(NASHVILLE) — Throughout the 2018 legislative session Republicans lawmakers — led by House Republican Caucus Chairman Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) and House Majority Leader Glen Casada (R-Thompson’s Station) — have fought to strengthen protections against Tennessee educators who do not have the best interests of their students in mind.
House Republicans supported passage of five different initiatives that strengthen penalties against these individuals and reduce future instances of misconduct from occurring. They are the direct result of a recent report and recommendations made by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) designed to better protect our students. The measures include:
- House Bill 1997: Enhances background checks for current educators and potential candidates.
- House Bill 2009: Strengthens reporting of misconduct involving Tennessee teachers.
- House Bill 2099: Improves the sharing of information and data regarding disciplinary action taken against educators.
- House Bill 2165: Clarifies boundaries between educators and their students by updating the Tennessee Teacher’s Code of Ethics.
- House Bill 2433: Improves school district transparency related to settlements involving teacher misconduct.
“As a father of two teenage children, I am proud to support my colleagues as we work to better protect our students from educators who do not have their best interests in mind,” said Chairman Williams. “These measures will increase student safety in classrooms and schools across our state by holding our educators to higher standards of behavior.”
“Tennessee students and their parents place their unwavering trust in their teachers,” said Leader Casada. “We must do all we can to ensure that trust is never betrayed, and these initiatives are a step in the right direction. I know we will continue to strengthen our laws related to this important issue in the days ahead.”