TN Governor Bill Lee signs bill to increase teacher salaries and free them from union dues.

Tennessee Governor Signs Teacher Paycheck Protection Act

Teachers in Tennessee to Receive Pay Raise and Freedom from Union Dues

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has signed the Teacher Paycheck Protection Act into law, which will increase minimum teacher pay to $50,000 a year by 2026 and allow teachers to opt-out of mandatory union dues. The law has been praised by supporters who argue that teachers unions have been too politically active and that taxpayer dollars should be used to educate students, not fund politics.

The Tennessee Education Association (TEA), the state’s largest teacher union, has been criticized for giving over half a million dollars to political candidates in 2018 and having over $9 million in revenue that same year. The TEA has also taken a left-leaning approach on issues such as COVID policies and charter schools, which has caused controversy.

The bill was backed by conservative group Americans for Prosperity Tennessee and sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth. The salary increases will be implemented gradually until teachers receive a base salary of $50,000 for the 2026-2027 school year. Governor Lee has described the pay raise as “the largest pay raise in Tennessee history” for teachers, making Tennessee a top ten state for teacher pay.

This legislation recognizes the importance of teachers’ work by raising their pay and protecting their paychecks. It will also enhance the quality of our education system by helping attract and retain talented teachers. Sen. Bill Powers (R-Clarksville), another sponsor of the legislation, said that it would help “mitigate teacher shortages.”

In addition to the Teacher Paycheck Protection Act, Tennessee Republicans have also passed legislation this year that cracks down on the availability of obscene books available at schools across the state.