Knox County School Board Rejects Voucher Push

Divided School Board votes against adding Lee’s voucher scam to legislative agenda

The Knox County School Board will not ask lawmakers to support Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher push, despite an attempt by the Board’s GOP majority to adopt the issue.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel reports:

All Republicans except District 5 representative Lauren Morgan and District 9 representative Kristi Kristy voted Jan. 9 in favor of asking lawmakers to expand Tennessee’s private school voucher program. Kristy took a “pass” vote and Morgan voted “no.”

Morgan explained her “no” vote:

I don’t believe it’s in this board’s realm of duties to make vouchers a legislative priority as we don’t have control over what the legislator does. I think it’s our job here on this board to make Knox County Schools the best that they can possibly be and be the place where our students and our families want to get an education and choose to go to school.”

exterior of school building in daytime
Photo by Mary Taylor on Pexels.com

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

School Funding: Tennessee’s Failure

This One’s About Book Banning

MORE TENNESSEE NEWS

Lawmakers Release Corporate Tax Loophole Report

Should Pre-K be Expanded in TN?

This One’s About Book Banning

Districts across Tennessee remove books from school libraries

Wilson County has a list of 425 books that are no longer allowed to appear in school libraries there. Rutherford and Williamson counties recently announced they are banning or restricting access to certain books. And Knox County banned 48 books.

There’s sure to be more as districts address the requirements of the “Age Appropriate Materials Act” passed by the General Assembly.

All this focus on book banning seems to be a solution in search of a problem.

TN is a state that ranks near the bottom in funding for and investment in schools. We have nearly $9 billion worth of unfunded school infrastructure projects. Our state’s teachers earn among the lowest salaries in the Southeast.

But, at least the books noted above won’t be available in school libraries anymore.

MORE EDUCATION NEWS

A Plan for Free School Meals for All Kids

Would Kentucky’s Andy Beshear be an Education President?

MORE TENNESSEE NEWS

Behn Fights to End the Grocery Tax

Calling Out Bill Lee’s Voucher Scam

Bike Campaign Calls Out Deceptive Campaign Tactics

Knox County School Board candidate Kat Bike issued a statement today calling out a deceptive campaign tactic known as “push polling” which she suggests is spreading misleading information about her to voters.

Here’s the campaign’s statement:

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

Your support – $5 or more – makes publishing education news possible.