Here are the names and contact number for the committee in the Tennessee legislature that will decide whether to cut the welfare benefits of families whose children get low test scores.

Please contact them, in the name of decency.

Categories Poverty, Tennessee, Testing

11 Comments Post your own or leave a trackback: Trackback URL

Holly says:

March 31, 2013 at 11:16 pm

Thank you so much for sharing this, Diane! This bill will be up in the House Health committee on Wednesday, April 3. Everyone please contact the committee members so that this bill will die in commitee! It has already cleared the Senate committees and is moving towards a vote in the Senate. There was only 1 no vote against it in the Senate Health and Welfare committee. Let’s change this in the House!

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HAHurley says:

March 31, 2013 at 11:23 pm

This can’t be! Will they stop at nothing? Absolutely speechless! DFACS? Child Protective Services?

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- Holly says:
  
  March 31, 2013 at 11:38 pm
  
  DHS withdrew its opposition to the bill, so you can see how helpful and concerned they are.
  
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Donna says:

March 31, 2013 at 11:23 pm

I only saw one person of color on the whole committee. The rest are all white, majority men.

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- dianerav says:
  
  March 31, 2013 at 11:27 pm
  
  I hesitated to say it, but my gut said this deal is plain and simple racism.
  
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  - Holly says:
    
    March 31, 2013 at 11:43 pm
    
    It’s racism, ignorance, and hatred; yes indeed–as well as the heady prospect of making a name for themselves. That’s what matters above all to Mr. Campfield (of “Don’t Say Gay” bill fame.)
    
    There is a teacher on the Health committee as well as the House Democratic Caucus Chair, and they oppose the bill.
sjnorton4mipfs says:

April 1, 2013 at 10:54 am

Holly and all,
I’m happy to reach out to members of the House committee – I have to admit that I’m left nearly speechless by the fact that it has progressed so far in the Senate. But will an influx of messages from out-of-state be the best thing to help the cause? I know that in Michigan, unless the message confirms a lawmaker’s existing biases, this kind of campaign can really cut both ways. Is there a way we could be helpful in waking up the voters of Tennessee to the enormity this proposal? Will it stand up in the full light of day?

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- Holly says:
  
  April 1, 2013 at 9:25 pm
  
  I think that if you e-mail as a concerned educator it would be helpful. We need to alert the committee members that educators do not support this proposal as the bill sponsors assert. Thank you for your help!
  
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sjnorton4mipfs says:

April 1, 2013 at 1:21 pm

In any case, it helps to make your message specific and informed. In the TN House, the bill is HB 261, and a legislative summary is available here: http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/BillSummary.aspx?BillNumber=HB0261

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Cindy Lou Nelson says:

April 1, 2013 at 1:42 pm

This is a knee jerk desperate atempt to get on the reformy bandwagon! Where do these people come from?! Have they ever spent any time with families or students who are struggling. Do they think that families don’t care or that children and families want to be poor? Have they at least taken a Psych 101 class? There are studies that show how poverty can affect the brains of children and their ability to learn. Until there is an effort to bring equity to the table… all of these reformy efforts will continue to be a waste of time, money and bring non-sensical contrived products and procedures that will continue to rob children of good educations.

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Cynthia says:

April 2, 2013 at 4:34 am

You can sign a petition urging that the Tennessee legislature drop this bill that’ll go directly to the co-sponsors, Vance Dennis in the House, Stacey Campfield in the State Senate: http://bit.ly/XmMcBr. (There’s also space to leave a comment in the petition.)

Please act before April 3, 2013!

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