NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee parents are used to keeping a close eye on their child's report card, but soon, they'll be getting one for their child's school as well. Architects of the plan, which first passed in 2016, say it's a way to keep schools accountable.
But an education expert is now sounding the alarm, saying the plan could do more harm than good.
"It’s completely unacceptable," said Mary Batiwalla, the former Assistant Commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Education. "We now have three separate accountability systems in this state. We have a federal accountability system. We have TISA which was introduced as the funding formula last year, and now this new school accountability system."
Under the state's new evaluation system, every public school in Tennessee will receive a letter grade, ranging from A to F. But Batiwalla is concerned about how those grades are formulated.
"Our accountability model previously looked across all historically underserved student groups. We looked at how schools were serving economically disadvantaged students, students with disabilities, English learners, and students from historically underserved racial groups. This system totally gets rid of all of that," said Batiwalla, who served the state under former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.
Instead, the new letter grades primarily rely on student test scores, which she thinks, could prevent failing schools from ever improving.
"Research suggests when you label schools bad — which that’s what you're doing when you say they’re a D or an F — there are real consequences related to teacher retention, teacher recruitment, staff morale. All of those things really matter because these are the people on the ground doing work to serve students," she said.
Mary also thinks there's no coincidence between the state finally launching this grade letter program now, after years of delays, and state lawmakers preparing to consider expansions to the voucher program all across Tennessee.
"Our commissioner, we know, she comes from ExcelinEducation," explained Batiwalla, referencing Tennessee Education Commissioner Lizzette Reynolds. "ExcelinEd has a really clear playbook. We need to have lots of schools labeled underperforming or bad in order to get our school voucher or privatization agenda passed."
It's not that Batiwalla takes issue with school accountability in general. She argues that this is critical. But she does feel like this new letter grade system completely misses the mark.
"Personally, based on research and previous stakeholder engagement, I believe accountability systems should be driven by growth and improvement. That’s what schools have control over. And to see a system being put in this state driven by absolute achievement, I think it’s an absolute tragedy," she said.
The new letter-grade evaluation system is expected to launch as early as next month.
