The 114th General Assembly adjourned on April 22, 2025, closing a session marked by success on several key priorities identified in SCORE’s 2025 Advocacy Agenda. These student-focused priorities include: supporting the teacher pipeline, expanding access and facilities funding for public charter schools, defending foundational policies known to contribute to student achievement, and ensuring Tennessee students are prepared for careers that enable economic independence. Here's a look at action taken and investments made during this latest legislative session.
Support for K-12 Students and the Teacher Pipeline
In support of Tennessee’s teacher pipeline, SCORE championed and legislators passed updates to the existing Future Teacher Scholarship pilot program (SB682/HB504). The new structure expands scholarship eligibility to postbaccalaureate and job-embedded teacher candidates and updates the annual scholarship award amount to $3,500. Additionally, the legislature passed a bill proposed by Gov. Bill Lee’s administration that streamlines teacher licensure pathways (SB1311/HB1323).
In an ongoing commitment to support Tennessee’s priority schools, the legislature approved the creation of a progressive intervention system for school improvement (SB1273/HB1307) that gives local decision-makers the opportunity to adopt intervention strategies. These strategies are further supported by a one-time legislative investment of $10 million and $625,000 in recurring funding for school improvement grants and turnaround strategies.
Expanding Access and Funding for High-Quality Public Charter Schools
The administration and legislature strengthened their support for Tennessee’s charter schools with a $25 million investment in charter school facilities. This includes $5 million nonrecurring for an equitable facilities fund and $20 million in nonrecurring funding for a grant allocation to every public charter school based on the number of enrolled students.
The legislature also approved the creation of direct authorizer pathways (SB1310/HB1322) to the Tennessee Public Charter Commission to streamline the approval process and allow for replication of high-quality charter schools. This new pathway avoids unnecessary delays that pose challenges for important tasks such as securing a facility and hiring teachers.
Defense of Foundational Reforms
Several bills filed this session sought to weaken foundational education policies that are proven to advance student achievement in Tennessee. These bills would have also limited the state’s ability to monitor progress and drive improvements. SCORE and our advocacy partners successfully defended foundational education policies — annual assessments, teacher evaluations, high expectations — resulting in every bill that would have weakened these policies being amended to a neutral position or defeated in committee.
Several studies and working groups were approved that will meet over the summer and fall to study teacher evaluation (SB870/HB1193) and K-12 innovations (SB415/HB675), including state and local assessments, instructional time, and high school graduation requirements.
Enhancing the Education-to-Work Pipeline
Gov. Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly continued to put forth measures to enhance the education-to-workforce pipeline this session. Significant investments include:
- Investments to the Department of Labor to support workforce initiatives, including $6.3 million to create statewide microcredentialing grants, $10 million to expand the summer youth employment program, and $4.7 million to the State Workforce Development Board to expand the board’s role in statewide workforce development.
- A recurring investment of $2.27 million to the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) for the Center for Workforce Development, which will build out TBR’s data collection infrastructure to support a more comprehensive picture of credential impact.
- A nonrecurring investment of $5 million for TN Accelerates Workforce Development Grants, a partnership between Tennessee Economic and Community Development and the Department of Labor and Workforce to create training programs tailored to the workforce needs of incoming and existing businesses.
- A nonrecurring investment of $25 million for FastTrack infrastructure and jobs training. This will create new opportunities for Tennessee’s workforce and support the growth and retention of current employers, including support for workforce training, marketing, and education initiatives.
- A nonrecurring investment of $10 million for Governor’s Investment in Vocational Education (GIVE) grants, with a focus on nuclear energy sector development.
As we look to a summer of studying various policies and a 2026 legislative session, SCORE will continue to advance and defend foundational policies and supportive strategies that ensure success for all Tennessee students. These issues represent opportunities to hold fast to what works while considering how to build an even better education system and spur even more student success.