FRANKLIN, Tenn. -
Governor Bill Haslam's bill that would tie school funding to larger class size drew some heavy fire Thursday.
The proposal would eliminate state-imposed average class size caps and allow districts to pay teachers more based on class size or student learning gains.
The measure is sponsored by Republican Mark Norris, of Collierville, in the state Senate, and Republican Gerald McCormick, of Chattanooga, in the state House.
Eighty-percent of the state's schools superintendents said in a survey they are against the plan.
Many parents are also against it, because they believe smaller classes help kids learn.
Jennifer Smith has three kids in the highly-touted Williamson County schools system.
"Class size is what makes Williamson County so unique," said Smith, who is president of the Parent Teacher Organization at Hillsboro Elementary/Middle School.
She described herself as "kind of alarmed" at the governor's proposal.
"Going forward, I don't know if we are going to be as successful as a school district with our testing scores--should that change," she said after meeting with Williamson County principals Thursday.
Voices like hers are heard by school leaders.
The survey from the Tennessee Organization of School Superintendents (TOSS) said 80-percent of its membership is against the governor's plan.
"The request from TOSS is not to take any action on the bill," said Williamson County's School Director Dr. Mike Looney.
"We feel like we have most of this figured out on how to impact students in a positive way, so we don't need a lot of state intervention to get the work done," said Looney who is a board member of TOSS.
As superintendents push hard for changes in the governor's class size bill, House Speaker Beth Harwell acknowledges the pushback from schools even though the bill gives superintendents more flexibility in paying teachers.
"I do have a number of members who are concerned that it is not being well received back in their home school districts, so I think all of this is still a work in progress," Harwell said.
Democrats said the governor's bill could eliminate 2,000 teachers statewide.
The House bill has been assigned to education subcommittees for review.
