on the Department of Education’s website, including, but not limited to (Sec. 5.a):

• Student dropout rates organized by school and LEA, disaggregated by sex and race;

• Student suspension and expulsion rates organized by school and LEA, disaggregated by sex and race; and

• High school graduation rates organized by high school and LEA, disaggregated by sex and subgroup pursuant to applicable federal law. The high school graduation information must be placed on the annual state, LEA, and school-level report cards posted on the department's website;

• Authorizes the governing body of the University of Tennessee system, the state university and community college system, or a state university to lease public lands under the governing body's jurisdiction to fraternities and sororities for a nominal consideration for a term not to exceed 99 years (Sec. 13.a).

• Specifies if the state board of education finds that a teacher has broken the teacher's contract, then the state board may suspend the teacher's license for no less than 30 days and no more than 365 days (Sec. 21-4).

• Authorizes the governing body of the public charter school to petition the authorizer to amend the original charter agreement. The state board of education will determine the timelines for approval and the appeal process until 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2021. Beginning July 1, 2021, the commission shall determine the timelines for approval and the appeal process (Sec. 35.d).

• Requires development and adoption of a uniform grading system to be implemented in all public schools in the state for purposes of calculating the cumulative grade point averages of students who are seeking financial academic assistance provided by the state (Sec. 40-16).

• Requires evaluations to be a factor in employment decisions, including, but not necessarily limited to, promotion, retention, termination, compensation, and the attainment of tenure status; however, this does not require an LEA to use student achievement data based on state assessments as the sole factor in employment decisions (Sec. 49.A).

• Specifies a public school teacher is not required to take an assessment to reactivate a license from this state that has expired if at the time of application to reactivate the license, the public school teacher possesses an active professional license in a state that has a reciprocal agreement with the state Board of Education (Sec. 50).

• Prohibits an LEA or public charter school from including or promoting the following concepts as part of a course of instruction or in a curriculum or instructional program, or allowing teachers or other employees of the LEA or public charter school to use supplemental instructional materials that include or promote the following concepts (Sec. 51.a):

• One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex;

• An individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, is inherently privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously;

• An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment because of the individual's race or sex;

• An individual's moral character is determined by the individual's race or sex;

• An individual, by virtue of the individual's race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex;

• An individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or another form of psychological distress solely because of the individual's race or sex;

• A meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist, or designed by a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex;

• This state or the United States is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist;

• Promoting or advocating the violent overthrow of the United States government;

• Promoting division between, or resentment of, a race, sex, religion, creed, nonviolent political affiliation, social class, or class of people; or

• Ascribing character traits, values, moral or ethical codes, privileges, or beliefs to a race or sex, or to an individual because of the individual's race or sex.

Full Bill Text