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Subcommittee approves adding 'success sequence' instruction to family life curriculum despite objections
Summary
House Bill 178 would add "success sequence" instruction to the statutory list of family life curriculum topics; the Education Instruction Subcommittee passed the bill, but Representative Johnson objected that the sequence presents a single, privileged path to success and may not reflect diverse student experiences.
The Education Instruction Subcommittee voted to report House Bill 178 to full Education, with the clerk recording 4 ayes and 1 nay.
Sponsor Chairman Bulso said the bill would add a fifteenth required topic to Tennessee's family life curriculum (statute 49-6-1304), requiring instruction and evidence about the "success sequence." He described the success sequence as evidence-backed policies identified by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that show how following a sequence'high school completion, employment or postsecondary education, then marriage before children'is associated with lower poverty and related outcomes. "What this bill would do would be to add a fifteenth item that has to be taught as part of a family life curriculum," Bulso said, and he noted the bill would present the evidence without mandating values.
Representative Johnson opposed adding the topic, saying the success sequence represents a "very privileged" path and that many people take different routes to successful outcomes. "To pretend like there's only 1 path to success, I just have a serious problem with," Johnson said, adding that requiring teachers to add another required topic risks burdening classroom time.
Representative Barrett supported the bill as providing information to help students discern options, comparing it to other school programs that teach prevention or life skills. The committee adopted the measure without further amendment and reported HB 178 to full Education.
The transcript records explicit references to statute 49-6-1304 as the section that currently lists required family life curriculum topics; HB 178 would add the success sequence as an additional required topic. The committee record does not specify lesson plans, assessment methods, or funding for teacher training to teach the new material.
