Bill to replace Tennessee academic standards passes House

Friday, April 17, 2015, Vol. 39, No. 16

NASHVILLE (AP) — A proposal that seeks to replace the state's current academic standards has unanimously passed the House.

The measure sponsored by Republican Rep. Billy Spivey of Lewisburg was approved 97-0 on Monday. The Senate is expected to vote on the companion bill Tuesday.

The legislation would replace the state's current standards with ones developed solely in Tennessee.

The state's standards include the contentious Common Core standards for English and math intended to make students more competitive. Conservative critics argue that the standards represent federal intrusion into state matters.

Tennessee lawmakers opposed to Common Core say they don't have a problem with higher academic standards, they just want them to be created at the state level.

Spivey's proposal would make law a public review process of the standards created by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam.