Tennessee General Assembly passes Governor's education reform package

The Tennessee House of Representatives approved Governor Phil Bredesen's education reform package Friday night by a vote of 83-8. The Senate had earlier approved a version of the bill by a vote of 29-3. Differences were ironed out in conference committee before the conference report sailed through both Houses.

Some Republicans had expressed concerns that instead of being the "Race to the Top" bill, the legislation was really the "Race to the Trough," with some legislators expressing concerns that the only reason that these needed reforms were being introduced now was because of the promise of tons of federal money-$485 million to be precise-should Tennessee win the competition for mass federal funding. Many of the proposed reforms were things that conservatives had pushed for years, and some even felt the proposals were watered down significantly because of the influence of the Tennessee Education Association (the teachers' union).

"I had to ask myself if this was a bill with ideas that I could support and a proposal that I could vote for if there were no potential for federal funding attached to this legislation," said Rep. Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville), "despite my concerns, the answer was yes." Senator Mike Faulk (R-Kingsport), said that he thinks the evaluations that many teachers are so afraid of may actually help them better learn how to help students who are at risk in math, science, and other subject areas. "I was a late convert to this concept, but these evaluations can show us when students are most at risk and what teachers might need to do to instruct them better," Faulk told The Examiner.

Both Houses unanimously voted to delay implementing a controversial workers' compensation bill that would have required most Tennessee sole proprietors to obtain workers' compensation insurance until March of 2011.