WMOT 89.5 | LISTENER-POWERED RADIO INDEPENDENT AMERICAN ROOTS
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Governor Drops Average Class Size Proposal

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP/WMOT) — Gov. Bill Haslam is abandoning his proposal to do away with average class size restrictions in Tennessee.

The Republican governor's decision Wednesday comes amid fears raised by educators and parents that the change would lead to more classrooms being filled to capacity. 

Here’s what Rutherford County Director of Schools Harry Gill told WMOT about the Governor's bill.

"To expect more, and at the same time increase the load on teachers is ludicrous, and I think that's pretty much the consensus among superintendents."

Haslam tells reporters that his plan was thwarted by the difficulty in explaining that the measure's goal is to give school districts more flexibility to hire high-priority teachers. 

The governor notes that Tennessee is the only state that places caps on both the total classroom size as well as on average school-wide enrollment. 

Haslam says he may reintroduce the measure again in future years.