NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Today, more than 30 organizations statewide announced the launch of the Education For All Tennessee campaign in response to attempts by the Tennessee General Assembly to limit public education for Tennessee students based on immigration status. HB793 (Lamberth)/SB836 (Watson) aims to take away children’s freedom to learn based on who they are and how they came to call Tennessee home—an attempt to challenge Plyler v. Doe, a landmark Supreme Court decision enshrining longstanding practice. SB836 is first scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, March 5, at 3 PM CT.
In June 1982, the Supreme Court issued Plyler v. Doe, holding that states cannot constitutionally deny students a free public education on account of their immigration status. By a 5-4 vote, the Court found that any resources which might be saved from excluding undocumented children from public schools were far outweighed by the harms imposed on society at large from denying them an education. If passed and upheld by the courts, this legislation would have devastating impacts not only on thousands of Tennessee children but also on millions of students across the country who could lose access to public education, sending shockwaves through workforces, economies, and communities.
The Education For All Tennessee campaign is being led by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), EdTrust-Tennessee, the NAACP of Tennessee, and Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM), joined by more than 30 organizations. Organizations interested in joining the campaign can reach out here.
In response to similar legislation in other states and at the federal level, the National Immigration Law Center organized the Education for All campaign to build the infrastructure and network to respond. Since May 2024, more than 70 organizations have joined the Education for All campaign, including leading education, immigrant rights, and civil rights organizations aiming to ensure all children have access to a free K-12 public education, as mandated by law.
The following is a statement from Lisa Sherman Luna, Executive Director at the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition:
“Every child should have the opportunity to reach their full potential, and the foundation for that opportunity is education. It’s in our collective interest to ensure that every child can attend public school, no matter how much money their parents have, what they look like, or where they were born. All of us living in the U.S. should have the freedom to thrive—to be safe in our communities, to have access to an education, to earn a living wage, to care and provide for our families, and to contribute to our country. Parents work hard to give their children an opportunity and a better future, a chance to provide for themselves—and, for all children, the foundation of that opportunity is access to education.”
The following is a statement from Alexza Barajas Clark, Executive Director at EducationTrust-Tennessee:
“Excluding undocumented students from public schools is not only unjust—it’s shortsighted. With a new voucher law and our current school funding formula, it would also impose unnecessary financial burdens on the state while exacerbating workforce shortages that put Tennessee’s economic future at risk. Education for All Tennessee is a call to protect student rights and ensure every child—regardless of immigration status—has access to the education they need to thrive.”
The following is a statement from Gloria Sweet Love, President at the NAACP Tennessee:
“This country was built on the premise of providing opportunity and education to all who make this nation their home. It is critical that we continue to provide free, high-quality K-12 public education to every child and family that seeks it. Failing to do so would betray the civil and human rights that those before us fought so hard to secure.”
The following is a statement from Austin Sauerbrei, Executive Director at Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment:
“As Tennesseans, we are deeply proud that our public schools serve EVERY student that walks in the door. It is a slap in the face to every Tennessean that Lamberth and Watson have chosen to attack children rather than address the real needs of our schools. You talk to any teacher or parent, and they’ll tell you we need to do more to retain teachers, hire more support staff, resource our special education programs, and fund our crumbling school building infrastructure. Let’s focus on real priorities and stop scapegoating children.”
