Governor Bill Haslam today lauded the approval by U.S. Department of

Education officials of Tennessee’s waiver request from certain portions of the

federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

Tennessee was the first state to request a waiver and was one of only 10

recipients of the first round of waivers. The Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

accountability model under NCLB has been an ongoing obstacle for schools and

districts because it does not fully account for schools’ growth.

“Tennessee schools have continued to make progress over the past decade

that NCLB has been law, but the rigid and unrealistic AYP accountability model

labeled some of these schools as failures despite meaningful improvement,”

Haslam said. “We’ve implemented rigorous standards in Tennessee, and

Tennessee received this waiver because of our commitment to improving

education for all of our students.”

 

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam delivered his 2012 State of the State address before a joint session of the General Assembly in which he shared his vision for the state and called upon those watching and listening to “believe in better.” 

 

“We can believe in better for how state government serves Tennesseans,” Haslam said.  “We can believe in better when it comes to the education of our children, and we can believe in better when we talk about a stronger, healthier economy for our state.”  

Things are definitely getting better for the future site of the Bradley County Veterans Home located in the 24th District.  “We are very blessed that the funding for the new Veteran’s Home in Bradley Co was included by the Governor in the 2012-2013 Budget Proposal,” stated Rep. Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland).  

“I am very grateful to serve on the House Finance Ways & Means Committee, and to have been a part of the team who put this Veterans funding plan together,” Brooks continued. Deputy Governor Claude Ramsey, our East TN friend in Nashville, has shepherded this project through for us from his first days in the new Administration.”

 

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam tonight delivered his 2012 State of the State address before a joint session of the General Assembly in which he shared his vision for the state and called upon those watching and listening to “believe in better.” 

 

“We can believe in better for how state government serves Tennesseans,” Haslam said.  “We can believe in better when it comes to the education of our children, and we can believe in better when we talk about a stronger, healthier economy for our state.”  

Things are definitely getting better for the future site of the Bradley County Veterans Home located in the 24th District.  “We are very blessed that the funding for the new Veteran’s Home in Bradley Co was included by the Governor in the 2012-2013 Budget Proposal,” stated Rep. Kevin Brooks (R-Cleveland).  

“I am very grateful to serve on the House Finance Ways & Means Committee, and to have been a part of the team who put this Veterans funding plan together,” Brooks continued. Deputy Governor Claude Ramsey, our East TN friend in Nashville, has shepherded this project through for us from his first days in the new Administration.”

As the General Assembly awaits the State of the State Address from Governor Haslam, House legislators are busy filing legislation to help pave the way for job growth in Tennessee’s private sector. This focus on economic development is expected to dovetail with the priorities of the Haslam Administration.

Throughout 2011, lawmakers met with business leaders and concerned citizens about ways to remove government hurdles to economic growth in the State. The House Majority Leader, Representative Gerald McCormick (R—Chattanooga), appointed a task force to hold hearings on the issue.

When asked about the expected priorities of the General Assembly, Representative Ryan Haynes (R—Knoxville) stated in an interview this week, “I think you will find this General Assembly will be one of the most business-friendly there has ever been for the business community.” He continued, “Additionally, we have a pro-business Governor leading us who has proposed a number of innovative ideas to encourage growth in the private sector. Together, we are putting the number one priority for Tennesseans—job growth—at the top of our list.”