NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In the next few weeks, the results of just one test could change everything for Tennessee third graders. Under a new state law, if the student fails, they'll either have to repeat the grade or go to summer school.
For the father of a third grader, Brian Winkler, it's usually summertime adventures with his daughter that propels him through the rest of the year.
"I take her to the pool. I take her to the local lake," he said.
That's because, under his joint custody agreement, his daughter Charlotte spends most of the year with her mother in Tennessee. But in the summertime, Charlotte comes to him in rural Virginia.
"My dad and I built her a she-shed," said Winkler.
But that she-shed may sit empty this summer, because of Tennessee's controversial Third Grade Retention Law. Under the law, Charlotte would have to attend summer school to avoid repeating the third grade, if she doesn't pass the reading portion of her TCAP test.
"If your daughter ends up having to go to summer school, how short of a window would actually get with her this summer?" asked NewsChannel 5. "It cuts the time in half," replied Winkler. "It’s highly insulting."
Even lawmakers will admit, there are flaws in the law that they originally passed. This is why, earlier this session, they made major changes to the law. But those changes, like allowing a student to take the test up to three times or do tutoring after school instead of the summer, don't go into effect until the 2023-2024 school year.
"It seems like they’re stubborn on that front for some reason," said Winkler.
Winkler, like a lot of third grade parents, will now anxiously await the test scores and plan his summer accordingly.
