By ERIK SCHELZIG
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Governor Bill Haslam is abandoning his proposal to do away with average class size restrictions in Tennessee.
The Republican governor's decision Wednesday comes amid fears raised by educators and parents that the change would lead to more classrooms being filled to capacity.
Haslam tells reporters that his plan was thwarted by the difficulty in explaining that the measure's goal is to give school districts more flexibility to hire high-priority teachers.
The governor noted that Tennessee is the only state that places caps on both the total classroom size as well as on average school-wide enrollment.
Haslam said he hasn't given up the class size proposal, and may reintroduce the measure in future years.
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