Tennesseans for Student Success (TSS) Action named Senator Adam Lowe, R-Calhoun, as the first recipient of the TSS Action Hero Award this year.¶
The political action committee says it recognized Lowe for the award because of his “steadfast support” for accountability and transparency in public education, along with his leadership in sponsoring legislation to reduce barriers families face in enrolling their children in schools outside the district where they live, sometimes called open enrollment. TSS Action says Lowe’s positions on these issues align with what polling shows more than 2 out of 3 Tennesseans support.¶
Lowe also served on the Advisory Committee on Innovations in K-12 Education this year that made multiple recommendations to improve public education, while still ensuring strong accountability.¶
“To me, this award just means that it’s recognizing that we’re doing things in our state for the purpose of student learning,” said Lowe.¶
Impactful Legislation
After receiving the award, Lowe emphasized the legislation that he felt was the most impactful this year. That included teacher merit pay and the open enrollment legislation that passed the Senate but stalled in a House subcommittee.¶
“Teacher merit pay gives local school boards the authority to make those decisions so they can meet the needs of the classroom,” Lowe said. “(Open enrollment is) really just giving parents the ability to navigate all of the public offerings that we have out there (and) to allow those public offerings to make the case that they're a good fit for certain students.”¶
Lowe also discussed why education is such an important issue to him.¶
He said that as someone who grew up in a low-income household, his parents knew that his education would be the most important factor in creating opportunities for him as an adult.¶
“Public education was a powerful environment, and I saw both the limitations in that environment plus what public education could do (for) somebody from a low-income background,” Lowe said. “But I also know that every student has different needs, and so education tends to be the thing that's malleable that we can make custom fit what a student needs.”¶
TSS Action plans to recognize three other lawmakers later this year with TSS Action Hero Awards.¶
TSS Action is the political action committee of Tennesseans for Student Success. The Tennessee Firefly is a project of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.¶
