As if we needed even more evidence that vouchers are a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad policy idea – Public Funds for Public Schools is out with a new policy brief that includes case studies focused on the financial impact of school voucher schemes.
The bottom line: Voucher budgets suck limited funds out of education funding allocations and the result leaves public schools behind.
The legislature seems determined to subvert democracy
Chalkbeat reports that a pair of possible “solutions” are floating around – plans that would allow the General Assembly to intervene in Shelby County Schools:
One proposal in the House would take power away from the elected school board for at least four years, giving oversight of the school district to a state-appointed board of local residents. A proposal in the Senate would give the Shelby County Commission greater control over the school district — at a time when commissioners have already proposed creating an advisory board to consult with the school board.
Dismantling the Department of Education will have devastating impacts
Gov. Bill Lee yesterday celebrated Donald Trump’s “executive order” to dismantle and effectively end the U.S. Department of Education.
Unsurprisingly, the same Governor who relentlessly pushed to destroy public education in Tennessee through a costly and ineffective school voucher scheme also supports this latest very bad idea.
In short: This will be bad. All of it. The end of the Department of Education. The end of public school. The advent of “free market, choose your own adventure” education.
The end result: an exacerbation of income-based inequality. Or, the dream scenario of Project 2025.
While President Trump and his unelected advisor Elon Musk work diligently to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, some pastors in Tennessee on speaking out. The Southern Christian Coalition says the Musk-Trump dismantling will harm Tennessee students and schools.
Pastor Joy Warren, a Cumberland Presbyterian Minister in Murfreesboro, said:
“I know it’s getting exhausting to keep up with all the ways that President Trump and his administration are trying to harm our communities. But I know without a doubt we absolutely must continue speaking up for those under attack in our communities, including children! The firing of half of the Department of Education is just another way to take resources from our children in order to give tax breaks to his billionaire friends.”
With nearly 300,000 food-insecure students and more than $50 million in school lunch debt, Tennessee can hardly afford to lose even a penny of federal funding for school meals. Thanks to Musk’s DOGE agenda, though, the Volunteer State will be out $20 million.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has slashed two programs that provided more than $1bn for schools and food banks to purchase food from local farms and ranchers.
A chart of awards for the two local food programs funded by the USDA tells the story of how much states stand to lose as a result of the cuts.
Tennessee was awarded more than $20 million for these efforts in FY 2025.
Rev. Laura Becker, pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church, refers to the effect of the bill as “harmful discrimination.”
“Not only am I a parent, a pastor, and a Tennessean, I’m a constituent of Bo Watson – the Senate sponsor of SB 0836 that allows school districts to refuse public school education to students based on their immigration status. I believe that every child is made in the image of God, and this kind of harmful discrimination against beloved children of God is offensive to me as a parent and as a pastor.”
Move seeks to set up Supreme Court challenge over educating migrant children
A bill in the Tennessee legislature would allow school districts and charter schools to refuse to educate children who can’t prove their legal status. The move seeks to challenge a Supreme Court decision that requires that public schools provide education to all children, regardless of legal status.
Currently, as a result of a Supreme Court decision (Plyler v. Doe), public school districts must educate all students, regardless of immigration status. The legislation aims to challenge that ruling and would allow schools to limit the provision of a free public education to only those children who could demonstrate citizenship or permanent legal status.
Cumberland Presbyterian pastor Rev. Joy Warren said of the bill:
“As a Christian pastor I believe that every child is made in the image of God and deserves the opportunity to attend a high quality public school in order to help them reach their full potential. So seeing this legislation that attacks our fundamental American rights and liberties that would take away the opportunity of immigrant children to attend public school is an attack on my values, both as an American and as a Christian. These politicians are scapegoating immigrants, including immigrant children, to divide and distract the American public.”
