WJHL is reporting that 7 NE TN mayors have endorsed Governor Bill Lee’s voucher process. Will it pass? I don’t know. lt didn’t last year. I certainly support the voucher process as discussed in two previous posts from earlier this week(listed at the bottom of this page).
Mayors from Carter, Washington, Sullivan, Hawkins, Johnson, Unicoi, and Greene counties have signed a joint letter in support of the Governor’s program
I am going to be honest. When I read this it certainly sounds like the main concern by school systems(not the mayors) is that they will lose money (which is attached to each student) if they leave area public school systems to attend private schools. Sullivan County was mentioned as having two private schools built in that county. The systems in Sullivan are worried they will lose state funding if that funding goes with students.
They should worry about losing students! Here in Kingsport we are taking weeks and weeks of student instruction each year in order to give students benchmarks and common assessments. We don’t like it, and they aren’t listening. Private schools don’t waste their time on such nonsensical time sucks. Now, we know why local boards of education are up in arms.
If this bill passes, chickens are coming home to roost! If this bill doesn’t pass, chickens may still come home to roost as Governor Bill Lee could begin to use some of Ron DeSantis’ tactics and start flipping school boards and using tax dollars as leverage. This is a Trump world, and boards need to remember that.
Maybe if they had listened to the citizens they serve in the first place, there wouldn’t even be a niche for private schools to be built. Something to think about.
If Bill Lee manages to get this passed, the monopoly that is government funded and regulated public education will cease. There will be competition and parents will have choices.
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