Unions, activists rally against undocumented students bill

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Friday ws May Day, otherwise known as International Workers’ Day.

Several Chattanooga area unions and organizations gathered for a rally at the Hamilton County Courthouse is to discuss the current state in public education in Tennessee.

In particular, they voiced their displeasure with a recent push to pass legislation that could allow schools to not enroll undocumented students.

That bill, Senate Bill 836 sponsored in the Senate by Senator Bo Watson of Hamilton County, failed to reach passage in both chambers in the second straight legislative session.

While those who spoke this evening say they are glad it was not able to pass, they are concerned it could be brought up again next year.

One teacher, Grace Miller of The Howard School, says that the discussion of the bill had a direct impact on attendance in her classroom.

Miller said, “They were attempting to frighten our immigrant families and they were attempting to put even more pressure on our teachers who do nothing but show up to support our students every single day… I watched in the last year as over 40 of my 150 newcomer immigrant students dropped out as they face pressure both to support their families in the workplace and also pressure where they felt unsafe in my classroom.”

Senator Watson has previously argued the bill is primarily meant to be a cost saving measure for school districts across the state.