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If the General Assembly can manage to do no harm in the session that opened on Tuesday, it will largely satisfy the legislative aims of the Memphis and Shelby County unified school board as it moves toward consolidation of the city and county public school districts next year.
The board's proposed wish list, unveiled at an ad hoc meeting among a dozen or so members of the board Tuesday night, is largely a "defensive legislative agenda," Shelby County Schools attorney Valerie Speakman said, designed to give the board a rest from a barrage of legislative mandates.
Board members present for the meeting largely agreed on the agenda, a list of items that Memphis City Schools and Shelby County Schools could agree on, although some minor differences emerged on such issues as support for legislation requiring fair market value for rent or purchase of charter schools.
But there were no objections to the notion that the board should go on record in opposition to "any legislation" -- State Sen. Brian Kelsey, a sponsor, isn't mentioned by name -- "to implement a program designed to provide students with a taxpayer-funded opportunity scholarship/tuition voucher to attend a nonpublic school of their choice."
That issue has been delayed by Gov. Bill Haslam's formation of a study committee, but board member Betty Mallott wants an important question answered if the administration eventually decides to support it: How does a voucher program fit in with the state's overall education reform plan?
The board's positions on charter schools are mostly of the do-no-harm variety, as well: no legislation that provides state-funded set aside start-up funds for charter schools, no legislation allowing for-profit charter schools, virtual charter schools and the like.
And the agenda makes it clear that the board is against legislation that would require school districts to gather, report or determine the immigration status of students; legislation that would require school districts to participate in the workers' compensation program; legislation calling for the election of school superintendents; or revision of the Basic Education Program formula in a way that would adversely affect school districts.
The board will support legislation that strengthens accountability measures for Tennessee's virtual schools and legislation that allows districts to adopt teacher evaluation methods that "work best" for each district.
Clarifications are needed, according to the agenda, on a number of issues related to schools that are taken over by the state for failure to improve student performance on standardized tests.
The board will largely rely on the services of Nashville lobbyist Tony Thompson to push its agenda, but legislative committee chairman Reginald Porter reminded members that personal relationships with lawmakers matter, and they will have a role to play as well.
