Governor calls special session on school vouchers, immigration
Critics of Tennessee’s voucher proposal allege the program is financially unsustainable in the long term and will siphon funds away from public schools.
Topic: School vouchers
RSSThere are 71 article(s) tagged School vouchers:
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January 2025
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Opinion: Can I get some vouchers?
A public school teacher on vouchers: “Let’s be honest, today we’re far more interested in satisfying our own personal interests and we expect the taxpayer to foot the bill. We are entitled.”
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November 2024
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Tennessee K-12 school building costs escalate amid competing political priorities for education
Tennessee needs to spend about $9.8 billion on repairs, upgrades, or construction to keep its K-12 public school buildings safe and conducive to learning, according to a new state report.
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October 2024
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Tennessee is gearing up for another private school voucher debate. Here’s what we know.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson told school board members the governor is planning a “substantial” increase for public education funding in 2025 but didn’t specify how much or for what.
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July 2024
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Gov. Lee touts ‘school choice’ at Republican convention
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who is chairman of the Republican Governors Association, also endorsed Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump as he talked about political unity by the nation’s Republican Governors in resisting Democratic policies.
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May 2024
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Lee says constitutional carry not a problem in Memphis, voucher bill to return
Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday, May 7, the ability to open carry firearms — and “constitutional rights” — are not the issue when it comes to Memphis and Shelby County crime.
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April 2024
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‘A real hodgepodge’ — local leaders react as education voucher bill stalls
Tenn. Gov. Bill Lee campaigned on vouchers in both 2018 and 2022, but the bill’s chances of becoming law appeared in jeopardy last week. Lawmakers questioned the cost, the effect on private schools and the changing nature of the legislation.
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TN lawmakers approve $52.8B spending plan as school voucher agreement hopes flounder
Even with the budget approved in the House and Senate, lawmakers still remained divided on whether they’ll advance any proposal to spend vastly more public money to send students to private schools throughout the state.
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Memphis City Council fights losing judgeships, voucher expansion
Both resolutions are not binding and have little effect, but they express the body’s political will at a time when many members feel Shelby County’s autonomy is under threat from the Tennessee General Assembly.
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January 2024
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Tennessee private school voucher law hits new obstacle in court
A legal challenge to Tennessee’s private school voucher law is back on track after a state appeals court ruled that a lower court erred in dismissing the case.
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December 2023
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Memphis homicides broke a record in 2023, Lee talks vouchers and more
Memphis’ homicide rate, school vouchers and passenger rail were among the topics discussed on this week’s “Behind The Headlines.”
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Memphis suburban school districts united in opposition to vouchers
Suburban school districts have come out swiftly and strongly against Gov. Lee’s expansion of the state’s education voucher program.
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November 2023
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Bill Lee pushes for statewide school voucher expansion, no income limits
State lawmakers narrowly approved the so-called education savings accounts initiative for the three counties in 2019.
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February 2023
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State senate votes to expand Memphis, Nashville school voucher program to Chattanooga
Tennessee Senate lawmakers approved the expansion of an education voucher program, currently just for Shelby and Davidson Counties, that allows public tax dollars to be given to families to pay for private schooling to Hamilton County.
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September 2022
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State asks court to throw out Shelby, Davidson school voucher lawsuit
The Tennessee Attorney General’s office asked a Nashville court to dismiss the case, saying the counties had lost all their relevant arguments.
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Opinion: School vouchers change the trajectory of students’ lives
With the implementation of the Education Savings Account Program, families in Shelby County can receive nearly $8,200 toward tuition, fees and transportation to attend Catholic schools.
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August 2022
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16 local private schools — so far — approved to accept vouchers this academic year
The Tennessee Department of Education said Thursday, Aug. 25, that it is still waiting to approve three schools but that they all have a “pathway to eligibility.”
Related stories:
Opinion: School vouchers undermine public education
Opinion: Education Savings Accounts give important choices to families
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Judges deny request to pause ‘rushed’ implementation of school voucher law
Since an injunction was lifted last month, the state has been working to make taxpayer-funded private school vouchers available by the time class starts — which in Shelby County is Monday, Aug. 8.
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July 2022
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Gov. Bill Lee says 2,000 families in Memphis, Nashville have applied for school vouchers
Lee said Friday, July 29, at Knowledge Quest’s Teen Tech Center that more than 2,000 families in Memphis and Nashville have applied for school vouchers and 40 schools have expressed interest in accepting those vouchers.
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Opinion: If the new school voucher law isn’t the answer, what is?
Guest columnist Warner Davis says “while using tax dollars for private schools is questionable, and diverting resources from public schools objectionable, providing a good education to every American child is applaudable.”
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School vouchers to be implemented immediately, governor says
“Starting today, we will work to help eligible parents enroll this school year,” Gov. Bill Lee said, “as we ensure Tennessee families have the opportunity to choose the school that they believe is best for their child.”
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May 2022
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Conaway: Your money just got religion
The Tennessee Supreme Court recently approved the Education Savings Account Act. You say education savings accounts, I say vouchers. You say tomato, I say tomato. Rotten tomato.
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April 2022
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Conaway: A pliable governor, a shameful legislature
“Democrat or Republican, there is no justification, no possible excuse, for what the puppet governor and the Tennessee General Assembly jerking his strings are doing to the children of our state and to our future.”
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February 2022
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Lee’s state Supreme Court appointee recuses in school voucher case
In her recusal, Sarah Campbell cited a rule that says, “A judge shall disqualify himself or herself in any proceeding in which the judge’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned.”
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January 2022
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New voucher proposal targets districts that hold virtual learning
The debate over whether to use tax dollars to send children to private schools has reared its head.
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