Bill Lee Turning Tennessee Schools Over to Michigan Billionaire

 From Tennessee Education Report:

NewsChannel5’s Phil Williams has been following the money to find out who is behind efforts to privatize Tennessee’s public schools. It’s no surprise that Lee’s longtime friend Betsy DeVos is among the key backers of privatization.

MORE on how Betsy DeVos is a big player in running TN education reform.

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A Warning on School Funding Reform

 From Tennessee Education Report:

Nashville education blogger TC Weber has a couple of pieces out that break down Gov. Lee’s proposed school funding reform.

The bottom line: Be afraid, be very afraid.

I mean, if you like using public money to fund private schools OR if you’re a fan of the state taking over districts, this funding scheme is for you.

MORE on how Lee's new funding formula will lead to school vouchers and school district takeovers.

For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews

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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Tennessee Funding Board Shortchanges Schools, Infrastructure

 The Tennessee State Funding Board — the group responsible for setting the revenue projections used in state budgeting — met this week and got it wrong. Again. Like they do every single year.

Why does this even matter? Well, the Funding Board estimates are used to determine the parameters for the state budget. When the question is asked “why don’t we budget more for X,” the answer can be: The Funding Board says we won’t have that money.

Except, well, the Funding Board is wrong. ALL THE TIME.

Let’s look at the most recent evidence. This year, Tennessee is sitting on the largest budget surplus ever. EVER. That’s because state revenue came in at $2 billion ABOVE projections.

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Tennessee Reports Massive Revenue Surplus

 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is seeking to reallocate the school funding pie in a state that historically earns low marks for its investment in schools. Now, the Sycamore Institute reports Tennessee has a significant surplus – both banked dollars and recurring money – that could be used to help address a range of priorities.

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Cause and Effect

It seems State Rep. William Lamberth could use a lesson in "Cause and Effect." In a recent column in the Hendersonville Standard, he states:

Because we have invested over $1.5 billion in K-12 education, and because we have made the largest combined investment in teacher salaries than at any point in state history over the past eight years, Tennessee students were recently named among the fastest improving in the entire nation across math, reading, and science. 

Lamberth neglects to point out that the "fastest-improving" designation was given to Tennessee all the way back in 2013. He further fails to mention that since then, scores have "regressed to the mean," making the 2013 results an anomaly.

No matter how you view the 2013 national testing results, it's not possible for investments made AFTER 2013 to impact our state's 2013 designation.

Lamberth also brags about what he calls the state's big investment in education. Here's another fact check:

A state organization tasked with providing research on the operations of state and local government has released a report suggesting Tennessee’s school funding formula, the BEP, needs at least $1.7 billion to adequately fund public education in the state. TACIR — The Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations — released “K-12 Education Funding and Services.”

So, despite Lamberth's crowing about investing in schools, the reality -- as told by a bipartisan state commission - is that Tennessee is FAR behind where we need to be in school funding. It seems Majority Leader Lamberth should be using his legislative influence to actually make an impact instead of repeating talking points.

On a related note, the state's own Department of Education indicates Tennessee is underfunding teaching positions by at least 9000 teachers. Filling that gap would cost just shy of $500 million.

Sumner County Schools and all of Tennessee is no doubt waiting on Lamberth to push for the systemic change necessary to truly invest in public education.

Oh, and Lamberth fails to mention that he was a leader in the effort to pass school vouchers -- using taxpayer money to fund largely unaccountable private schools. The plan is estimated to cost more than $300 million when fully implemented. Similar plans have caused local property tax increases in states like Indiana.

Investing in our schools SHOULD be a top priority. Our state does have available resources to make up the gap in funding. But, when elected officials paint a rosy picture, they gloss over a disturbing reality: Tennessee public schools need real, sustained investment.


For more on news impacting Hendersonville and Sumner County, follow @HvilleNews