Posted on by

Terrible Task Force

Legislative leaders move forward with attempt to refuse federal education funding

House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally have appointed a Joint Legislative Task Force to explore the possibility of Tennessee refusing the nearly $2 billion the state receives in federal education funding each year.

More from The Tennessee Journal:

The 10-member panel will also report on the feasibility of the state rejecting federal funds and recommend a strategy to reject certain federal funds or eliminate unwanted restrictions placed on the state due to the receipt of such federal funds if it is feasible to do so.

Sexton has previously suggested using the state’s significant revenue surplus to replace federal dollars for schools.

Cash Rains Down on Tennessee While Schools Left to Starve

It’s worth noting here that a bipartisan task force found that the state underfunds schools by around $1.7 billion a year.

This means that rather than use surplus dollars to make up the current funding shortfall, Sexton is suggesting using the surplus to maintain the inadequate status quo.

Not surprisingly, the move was met with resistance by advocates for public education:

Rev. C. Don Jones, Pastor of the Andersonville United Methodist Church, said of the proposal:

“Tennessee public schools are primarily locally funded. Extra funds from the Federal government administered by the State government help schools in our rural areas that are cash strapped. I do not understand why the Speaker, the Governor, or the present Supermajority of the General Assembly chose to harm these communities.

“As a pastor in a rural community, I see the Speaker’s proposal as irresponsible to the citizens of Tennessee.”

Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari of Memphis said the federal funding is a key tool in leveling the playing field for students in economically disadvantaged areas of the state.

“Federal education funding for states is essential to ensure educational equity and opportunity for all American students. It serves as a vital pillar of our nation’s commitment to providing a quality education regardless of a student’s geographical location or socioeconomic background.”

In a tweet, Rep. Bo Mitchell said:

This could the most idiotic discussion I’ve seen in the Tennessee General Assembly probably since not expanding Medicaid and costing our state over a billion dollars a year. If you have a child with an IEP then this will drastically harm your child!

The task force has not yet announced its first meeting.

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

The Path to Full Privatization of Public Schools

A former assistant commissioner in TN’s Department of Education explains how the impact of the state’s A-F grading system for schools

Tennessee has a new Commissioner of Education who is unapologetic in her zeal for privatizing the state’s public schools:

A Policy of Privatization

Now, a former Assistant Commissioner in the DOE says an A-F school grading system, set to be implemented this school year, is designed to further erode public support for public schools.

This should surprise no one as Gov. Bill Lee has long been an advocate of using public money to fund private school education:

SHOCKING!

And Lee wants to hand millions in state and local dollars to a Christian extremist charter school network, too:

Exceptionally Bad

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

TC Talks TISA

Persistent poverty plagues districts

Education blogger TC Weber joined the Tennessee Department of Education’s update to the State Board of Education on the state’s new funding formula (TISA). He filed this report with the Tennessee Star.

Here’s the part I found quite interesting:

Department data indicates that 648,000 students attend a school where 40 percent or more live in poverty.

That’s roughly 2/3 of all students.

The good news: The districts responsible for educating those students will receive a bump in funding under TISA.

The challenge: Tennessee has known about the high concentration of poverty for decades now.

It’s nice to see some bonus funding going to these districts (although BEP also had an input for poverty).

What’s not clear is what’s changing to address the systemic poverty that persists.

TCAP, Poverty, and Investment in Schools

Tennessee policymakers could take action to address the challenges posed by entrenched poverty.

For example, the state could provide free breakfast and lunch to ALL students in the state for about $700 million.

Given that we continue to have annual budget surpluses topping $2 billion, this seems like an easy ask.

Feed all kids who come to school, no questions asked.

The state could also expand Medicaid to ensure that more families have access to healthcare.

In terms of education dollars, perhaps instead of investing $132 million in Pearson’s standardized tests, we could allocate those dollars to students in high poverty schools.

For the two thirds of students attending high poverty schools, the state must look like the banker from Monopoly – consistently collecting excess revenue while those students and their families have to wait for crumbs from the table.

Tennessee continues to find new ways to measure and assess the fact that our students face challenges from poverty and then consistently finds ways to offer solutions that do nothing to change that fact.

thoughtful man with book sitting in dark room
Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava on Pexels.com

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @tnedreport

Posted on by

Twice Denied

Hillsdale loses appeals in Madison, Maury counties

The Hillsdale charter network lost twice this week, with appeals to open their American Classical Academies in Madison and Maury counties denied on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.

News on Madison from Nashville’s NewsChannel5:

It wasn’t just one, but 73 reasons the Jackson-Madison County School Board denied a charter school application connected to Michigan’s Hillsdale College.

The Jackson Sun newspaper reported those reasons included negative financial impact, no safety plans, lack of rigor and an unrealistic budget.

Here’s the story from Maury County in votes that happened earlier tonight:

The Hillsdale charters now have the option of appealing to Gov. Lee’s handpicked State Charter Commission.

Exceptionally Bad

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

Fact-Based Learning Under Fire

Tennessee teachers challenge “divisive concepts” law, say it harms students

The Tennessee Education Association (TEA) joined five public school educators in filing a lawsuit challenging the state’s prohibited concepts law. The TEA says the law is unconstitutionally vague and that its enforcement could harm students.

More from NewsBreak:

According to [TEA President] Tanya Coats, the law will be harmful to Tennessee students:

“Tennessee students will fall behind their peers in other states if this law stays on the books. We are already seeing school leaders make changes to instruction and school activities due to the risk of losing state funding, facing unfair repercussions or threats to their professional standing. TEA is committed to fighting for public school educators’ right to do their job and Tennessee children’s right to a fact-based, well-rounded public education,” Coats said.

MORE>

TEA President Tanya Coats

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

Spending Big to Privatize

Tennesseans for Student Success spent heavily in 2022 to support pro-privatization candidates for office

Adam Friedman of The Tennessee Lookout has a fascinating story out about political spending in Tennessee.

The story includes notes on top donors, top lobbying spenders, and top spenders on campaigns by way of independent expenditures.

Turns out, support for privatizing public schools wins big when it comes to earning political money from Tennesseans for Student Success.

Here’s more on Tennesseans for Student Success and their agenda of shifting public money to private schools:

Team Kid’s Payroll
The Not So Super Hero

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

A Policy of Privatization

New education commissioner ready to implement agenda that undermines state’s public schools

Gov. Bill Lee’s new Education Commissioner, Lizette Gonzalez Reynolds, has been on the job since July 1st and says her priority will be implementing a raft of policies supported by Gov. Lee and passed by the General Assembly.

Chalkbeat has more:

Three weeks into her job as Tennessee’s education chief, Lizzette Gonzalez Reynolds says her charge from Gov. Bill Lee is to implement existing major policy changes — from how reading is taught to the continued rollout of private school vouchers — not to craft new initiatives.

Privatizing the state’s public schools has long been a goal of Lee’s, and it seems he’s now chosen a chief implementer of that policy.

SHOCKING!

Of course, privatization also comes in the form of handing public dollars over to unaccountable charter school operators – like Hillsdale College.

Exceptionally Bad

Then, there’s the state’s dangerous new school funding formula, TISA:

The Truth about TISA

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

Hillsdale Keeps Coming Back

Already approved in Rutherford County, Hillsdale-affiliated charter network tries again in Madison, Maury counties

It seems American Classical Education, a charter school network affiliated with Hillsdale College, is not satisfied with having a charter school in just one Tennessee district.

Tennessee Lookout reports:

American Classical Education, a Hillsdale College-affiliated charter school network, resubmitted amended applications in two of four counties that denied it earlier this year. 

School boards in Madison and Maury counties have until July 28 to review American Classical Education’s latest revision to its charter school applications. 

The Maury County School board will vote on the new applications at July 18 meeting. While school officials with the Jackson-Madison County School System said, its board would hold a special-called meeting before the July deadline to deny or approve the resubmitted application. 

The network won approval of a charter school to open in Rutherford County in 2024.

Rutherford School Board Approves Hillsdale Charter School

However, school boards in Madison, Maury, Montgomery, and Robertson rejected the Hillsdale applications.

In Maury County, the initial vote was 6-5 against Hillsdale. So, if the charter backers can simply switch one vote, they could see approval of a second Tennessee charter school.

Here’s what the Mayor of Maury County’s largest city has to say about Hillsdale:

Columbia Mayor Takes on Hillsdale Charter School

Winning a second (and possibly third) charter school could put Hillsdale well on the way to the 50 charter schools Bill Lee promised in his 2022 State of the State Address.

Exceptionally Bad

And if the local school boards don’t approve the appeals, Hillsdale can still appeal to the State Charter Commission, whose members have all been appointed by Lee.

Why does Hillsdale want so desperately to operate charter schools in the Volunteer State? Money.

An ATM for an Extreme Agenda

The charter network would be financed by state education funds and local property tax dollars – both enriching Hillsdale and driving up education costs for local school systems.

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

Cash Rains Down on Tennessee While Schools Left to Starve

State set for surplus in excess of $2 billion

While Gov. Bill Lee “dreams” of being able to pay starting teachers $50,000 eventually and while the state’s schools languish in the bottom 10 in the nation in overall funding, the state continues to rake in extra cash.

Lots and lots of extra cash.

The numbers this year show a surplus exceeding $2 billion.

Tennessee also had a surplus of more than $2 billion LAST YEAR.

In fact, we keep having extra revenue and policymakers keep NOT investing it in schools.

What should we do with the money?

House Speaker Cameron Sexton thinks we should use our surplus to replace $2 billion in federal education funding.

To be clear, doing so would not change the total dollar amount going to schools – we’d still be in the bottom 10 in the nation in school funding.

Of course, we could use the money to raise teacher pay, invest in infrastructure, and support early literacy.

Why Not Make Teacher Starting Pay $60,000?

The state could also afford to make school meals free for all kids.

Alas, instead of actually taking the yearly surpluses and investing more in schools, Tennessee policymakers seem content to leave us at the bottom:

When it comes to school funding, Tennessee lags far behind our neighbors in Kentucky.

Tennessee Education Association President Beth Brown points out the significance of this disparity in a recent email to educators. In it, she notes:

“It’s not about how the funds are divided, it’s about how many state dollars are put into education,” said TEA President Beth Brown. “To get to the Kentucky level of school funding, Tennessee needs $3 billion added to the state education budget.”

Our state’s schools have a range of needs and our state has a pile of cash. Seems like an easy fix – just use the cash to fund the schools.

So far, though, policymakers and Gov. Lee seem reluctant to do that.

Instead, our education policy is focused on funneling public funds to private schools and extreme charter networks.

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport

Posted on by

Should the Mayor of Nashville Run the City’s Schools?

One Mayoral candidate pitches Karl Dean’s old idea

Nashville Mayoral candidate Alice Rolli says she’s ready to run the city’s public schools in addition to the rest of the city should she become Mayor.

The remarks came at a recent forum as reported by the Nashville Banner:

Alice Rolli said at a mayoral forum Tuesday night that as mayor she would consider seeking a takeover of the school system unless charter schools are renewed. 

Candidates were asked whether or not they supported getting rid of the elected school board. The only person on stage seemingly open to the idea was Rolli, who said she would give the authority two years to get their act together before “holding them accountable.” She said the city’s school system should strive to be like Miami-Dade’s, and that without accountability, Nashville’s schools will become like Detroit’s. 

As the Banner notes, former Nashville Mayor and charter school proponent Karl Dean sought the authority to take over the city’s schools, but then-Gov. Phil Bredesen rejected the ridiculous idea.

It’s telling that Rolli wants Nashville schools to look like Detroit or Miami.

I’m not sure Nashville wants their school system to look like The Hunger Games, which is how some describe the situation in Detroit:

The Hunger Games for Schools

It is encouraging, though, that no other candidate seemed all that interested in the idea.

In perhaps some more encouraging news:

Behn on Schools

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

Taking on Teach for America

Hillsdale College and the Collapse of Public Schools

For more on education politics and policy in Tennessee, follow @TNEdReport