NASHVILLE - Gov. Phil Bredesen urged Tennessee lawmakers Tuesday to "seize the day" and quickly approve his proposed reforms for K-12 education and move as well on an overhaul of higher education.
"I've called this special session because sometimes the planets just line up and there is an opportunity that you didn't expect," Gov. Bredesen told a joint session of the House and Senate as lawmakers began their special legislative session.
The opportunity, Gov. Bredesen said, is the federal government's Race to the Top program, which will award some $4.35 billion in competitive grants to reward states that push for K-12 education innovation and reform.
"It could be transformational for K-12 education in Tennessee," Gov. Bredesen said, noting the state is seeking $485 million in one-time money to fund professional development for teachers and establishing a system for turning around failing schools and school districts.
He said the state is in a "strong position" to come out on top in the competition but acknowledged there are "no guarantees, certainly." Still, he said, changes are the right thing to do.
The state's application to the U.S. Department of Education is due next Tuesday.
The administration and the 55,000-member Tennessee Education Association have been at odds over what weight student testing data should be given when evaluating teachers and principals and in granting tenure.
At the same time, the governor is pressing for higher education reforms that would reward colleges and universities that do a better job of retaining and graduating students.
The plan, developed with various House and Senate members, also elevates the role of two-year colleges. It seeks to integrate the federally owned Oak Ridge National Laboratory more into the University of Tennessee system with laboratory researchers becoming adjunct UT-Knoxville faculty.
It could catapult the university into the top 25 of the nation's public research institutions, Gov. Bredesen said.
Regarding his effort to use student achievement data in K-12 teacher tenure as well as annual evaluations of teachers and principals, Gov. Bredesen said, "I know this represents change, but this is not rocket science ... We pay teachers to teach children. A part of their evaluation ought to be how much the children they teach learn."
He said "to my very good friends at TEA" and teachers, "we share a common goal - ensure that every child in Tennessee receives a year's worth of growth from a year's worth of instruction. Teachers matter: you bring something to this effort that no one else can. I invite you to join us."
The governor is insisting that student testing data count for at least 50 percent in teacher evaluations and tenure. Thirty-five percent of that would be based on the Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System tests, which measure teachers' effects on student progress.
Another 16 percent would come from other measures.
Tennessee Education Association directors over the weekend agreed on the 35 percent weight given to the value-added tests but balked at the additional 16 percent.
Gov. Bredesen has predicted the bill can pass over TEA objections, but over the weekend Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker said the association's opposition "substantially weakens our chances" of beating out other states in the Race to the Top competition.
TEA's chief lobbyist, Jerry Winters, said Tuesday afternoon that "discussions are still ongoing ... We're still trying to find a way to resolve this issue."
The governor acknowledged other issues as well, and he sought to reach out to Republicans who are raising concerns that the one-time Race to the Top funds, which come out of federal stimulus money, could create problems down the road for the state.
Gov. Bredesen said "believe me, I'm making sure that our approach to using these funds is to use them during the four-year period and not start a series of recurring expenditures."
House Assistant Republican Leader Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga later voiced skepticism.
"I'm very curious to see some of the details behind the goals," he said, "particularly the possibility of ongoing or recurring contributions by the state to the programs after it (federal money) goes through."
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, applauded the governor, saying he "is pushing us to demand performance out of both K-12 and higher education. This is a call for all of us - elected officials, teachers, parents - to answer."
The governor said he intends to use the $485 million in Race to the Top funds to expand professional development programs for teachers and principals, intercede with "consistently failing schools" that face state takeovers and improve the teaching of science, technology, engineering and math - so-called "STEM" courses - with new programs.
He noted that Battelle, the nonprofit firm that runs the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has agreed to develop a program similar to one it has in Ohio.
The bottom line, Gov. Bredesen said, is that Tennessee's current educational system is not doing its job well. He likened the system to a leaky pipeline.
"For every 100 students who enter ninth grade in our public schools, 67 graduate from high school in four years," he said. "Of those, 43 go directly to college after graduation. Of those, 29 return for their sophomore year of college. And finally, just 19 graduate with an associate's degree in three years or a bachelor's degree in six years."
POP QUOTES
House Assistant Republican Leader Gerald McCormick, R-Chattanooga:
"The governor set out some great goals, and I hope we can work together and accomplish that. But we really do need to look at the details before we commit future General Assemblies and future governors to sustaining programs that we come up with in one week."
Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga:
"The governor is pushing us to demand performance out of both K-12 and higher education. This is a call for all of us - elected officials, teachers, parents - to answer."