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NPEF Announces Hall of Fame Honorees

The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) announced honorees for its 2025 Public Schools Hall of Fame.

The honorees this year are:

Inspiring Leader: Cane Ridge Elementary Executive Principal Dr. Chris Plummer

Inspiring Educators: Addison Barrack, a Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE) educator at Antioch High School. 

Montrell Williams, an Integrated Mathematics 1 Teacher at Whites Creek High School.

Inspiring Organizations: Adroit, an organization dedicated to expanding equitable access to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education for students of all backgrounds. Through its LEGO and robotics team, the Pioneers, Adroit empowers underrepresented youth to build foundational STEM skills and tackle real-world challenges.

Nashville Tools for Schools, an organization working to “build for our children’s future” by building custom furniture, shelving and storage cabinets, and outdoor items for MNPS schools. Nashville Tools for Schools leverages retired community members with skills in woodworking to create items that enhance libraries and classrooms across the district.

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Vouchers: Here, There, Everywhere

A Legacy of Hungry Kids, Underfunded Schools

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Vouchers All Over

The incessant push to destroy public education

Over at The Education Report, I note that vouchers are not just a problem in Tennessee, they may soon be a national disaster:

From Arizona to DC, the agenda is becoming increasingly clear: privatizers are after our public schools, and they’re aiming to totally dismantle public education, replacing it with an unaccountable, voucherized, for-profit free-for-all that will undermine quality education for generations.

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Another Call for “One Big Test”

TN Winning Race to the Bottom

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National Voucher Madness

House Republicans are not only busy cutting Medicaid, but also working on dismantling American public education while giving the very wealthy a nice tax break.

Yes, a national school voucher scam – supported by President Trump and backed by his former Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos – is taking shape as part of the current budget wrangling.

Here’s what one group that analyzed the bill said:

“. . . we estimate that this tax avoidance maneuver would deprive the federal government and state governments of more than $2 billion in capital gains tax revenue over the next decade. This would come on top of the roughly $21.5 billion cost of the tax credit itself, bringing the net total revenue loss to over $23.6 billion.“

If you wanted to undermine public education – even in states like Kentucky with no vouchers or charter schools – this would be the way to do it.

As an example, Tennessee public school districts are estimated to lose more than $50 million in state investment in year one of the state’s new, universal school voucher scheme.

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A Sad Legacy for Lee

Yes, Money Matters for Schools

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Voucher Coupon Scheme Starts NOW

May 15th is the launch of TN’s new, $1.1 billion voucher scheme

Gov. Bill Lee spent significant time and energy during his term attempting to pass a universal school voucher scheme that would provide coupons for discounted admission to private schools.

He finally convinced the legislature to pass this plan during a special legislative session early this year. In 2019, lawmakers passed a limited voucher plan – for only Memphis and Nashville – and then expanded that to Chattanooga.

The early results from that plan suggest it isn’t “working” – if by working one means helping students improve academic outcomes.

Results from other states show vouchers consistently cost a ton of money and fail to produce results.

No matter, Tennessee lawmakers are all-in.

So, here we are.

And some lawmakers are issuing a final warning about the dangerous territory Tennessee is about to enter:

Tennessee Senate Democrats said school vouchers will cost state taxpayers more than $1 billion. They also warned the plan could lead to less state funds for public schools. As a result, the Democrats are calling the plan a “billion-dollar boondoggle.”

The plan calls for 20,000 vouchers worth $7295 each to be available for students in grades K-12 to use at the private school of their family’s choice.

Gov. Bill Lee promoting school privatization

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Is it Time for Super NAEP?

Trump Administration Leaves More Kids Hungry

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Oliver to Headline “Hope in Action” Banquet

Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) will host its annual “Hope in Action” banquet on May 29th. This year’s featured speaker: State Sen. Charlane Oliver, a staunch defender of public education.

NOAH says of Oliver:

This year’s keynote speaker is Tennessee State Senator Charlane Oliver, a trailblazing advocate
for equity and justice. Senator Oliver, co-founder of The Equity Alliance, has been instrumental
in advancing voting rights and empowering marginalized communities across Tennessee. Her
address will focus on the power of grassroots organizing and the importance of sustained civic
engagement.

The event is on Thursday, May 29th from 6:00-8:00 PM at the Boone Business Building on the campus of Trevecca Nazarene University.

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Do We Need a SUPER NAEP?

A Legacy of Leaving Hungry Kids Behind

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The Return of Calls for “One Big Test”

It’s a bad idea this time, too

Apparently, the proponents of Common Core haven’t learned – or, they are simply repackaging their old idea in hopes of gaining funding for “ed reform” for a few more years.

This “answer” to all of education’s problems: One big, national test. And, since we already have the NAEP – just use that. But for every kid. Every year.

This will finally give us that comparative data everyone is looking for – except no one is really looking for it.

I guess the question is: If every 4th and 8th grader took the NAEP and it was administered annually, then what? What happens next? What will states be motivated to do? Or not do?

It probably doesn’t matter – this quest gives ed reform “advocates” a few more years of work – and a new opportunity to pursue funding.

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Bill Lee’s Legacy of Failing Kids and Schools

A National School Voucher Scheme

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Who Will Protect Them?

The Trump Administration made good on the promise to significantly reduce the power of the Department of Education – meaning families seeking the Department’s help with civil rights claims are now left with little recourse.

ProPublica reported this week that, since the Trump administration closed civil rights offices and fired workers at the Dept. of Ed, investigating discrimination in schools is practically “impossible” and “families’ pleas for updates and action have gone unheard.

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Lee’s Legacy: Hungry Kids, Underfunded Schools

Winning the Race to the Bottom

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State Takeover of Memphis Schools: Not Yet

But district faces continued pressure, scrutiny from meddling lawmakers

Most of Tennessee’s legislators are not from Memphis/Shelby County, but that hasn’t stopped a cadre of them from attempting to tell the elected leaders of Memphis how to run their schools.

As the General Assembly ended its business this year, legislation that would have allowed the state to takeover Memphis-Shelby County Schools stalled:

Memphis-Shelby County Schools narrowly avoided legislation that would have expanded state control over its elected school board and budget. But lawmakers intend to bring that bill back — and other efforts to audit the district and potentially change the timing of its school board elections have advanced.

Though versions of state intervention bills passed in the House and Senate, the chambers could not reconcile them before the Tennessee General Assembly adjourned on Tuesday. Each bill called for a state-appointed oversight board whose members would be paid by the school district, but the two versions differed on what powers it gave that board, and the thresholds that would trigger state intervention.

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Lee’s Tennessee wins South’s Race to the Bottom

A Note on the End of the Department of Education

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Lack of Funding for Schools Leads to Lack of Faith in Lee’s Leadership

Pastors call out Gov. Lee for failing moral test of investing in children

The Southern Christian Coalition is calling out Gov. Bill Lee for his Administration’s failure to properly fund Tennessee public schools.

On news that the state now ranks 47th nationally in per student investment – and last among our Southeastern neighbors, Rev. Chris Warren -a Cumberland Presbyterian minister from Murfreesboro – said:

“Scripture reminds us often to care for both children and the vulnerable in our midst. By prioritizing voucher schemes instead of fully funding our public schools, it’s clear that Governor Lee and the Supermajority Legislature have neglected this scripture’s call. Instead, they have prioritized underfunding public education while funneling millions to vouchers. This benefits powerful outside interest groups while our children suffer.”

Gov. Bill Lee promoting school privatization

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Hungry Kids, Poorly-Funded Schools

A National Voucher Scheme

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EdCo Summer Workshop 2025

The Educators’ Cooperative (Nashville) is hosting a summer workshop for teachers – details from an email:

EdCo provides:

  1. Access to a network of 200+ dedicated teachers who are eager to collaborate
  2. A community that supports on challenging days AND celebrates rewarding ones
  3. Customized professional learning for individual teachers based on specific needs

Completing Summer Workshop is how they join EdCo and gain access to our mutual aid network of cross-sector support, expertise, and resources. Plus, full scholarships are awarded to all accepted applicants.

Want to learn more about Summer Workshop? Watch this video to see teacher testimonials from last year’s.

More details here.

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Lee’s Legacy: Underfunded Schools, Hungry Kids

Ohio Data Casts Doubt on Vouchers