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Vouchers Gone Wrong

A story out of Florida should give pause to those who think public money should just “follow the child” to whatever school or education experiment is out there:

The rapid expansion of the state’s School Choice scholarship program burrowed a $47 million hole in the Florida Department of Education’s budget and left public and private schools complaining they aren’t getting properly paid.

Money problems that arose during the 2024-2025 school year can largely be attributed to the mobility that students enjoy to shift from public to private or to home education freely, said Adam Emerson, director of the Department of Education Office of School Choice.

In short: Both public and private schools aren’t being paid in a timely fashion for the students in their care.

Voucher madness is unsustainable.

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Leadership Public Education App Open

The Nashville Public Education Foundation (NPEF) makes the following announcement:

The Leadership Public Education application is open now through November 14! This opportunity is for anyone looking to gain knowledge about our public schools, grow a network of fellow public schools advocates, and share their experiences and voice in support of the students, teachers, and schools in our community. NPEF believes in order to advance positive outcomes for students, we all have a role to play; Leadership Public Education is a great way to engage in the community to help ensure all students thrive.

In partnership with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Public Education is a 6-month public education leadership development program that empowers individuals with the knowledge and skills to serve in community leadership roles at all levels of Metro Nashville Public Schools.

Application and information

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On The Danger of Trump’s Vouchers

Donald Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” included a federal school voucher scheme. Not only will it cost taxpayers billions, but it will also be harmful to states.

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC) released a brief explaining the potential impact of these vouchers.

In a summary explainer, NEPC notes:

NEPC director and University of Colorado Boulder professor emeritus Kevin Welner cautions governors that the promised state flexibility under the new federal “scholarship” program is unlikely to materialize, leaving states vulnerable to federal overreach and harmful voucher expansion.

Ultimately, unless states are guaranteed full flexibility to protect their students and taxpayers, opting in would mean ceding state authority to Washington and exposing students to the well-documented harms of today’s voucher programs.

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NPEF Announces Teacherpreneur Application

The Nashville Public Education Foundation made the following announcement:

Since 2021, NPEF has led a cohort of educators through a unique professional learning experience designed to harness their expertise and innovation. Teacherpreneurs participate in 5 sessions over January and February to build out ideas that help advance positive outcomes for students.

Teacherpreneurs will identify an issue they want to address, research root causes of the issue, learn about change management theory, and use design thinking strategies to create solutions that help students thrive. Then, Teacherpreneurs will pitch their ideas for a chance to win cash prizes and seed funding to pilot their idea.

Information and application here.

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Cell Phone Bans Show Positive Impact

Data suggests improved test scores, attendance

Over the last several years, school districts around the country have begun to enact cell phone bans or cell phone restrictive policies.

The thinking is that decreasing use of phones during the school day decreases distractions and increases student focus.

But, does it work?

Data from one district in Florida suggests positive results.

“Interestingly, we observe significantly improved student test scores in the second year of the ban (about 2-3 percentiles higher than the year before the ban) when suspensions revert to pre-ban levels.”

The study, which is not peer-reviewed, also noted a decline in unexcused absences, which researchers say may have contributed to the higher academic performance.

The data indicate that a ban may initially cause disciplinary challenges as students and families adjust. However, the study notes that those issues resolve in a second year – Researchers did suggest that as much as half of the improvement in student scores may be the result of improved attendance.

It will be interesting to see results in other districts to see if similar results are shown – and what, if any, negative impacts occur.

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Talk About Testing

Nashville education blogger TC Weber talks testing:

Mark White—longtime chair of Tennessee’s House Education Committee—just got a new gig overseeing the National Assessment of Educational Progress. This comes while lawmakers are finally asking if we test too much.

Meanwhile, real educators like Dr. Kevin Schaaf suggest common-sense alternatives. He argues students should be screened before taking high-stakes tests if we already know their reading levels. And maybe, just maybe, we could break up state testing into smaller chunks?

“Ten-year-olds aren’t built to sit for exams like college students,” Schaaf told the Joint Advisory Committee. “So why do we make them?”

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Trump Can’t Stop Trampling Schools

Donald Trump keeps pushing an anti-school agenda – or, at least an agenda that undermines public education:

Donald Trump and his oligarch-friendly Administration are no fans of public education.

The latest evidence? Trump’s attempts to dismantle protections for students protected under the IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The Administration is also proposing to cut billions of dollars sent from the federal government to districts. And is supporting an expensive federal voucher scheme.

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Schools and Toxic Culture

TC Weber notes that public education often creates a culture that is toxic for its frontline workers – the teachers:

In 2025, school administrators still run buildings like it’s a 1980s kitchen. The pressure to “move the needle” on student achievement is suffocating.

In Metro Nashville Public Schools, leadership talks to principals and teachers with open disrespect. It’s framed as urgency for students. But it’s demoralizing. It’s toxic.

He notes some startling stats:

  • Teachers are 40% more likely to have anxiety than healthcare workers.
  • K–12 educators are the most burned-out profession in the U.S.
  • 44% say they feel burnout often or always.
  • Over half plan to leave earlier than expected.
  • Post-pandemic, we’re down over 500,000 educators.
  • 43% of educator job postings go unfilled.
  • Compensation is the #1 reason people quit.

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Doubling Down on a Bad Idea

Lee, Sexton want to expand state’s private school coupon scheme

Tennessee’s school voucher program is already taking a $144 million chunk out of the state budget. When fully implemented, the cost is expected to exceed $1 billion annually.

Vouchers are expensive – and undermine local public schools. Research consistently suggests vouchers do not improve student outcomes – and, sometimes, actually lead to a decline.

Expensive. Hurting local communities. Failing to help students.

That’s the program Gov. Lee wants to expand. And House Speaker Cameron Sexton is cheering him on, calling for at least a doubling of the voucher scheme in the upcoming legislative session.

The governor added that because of the large number of applications, he hopes to persuade the legislature to “provide more scholarships to Tennessee families” when lawmakers return for the 2026 session.

Lee, whose term runs out in January 2027, wasn’t specific about how much he would like to see the program expand. But Sexton’s spokesperson, Connor Grady, said the speaker is committed to “at least doubling” the number of available vouchers to meet student demand, Chalkbeat reported.

Gov. Bill Lee promoting school privatization

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Pro Schools Candidate Behn Wins Dem Primary for 7th District Congressional Seat

Behn’s record reflects strong support for public schools

State Rep. Aftyn Behn is now the Democratic nominee for the 7th District Congressional seat vacated by Republican Mark Green. Behn now faces Trump-backed Matt Van Epps in the general election taking place in early December.

As a community organizer, Behn coordinated efforts to defend public education and oppose Gov. Lee’s school privatization schemes.

As a legislator, Behn has supported expanding the state’s Pre-K program to be available for all kids.

Free Pre-K for All Kids?

Aftyn Behn

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