Pro-Privatization Group Presents Details of Bill Lee's School Funding Plan

 From Tennessee Education Report:

How is it that pro-privatization group TennesseeCAN already knows the benefits of Gov. Bill Lee’s new school funding formula when that formula has yet to be released?

It seems an “expert” from TennesseeCAN was on hand in Franklin County to present the details of the new, as-yet-unreleased plan.

First, a bit about TennesseeCAN as reported in the Herald-Chronicle:

TennesseeCAN, a state education advocacy organization, was founded in 2011 and formerly operated as StudentsFirst Tennessee.

The organization’s website says it pushed to enact state laws for alternative certification pathways for teachers, mutual consent in district hiring practices, creating a statewide authorizer for charter applicants, expanding enrollment for autism-spectrum-disorder programs and implementing statewide school report cards to track educational progress.

StudentsFirst, readers may recall, was the group founded by Michelle Rhee – whose ex-husband Kevin Huffman was once Tennessee’s Commissioner of Education.

MORE on the new BEP>

School Funding Changes to be Announced in January

 From Tennessee Education Report:

WPLN reports that Gov. Bill Lee’s administration will announce its proposed changes to the state’s school funding formula (BEP) in mid-January.

The Tennessee Department of Education plans to release details of its policy recommendations in mid-January.

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn laid out the timetable in a meeting with legislators on Tuesday. She says the new approach will make it easier to see how much education costs for each student.

While there has been much discussion on changing the formula, there has (so far) been little mention among key education leaders about increasing the overall amount of money dedicated to schools.

This comes in spite of the state falling $1.7 billion short of adequately funding schools, according to a report by a bipartisan commission.

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School Funding Forum TONIGHT

 Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) will be hosting a school funding town hall on Monday, December 6th at 5:30 PM at Jefferson Street Missionary Baptist Church.

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About School Funding Reform

 A Tennessee teacher takes a look at school funding reform:

The tea leaves are not difficult to read here. The new BEP formula will include some form of vouchers (they, of course, won't be called that) and because the BEP funds public schools across the state, then it will not violate the "Home Rule" provision. State legislators will be put in a position to either vote in favor of the new BEP formula (which will undoubtedly include actual needed improvements that will be popular with their constituents) or reject it. It's a lose-lose situation for them. Either support the new BEP formula that will actually privatize public schools or be accused of being against public education. 

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Tennessee School Funding Falls Short

 While Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s Administration is off discussing potential changes to state’s funding formula for schools (the BEP), a joint report from the Southern Poverty Law Center and Education Law Center indicates there’s a lot of room for growth. It’s not just how the funds are allocated, it’s also about how much — turns out, Tennessee is near the bottom in the nation when it comes to things like funding level and funding effort — we’re not putting in much money and we’re not trying very hard to change that. Lee so far has not committed to any funding increase in his proposed formula change.

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Lamberth's Emergency Budget Funds Vouchers, Cuts Investment in Schools

State Representative William Lamberth recently touted the General Assembly's "emergency budget" passed in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. While the budget ensured Gov. Bill Lee's voucher scheme is fully-funded, it cut the state's planned investment in public schools. Here's how Lamberth describes that:

The FY 2020-2021 budget also fully funds the state’s Basic Education Program (BEP) through a new $50.3 million investment and it provides $58.7 million for teacher pay raises.

Here's the reality:

It reduces the BEP inflationary adjustment and cuts in half the initial proposed increase in the teacher salary component.

 

Also, according to Chalkbeat, the budget proposal retains $37 million to fund the first year of Lee’s voucher scheme:

Lee retained $37 million for education savings accounts, a controversial program set to start this fall to let eligible families in Memphis and Nashville use taxpayer money to pay for private school tuition.

Here's the full budget amendment.

Lamberth's spin move has him far from the reality of public school funding in our state. Even the bipartisan TACIR commission notes schools are underfunded by $1.7 billion.

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