Instead of prioritizing Tennessee’s future by ensuring that all students have what they need to succeed in schools, Gov. Bill Lee will reimburse public schools, perpetuate educational inequality; They continue to advocate the most vulnerable children and promote voucher plans that will have a major impact on the state’s status. A budget by forcing taxpayers to fund two separate education systems.

Lee was unable to accept the harm of school vouchers that were reviewed and rejected by legislators and the public at the 2024 legislative conference. He released Advertising Campaign And we have another stab wound by emitting our taxpayer dollars as his lasting governor’s legacy.

Using public taxes on private schools is harmful to students; Excessive spending Sub-educational results. In other states, voucher programs do not lead to improvements in student achievement scores. and Recently released dataand now we find that voucher students perform less than their peers in Tennessee.

Voucher researchers have questioned the Tennessee Governor’s plan

Private schools are not always the educational institutions that have been praised. “Typical” voucher school “Financially struggling subprime private providers often jump at the opportunity to continue tax evasion for several extra years. “In the end, voucher programs can disrupt students’ educational paths and lead to an overall decline in educational outcomes, but they will negatively affect the local economy with reckless spending in taxpayer dollars.

Lee and Republican legislative monasteries may argue that vouchers are a way to level the academic playing field, but they actually maintain inequality and often buy private school tuition fees. It serves as a grant for families that can afford it. According to data from states with active voucher programsMost students using vouchers are already enrolled in private schools rather than transferring from public schools to private schools.

The myth is that public school students have the opportunity to choose to teach private schools with voucher programs. The reality is that the school chooses the students it wants. Private schools can reject students for subjective reasons such as religion, test scores, disability, or students who are not perceived as suitable for the school. This reinforces the need for our public dollars to be invested in public schools intended to serve all children. Why should we trust vendors of these unregulated private education savings accounts when we don’t have the incentives we have to serve our families? Poor track record In other states? Plus, the voucher is worth $7,075 The average private school tuition fee in Tennessee is $11,672. This leaves families with high cost burdens and excludes voucher programs as a viable option for many.

Our most vulnerable children with disabilities and special needs are bravely abandoned by the voucher program. Private schools generally do not provide special educational services. This means that to use a voucher, families of children with disabilities must lose their federal rights and their special education rights. Therefore, our public schools have been repaid and worsened by this voucher program and remain a major option for students with disabilities. Simply put, voucher programs are taxpayer-funded discrimination.

Lee’s voucher scheme is another species of division that he is about to sow. As well Our state is currently ranked 45th Nationally, each student raises funds and receives the 44th teacher salary. That Lee and his colleagues want to work to improve these terrible funding statistics and work to work overtime and push voucher programs is not about the greatest benefits of our kids. indicates.

Of course, even if this voucher attempt fails this special legislative meeting, Lee and our financially irresponsible Republican supermajority will subsidize private school tuition fees with public taxpayer dollars next year. It has another attempt to win government funding on the radical agenda. Perhaps instead, our council could support our children and working families Reduction Their Tax burdenworking to expand public school funding, establishing more affordable and accessible childcare programs, investing in feeding children, teacher programs, university access programs, and early childhood development programs. Our elected officials are campaigns about improving the lives of children and families. Therefore, we must hold them accountable while they are in office.