School board members discuss state student retention law

Hamilton County board members understand accountability behind student performance, yet view law as strict

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Hamilton County school board members voted Thursday night on a resolution that would have impacted the retention of local students based on their reading abilities.

Five school board members voted in favor, and three opposed, to a non-binding resolution asking the Tennessee legislature to return decisions on the retention of its students back to the school district.

While the resolution did have a majority, it was one vote short of passing, much to the disappointment of several on the board.

Hamilton County Schools’ Communications Officer Steve Doremus says Tennessee’s current law requires retaining third graders who don’t score as being proficient on TCAP — the state’s standardized testing program.

District 1 Board Member Rhonda Thurman says the law “may not be perfect,” but she does appreciate the accountability that it creates.

“I’m personally glad that the state is taking this on,” Thurman said. “I don’t know that this is the answer, but I think it’s making us look a whole lot harder because until children can read, nothing else matters.”

But numerous school board members view the law as too strict, creating extraordinary pressure on young students.

Several spoke up saying the law takes power out of parents’ hands and also fixates a child’s entire education on just one test.

“Imagine the stress — talk about test anxiety — the stress of a third grader going into one test understanding that that test may result in their opportunity to join the rest of their classmates in fourth grade,” said District 2 Board Member Marco Perez.

“The decision that would impact the social, emotional, and academic development of these children would be taken away from the people who know these children and these students the best — their parents,” said District 11 Board Member Jill Black

“This third-grade student may have a passing grade but have failed that third-grade TCAP test and will be retained even if his grade is passing,” said District 9 Board Member Gary Kuehn. “That is not correct. That should not happen.”

Kuehn says he does understand the accountability the state wants both parents and schools to have for their children and students, but retention is something that must be thoroughly researched before being enacted.

He says factors such as “attendance, homework habits, inclusion, dyslexia” and more need to be addressed.

Karitsa Jones also spoke against the law with just two words — “test anxiety.”