Lawmakers Approve Bill In Bid To Get Federal Money

Channel 5 News Posted: Jan 15, 2010 10:00 PM CST (AP) NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee lawmakers have approved education changes Gov. Phil Bredesen said are needed to boost Tennessee's chances at landing up to $485 million in federal schools money. Under the bill approved overwhelmingly in both the House and Senate on Friday, half of teacher evaluations will be based on student achievement data. That's a major departure from the current system that makes no use of test scores. The evaluation requirement is a cornerstone of Democratic President Barack Obama's efforts to begin overhauling the nation's schools through a competitive $5 billion fund administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Tuesday is the deadline for states to apply for the money. A group of Bredesen administration staffers and consultants dubbed the "mule team" planned to work through the long weekend to complete the state's bid. (Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)