Tennessee Senate Bill SB0602

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/31/25
• Engrossed: 4/9/25
• Enrolled: 4/23/25
• Passed: 5/9/25
• Chaptered: 5/15/25

Caption

AN ACT to amend Chapter __ of the Public Acts of 2025 (1st Ex. Sess. – SB 6001 / HB 6004); and Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4, Chapter 49; Title 8 and Title 49, relative to education.

Impact

The proposed changes in SB0602 reflect a significant modification in how educational outcomes are attributed to teachers, potentially altering performance evaluations significantly. The guidelines aim to protect teachers from being rated on students they have had limited interaction with, which advocates argue will lead to fairer evaluations. Additionally, the bill provides a framework for compensating the estates of deceased teachers for their unused sick and annual leave, aligning these payouts more closely to the compensation policies in place for state employees.

Summary

SB0602 aims to amend state laws concerning the calculation of teacher accountability and the compensation for accrued leave for teachers who pass away while employed. One of the key provisions is the establishment of guidelines to determine how long a student must be present in a teacher's classroom for the student's academic performance to be attributed to that teacher. The bill sets a baseline of 150 days of instruction, or 75 days for block schedules, before any records influence the performance metrics of teachers. This shift seeks to create a more equitable assessment of teacher effectiveness while providing clarity on student-teacher accountability.

Sentiment

Overall, the sentiment surrounding SB0602 appears to be supportive, particularly amongst educators and advocacy groups focused on teacher welfare. Proponents highlight the importance of fairly compensating educators and the positive implications of having clearly defined guidelines for student accountability. However, there are concerns that the implementation of these guidelines may create disparities in teacher assessments if not evenly enforced across various school districts.

Contention

Some points of contention regarding SB0602 revolve around the practical implications of the proposed guidelines and how district-level administrations will enforce them. Critics raise concerns about the potential variability in application among different local education agencies (LEAs), which could ultimately affect the intended fairness of accountability measures. Furthermore, the compensation for deceased teachers’ estates introduces logistical questions around the administration of benefits and the consistency of these policies among various charter and public schools.