Teachers, Principals and School Personnel - As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Civics Education Act," which requires persons seeking the first issuance of a practitioner teacher license or practitioner occupational teacher license to achieve a passing score on a United States civics test prepared by the department of education in order to obtain the license. - Amends TCA Title 49.

SB 1709 (Tennessee Civics Education Act) requires new educators seeking their first practitioner teacher or occupational teacher license in Tennessee to pass a U.S. civics test by July 1, 2027. The test, developed by the Tennessee Department of Education, consists of 100 questions based on the U.S. citizenship civics exam, with a 70% passing score (70 correct answers). The bill mandates the Department of Education to administer the test starting January 1, 2027, and provide a certificate of completion upon passing - though no remediation or preparation courses will be offered. This requirement directly affects new teachers entering the profession, not current license holders. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, for implementation.