In legislative language, school closures can sound procedural: automatic, data-driven, inevitable. But for families across Tennessee, the proposed auto-closure policies in SB 2441 and HB 2420 are anything but abstract.

If these bills pass, schools labeled “low-performing” for three consecutive years would be forced to close without meaningful parent input, without individualized review, and without a plan for what happens to the children left behind. For the families who rely on these schools, closure means a disruption to stability, relationships, and trust that has often taken years to build.

The stories below come from parents and caregivers who would be directly impacted by auto-closure.
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For a Child Who Has Lost So Much, Choice Matters

"My Grandson began his school career in 2019 in public school. As most know that school year began at the beginning of the pandemic. As if that was not traumatic enough for him, his mother was murdered in March of 2019. As you can imagine, this is the most traumatic event that anyone can go through, especially a 5-year-old child. He navigated the trauma as well as he could at such a young age, but at the end of the pandemic, and schools returned in person, there was a school shooting in Nashville, which is very close to us locally. At that time, my grandson’s anxiety and trauma overwhelmed him, due to his mother’s murder being caused by gun violence. He does not feel safe in a public school setting. He is a straight-A student and excels in school. I will fight until the bitter end to protect his right to have a say in his education."

Leslie (Grandparent)
Portland

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"Virtual School Saved My Child’s Mental Health."

"My child suffers from OCD and other mental health issues like severe anxiety, and she would pick her lips and nails until they bled every day. She also has a digestive condition, and she would vomit every morning before going to school.

She was bullied when she went to in-person school and on the bus, and her grades suffered. She was scared that someone would fight her, so she feared for her life, and she became suicidal. She was hopeless and very unhappy.

She has excelled while being in virtual school with TNVA. She is safe at home, and her mental health has improved significantly. My child’s mental health is what is most important, and her ability to thrive and make progress in her education and personal life. She now has hopes and dreams, and plans to go to college to be a professional animator. It is very important that she remain in virtual school so that she can continue thrive and progress without the pressures (bullies, medical problems, and mental health issues) of in-person school. Please take into consideration a significant decline in the mental health of all of the students if you take virtual school away from them!"

Melissa (Parent)
Knoxville

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"Virtual School Is Our Normal—Not an Alternative"

"When the discussion began about closing the virtual school program, it felt personal for our family. My children have never attended traditional public school. Virtual school is all they have known. It isn’t an alternative for us — it is their normal.

From the very beginning, virtual school has provided consistency and structure in a way that works for our family. My children have built friendships, relationships with teachers, and a daily routine within this program. They log in each morning, participate in class discussions, complete assignments, and meet expectations just like any other student. This is their school community.

They have grown academically and emotionally in this environment. They have learned independence, time management, and responsibility. They are comfortable asking questions, engaging in lessons, and completing their work because they feel secure in the setting they’ve grown up in.

Closing virtual school wouldn’t just be changing a schedule — it would mean uprooting everything they know. It would force them into an entirely different system after years of learning one way. That kind of disruption can be overwhelming for children who are doing well where they are.

Virtual school provides families with choice. Not every child’s success looks the same. Some children do well in traditional classrooms, and others do well in structured virtual environments. Removing that option removes opportunity.

For my children, virtual school is not a backup plan or a temporary solution. It is their foundation. It is where they have learned and grown.

Taking it away would not improve their education — it would disrupt it."

Ashley (Parent)
Woodbury
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Teachers Need Options Too

"Virtual teaching has been the best opportunity that I could have ever hoped for. I love to teach. It's my passion, and I have been an early childhood educator for nearly 20 years. I worked in a brick-and-mortar school for 16 years. However, I gave birth via emergency C-Section to a 27-week micro preemie. She was 1 pound and 10 ounces at birth. I went back to work, but every time I even got a little cold, it meant huge health repercussions for her. She was in and out of doctors, ERs, and multiple hospital stays. She had to be hospitalized and given oxygen for a week…At that point, I made the decision that no matter how much I love teaching, I couldn't remain in a classroom. My daughter has since been diagnosed as immunocompromised, and she's also autistic.

This position allows me to provide the best care for her, while allowing me to continue my passion for teaching my sweet kindergarten students...just in a virtual setting instead.

Virtual school is a hope for children like my daughter, too. We provide classes for kids like her who can't be around large groups of children. We provide education for students who have behavioral needs that can't be met in a typical brick-and-mortar classroom. Sometimes, we're the only viable option left for parents. If students have been expelled, we will still serve them. So, instead of dropping out, they have a path for success where their mistakes don't have to define them. We provide an education for students that are special needs, whose parents don't feel comfortable sending them into a public school setting for whatever reason, and believe me, there are many...bullying, an inability to communicate what exactly happens during their school day, lack of toileting ability, lack of individualized education for students with high support needs,  and of course the obvious....teachers are stretched thin.

When parents can partner with us, and we create a learning team, it benefits the child tremendously. The environment in my virtual classroom is fun, encouraging, and full of love. We have established a safe, inclusive classroom where anyone is welcome, regardless of the struggles they may have!

It would be devastating to our families to potentially lose the only safe option they have. Please, for the sake of our students, our teachers, and the future of our communities, do not pass this bill. Thank you for your time!"

Katie (Teacher)
Knoxville