Statements

Mission

50CAN: The 50-State Campaign for Achievement Now is a nonprofit organization that advocates for a high-quality education for all kids, regardless of their address.

TennesseeCAN: The Tennessee Campaign for Achievement Now is affiliated with the national 50CAN network. TennesseeCAN empowers local stakeholders-from community members to policymakers-to advocate for improved K-12 education policies that put Tennessee children first. Together, we are working to ensure students have access to high-quality schools, teachers and resources that prioritize their unique educational talents and needs.

Background

Founded in 2011, TennesseeCAN works to ensure that all Tennessee students, regardless of where they live, have access to great teachers and great schools that will provide a high-quality education and prepare them for success in college and career. We focus on educating and mobilizing students, parents, educators, state and local elected officials, and community members to rally around smart policies that support improvements in local schools. Over the past eight years, our successes have helped ensure schools have the resources and funding they need to support strong student learning; teachers have the training, incentives and support they need to be highly effective in the classroom; and students and parents have the choice and access to high-quality schools that will best meet their needs.

Impact

In 2021, TennesseeCAN accomplished the following:
1. Advanced efforts to increase Tennessee's charter school facilities funding to $24 million.
2. Secured free summer camp for 200,000 students to combat learning loss associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
3. Stopped the rollback of state assessments and ensured learning loss interventions would be evaluated.

In 2022, TennesseeCAN's goals include the following:
1. Double facilities funding for charter schools.
2. Enact a student-based funding model.
3. Expand statewide eligibility for Education Savings Accounts.
4. Make tutoring and choice-based summer camps permanent.
5. Create permanent direct payments to families for educational expenses.
6. Defend accountability and transparency while providing parents access to information about all the ways their children are learning.
7. Remove roadblocks to career pathways programs.

Needs

TennesseeCAN's most pressing needs include:
1. Revenue diversification
2. Broad community support for impactful, student-centered changes to Tennessee's education system and funding formula.
3. Partnerships with Tennessee businesses to expand our career pathways programming.
4. Support from Tennessee elected officials to advance wins for Tennessee students and families.
5. Funding for general operating costs and programming.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Education  - Education N.E.C.
Secondary Category:	-
Tertiary Category:	-

Areas Served

TennesseeCAN serves the entire state of Tennessee.

TN