There are 41 article(s) tagged Education Savings Accounts:
The order keeps alive Tennessee’s quest to create an education savings account program that would provide taxpayer money to eligible families in Memphis and Nashville to pay toward private school tuition.
‘The cries that the ESA program will gut classroom funding and leave the most vulnerable students with fewer resources is antithetical to both the purpose and benefits of the ESA program.’
The Tennessee Court of Appeals struck another blow against Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account program, Tuesday, Sept. 29, finding the state violated the Constitution with an effort to use public money to send students to private schools.
Smaller class sizes, class time spent teaching instead of dealing with behavioral problems, and a rigorous college-prep curriculum were important to me. But times change, and different students thrive in different environments.
Gov. Bill Lee called the day the House passed the school voucher law last year an “historic day.” If so, the bar for historic days is lower than a salamander’s belly.
Davidson County Chancellor Anne C. Martin also scolded the state education department for its “mixed messaging” in continuing to take applications for the voucher program without alerting parents about the status of the legal case.
One lawsuit over education savings accounts, or vouchers, pits the state against Metro Nashville and Shelby County governments, as well as Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Another was filed on behalf of parents in Memphis and Nashville.
Even as the new education voucher program is mired in a court battle and public schools may lose more funding if the coronavirus pandemic causes a recession, the state education department is accepting applications through April 29 via an online site.
Chancellor Anne C. Martin indicated that she likely will allow three pro-voucher groups representing parents from Memphis and Nashville to become part of the case.
Billed as a “one-stop shop” for parents, Tennessee School Finder focuses on school choices for families zoned to Shelby County Schools, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and the state-run Achievement School District.
The Individualized Education Account program is under scrutiny, and voucher opponents say the problems bolster their case that Tennessee can't be trusted to launch the larger school voucher program this summer.
Two Memphis Democrats in the state House talk on "Behind The Headlines" about the resurgent questions by lawmakers of both parties around the school vouchers program passed by the Legislature last year and on a fast track for implementation this summer.
The Germantown Municipal School District's Board of Education will take the district's legislative wishes to Nashville next week as they meet with state lawmakers.
Getting high-quality private schools to sign on is viewed as crucial to the success of the education savings account program, which will launch with up to 5,000 students zoned for Shelby County Schools, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and the state-run Achievement School District.
Reps. Bo Mitchell of Nashville and Joe Towns of Memphis have drafted separate proposals that would rescind Tennessee’s education savings account law.
The goal of the meeting at a private Christian school in southeast Memphis was to tell families that starting next year, they could be eligible for up to $7,300 in education voucher money to send their children to a private school or to use for other private services.
ClassWallet started work for Tennessee Nov. 4 after signing a two-year contract worth $2.53 million with the Department of Education, according to documents obtained by Chalkbeat.
The push is alarming voucher opponents, who worry that an accelerated rollout will be more prone to fraud in how the accounts, which will be loaded with an average of $7,300 a year, are used.
Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn named Amity Schuyler voucher project manager. “She believes in education savings accounts. And to take the lead on this project, I need someone who believes in it,” Schwinn said.
Gov. Bill Lee said the state, which began its new fiscal year on July 1, has enough money to start the education savings account program for the 2020-21 school year. His decision to work toward an early rollout caught even some staff members in his education department off guard.
Next fall, thousands of Memphis children will qualify to participate in the new Education Savings Accounts (ESA) Program. They can receive about $7,300 in the account, which can be used for tuition at private schools, tutoring, textbooks, school uniforms and computers.
The state education department must administer the education savings accounts, establish a fraud-reporting system, and suspend or terminate schools that don’t comply with rules. It must produce an annual report on the number of students participating, the results of a parent survey, overall student performance and “graduation outcomes.”
When asked for her opinion on the provision that could affect immigrant or undocumented students, DeVos said: “I think that’s been a matter for Tennessee to debate. I can’t comment on a hypothetical."
'We hope the governor reconsiders,' said Joris Ray, Shelby County Schools’ interim superintendent, about the education savings account proposal. 'I think the governor’s heart is in the right place. But on this particular issue, I think he needs to listen and have an open heart.'
The statement — released as the governor’s bill is slated for key legislative committee votes this week — marks the first time that the 3-year-old coalition has taken a stand against a major proposal.
About 41 results