RHB/1/17
Sponsored by Amanda Agramonte, Dhvani Patel of Columbia Central High School
This legislation was filed in the Education category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section I) Terms in this act should be defined as follows: |
| 4 | a.) Low-income school district: A public elementary or secondary school district with a free and |
| 5 | reduced-price lunch participation rate exceeding the statewide average. |
| 6 | b.) Rural school district: A public elementary or secondary school district located in a county |
| 7 | designated as rural by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| 8 | c.) Target school: A public elementary or secondary school located in a low-income or rural school |
| 9 | district. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | Section II) The State of Tennessee recognizes its rank as number 34 in public education. We |
| 12 | recognize the critical role that qualified and dedicated teachers play in ensuring the success of all |
| 13 | students. This Act is seeking to address the disparities in teacher pay across the state, particularly |
| 14 | in low-income and rural areas, by providing targeted financial support to attract and retain high- |
| 15 | quality educators in these communities. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Section III) The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) shall: |
| 18 | a.) Establish the Opportunity Teacher Pay Grant Program to provide supplemental funding to |
| 19 | target schools to increase teacher salaries. |
| 20 | b.) Allocate grant funds based on a formula that considers the following factors: |
| 21 | i. Free and reduced-price lunch participation rate: Schools with a higher percentage of students |
| 22 | qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch will receive a larger share of funding. |
| 23 | ii. Average teacher salary: Schools with an average teacher salary below the state average will |
| 24 | receive additional weighting in the allocation formula. |
| 25 | iii. Enrollment: Schools with a larger student enrollment will receive a higher base allocation. |
| 26 | |
| 27 | Section IV: Grant Eligibility |
| 28 | (a) Public elementary and secondary schools located in low-income or rural school districts are |
| 29 | eligible to apply for grants under this program. |
| 30 | (b) To be eligible, a school must demonstrate a commitment to using grant funds to increase |
| 31 | teacher salaries and benefits, with a specific plan outlining how funds will be distributed among |
| 32 | eligible staff. |
| 33 | |
| 34 | Section V: Grant Use |
| 35 | (a) Grant funds must be used exclusively for the following purposes: |
| 36 | i. Increasing base salaries for all teachers employed by the school. |
| 37 | ii. Providing bonuses or incentives for teachers in high-need subject areas or grade levels. |
| 38 | |
| 39 | (b) Schools are prohibited from using grant funds for administrative costs or any purpose not |
| 40 | directly related to increasing teacher pay and supporting their professional development. |
| 41 | |
| 42 | Section VI: Accountability |
| 43 | (a) The TDOE shall establish performance measures to track the effectiveness of the program in |
| 44 | achieving its goals. These measures may include: |
| 45 | i. Changes in average teacher salary in target schools. |
| 46 | ii. Teacher retention rates in target schools. |
| 47 | iii. Student achievement data in target schools. |
| 48 | (b) Recipient schools shall be required to submit annual reports to the TDOE detailing how grant |
| 49 | funds were used and the impact on teacher recruitment, retention, and student outcomes. |
| 50 | |
| 51 | Section VII: Funding |
| 52 | (a) The initial funding for the Opportunity Teacher Pay Grant Program shall be allocated from the |
| 53 | state's General Fund in the amount of $5 million for one year as a pilot program. |
| 54 | (b) Low-income and rural schools often face higher teacher turnover. This financial incentive can |
| 55 | help retain qualified educators in these areas. By supporting teachers in underserved communities, |
| 56 | the program promotes equity in educational opportunities for all Tennessee students. The pilot |
| 57 | program allows for evaluating the program's effectiveness before requesting long-term funding. |
| 58 | (c) Upon program completion, a comprehensive evaluation report will be submitted to the |
| 59 | Tennessee legislature. The report will detail the program's impact on teacher retention, student |
| 60 | achievement, and administrative efficiency. |
| 61 | (d). Based on a successful evaluation, the YIG program will advocate for: |
| 62 | |
| 63 | Section VIII: Program establishment date |
| 64 | March 20, 2025 |
| 65 | (a) Program Renewal: Extend the Teacher Grant Program beyond the pilot year to ensure |
| 66 | sustained support for educators in low-income and rural areas. |
| 67 |