Special session on education requires rapid pace

The special session of the General Assembly will be fast-paced.
Lawmakers will need to approve Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen’s K-12 education proposals by Jan. 19 if they are to be included in the state’s application for a share of federal ``Race to the Top’’ money that is due that day.
The key change would include making student testing data a “significant’’ factor in decisions on whether to give teachers tenure and in their evaluations thereafter. Bredesen has called for setting the threshold at 50 percent, while the Tennessee Education Association that represents teachers says it will agree to no more than 35 percent.