One of the primary purposes of TOSS is to promote the interest of education in Tennessee across government while focusing on the specific needs of local education agencies.

TOSS leadership works in partnership with various educational entities in formulating positions for consideration by various governmental bodies. TOSS's government relations efforts involve Tennessee Government's General Assembly, departments, agencies, boards and commissions and The Federal Government on a variety of legislative, administrative and regulatory matters.

Most of TOSS's efforts occur with the General Assembly, State Department of Education and The Governor's Office. In the General Assembly the majority of TOSS's legislative activity transpires in the Senate and House Finance and Education committees.

TOSS's overarching goals related to governmental relations are:

• The provision of pertinent information on sound education legislation to the General Assembly of Tennessee;
• The cooperation with the State Department of Education and other agencies and organizations interest in public education;
• To propose legislation, to establish and communicate a position on pending legislation and to study its impact on local school systems;

Below you will find a list of helpful links as it relates to TOSS's government relations efforts:

Tennessee General Assembly

Senate Education Committee

Senate Finance Ways and Means Committee

House Education Committee

House Finance Ways and Means Committee

General Assembly Bill Search

Tennessee Department of Education

The State of Tennessee