Fair, Sustainable, Accountable
Nashville, TN- As Governor Phil Bredesen continues the fight to improve statewide funding for education, his pragmatic leadership which carried him to a sweeping victory in 2006 seems to be hard at work again.
After Republican legislators voiced some concerns over the Basic Education Program (BEP) formula, Governor Bredesen “rolled up his sleeves and went to work.”
The goal of the plan is to allocate new recurring funds which will be invested wisely by the state.
“The Governor has shown that he’s not playing politics with our children’s future, he’s leading Tennessee,” said Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Gray Sasser.
The proposal he developed, BEP 2.0, was publicly streamed via webcast in a joint session of the state legislature, the second one so far this year. Addressing both the state House and the Senate, the Governor outlined his efforts to increase school funding.
Asking legislators to “seize the moment”, he requested political leadership that sought real solutions to problems facing Tennessee schools. The Governor asked that the new school funding formula be fair, sustainable, and accountable.
The $475 million plan, of which half would be funded this year, will be used to:
- Fully fund the state’s portion of the costs associated with at-risk students
-Fully fund the state’s portion of student growth costs in the year they occur
-Expand funding for English Language Learners, with a goal of one teacher per every 30 students (currently at 1 per 45 students)
-Increase the state’s portion of instructional salaries from the current 65% to 75%
-Increase the average teacher salary from $36,700 to $40,000
“We’ve shown we can make tough decisions in hard times; let’s show we can make smart and sustainable investments in good times,” Governor Bredesen said. “This is a unique time. If education is really the first priority for you, seize the moment, seize the tide.”
The Governor’s address to the joint session will be available here soon. Simply click on House, video streaming, and view the May 3rd address.
