21′ SB1036/HB1537 – Bell/Weaver
Bill Description
This bill requires the department of education to:
(1) Develop a proposed rubric to assist the state textbook and instructional materials quality commission in reviewing and scoring textbooks and instructional materials proposed for adoption; and
(2) Submit the proposed rubric to the commission for approval.
If the commission does not approve the department's proposed rubric, this bill authorizes the commission to:
(1) Request that the department revise and resubmit the proposed for approval; or
(2) Develop or adopt an alternative rubric.
This amendment authorizes the department to provide recommendations to the commission; provided, that the department is prohibited from, when assisting the commission in the performance of the commission's duties or when training newly appointed members of the commission or members of advisory panels, attempting to improperly influence or interfere with:
(1) The commission's review or recommendation of textbooks and instructional materials proposed for adoption;
(2) The commission's review, approval, adoption, or utilization of a rubric to assist the commission in reviewing and scoring textbooks and instructional materials proposed for adoption;
(3) The selection of experts appointed by the commission to serve on an advisory panel to advise the commission on textbooks and instructional materials proposed for adoption; or
(4) An advisory panel's review or recommendation of textbooks and instr
TLRC Position
TLRC strongly supports this legislation and commends the sponsors for bringing it. The instructional materials process has not been effective in the past and this goes a long way in ensuring more scrutiny, better evaluations, resulting in far better materials for our students and teachers.
TLRC Observed Process
This bill passed on a partisan basis with three members present and not voting: Mannis (R, Knoxville), Shaw (D, Bolivar), and Whitson (R, Franklin)
Vote Result: Passed
