DFER Supports Tennessee Licensure Reform
Democrats for Education Reform supports Commissioner Kevin Huffman as the Tennessee Board of Education votes on licensure reform today
Nashville – Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) congratulates education leaders and the State Board of Education on the vote to replace the current complicated and out-of-date teacher licensure system with a stronger, streamlined program. The changes reduce the amount of paperwork required in the renewal process, make it easier for effective teachers to renew their licenses, and ensure that only excellent teachers are licensed to teach in Tennessee’s classrooms.
Today’s vote is the right decision for kids in Tennessee. Licensure reform ensures that teachers, like professionals in other fields such as medicine and law, are held to the highest standards by automatically renewing the licenses of effective teachers while keeping consistently low-performing teachers from receiving new teaching licenses.
The new policy also streamlines more than 20 different practitioner licenses into one license, cutting down on paperwork and making it easier for Tennessee’s teachers to renew their license. We applaud the Board of Education for putting the needs of students first and ensuring the quality of Tennessee’s teachers.