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Contributed commentary by Charles Uffelman, chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Party.
The state’s third grade retention law is a disaster. The law’s local Republican supporters, Sen. Bill Powers and Reps. Curtis Johnson and Jeff Burkhart, should fix the mess they made.
Thousands of Clarksville families were thrown into chaos over the weekend as TCAP scores were made available to third-graders. Many are now being asked to retake a test that will determine if they can continue to the fourth grade, with just days to prepare.
Republicans, including Powers and Johnson, passed HB7004 in 2021 with the intent of increasing reading proficiency, but studies show the results of holding kids back are mixed at best with a disproportionately negative impact on minority students. The bill requires every third-grader who does not meet grade level expectations in their reading exam to retake it until they pass, receive supplemental support, or to be held back for the next school year.
Many school districts are concerned there may not be enough teachers to handle the influx into the third grade once the bill goes into full effect, with as many as a third of students not meeting the standard in some counties.
Our legislators had an opportunity to roll back this ham-fisted directive in the spring session, but instead they passed a bill that barely amended the law and left grade retention in place. A decision to hold a student back can impact their mental health and can affect their long-term success. It should not be taken lightly without the consultation of parents, teachers and the student. Any plan to improve reading skills for our students should start with evidenced-based solutions such as intensive tutoring and building stronger student-teacher relationships. This extreme Republican policy should be rolled back before it’s too late.
Charles Uffelman