RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF)- A group of teachers, students, and activists came together to protest a bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature.
The bill in question is Senate Bill 836, sponsored by Senator Bo Watson of Hamilton County.
It was approved by the Tennessee House last week.
The bill, if approved, would require all school districts in the state of Tennessee to count the amount of undocumented students enrolled, and then send that count to the state department of education.
Those against this bill held a press conference in Red Bank this evening, where they say that the bill unfairly targets immigrant children, destroys access to education, and would increase the workload on schools.
Greg Wilkey, principal at East Side Elementary School in Chattanooga, said, “Let me say this plainly; educators are not immigration officers. They are teachers who are mentors, who are protectors of children, and when we are asked to take our roles that undermine that trust, we damage the relationships that make schools work.”
The Senate is scheduled to debate this bill on Thursday.
