Lee Partners With Michigan College For Tennessee Charter Schools

Photo: Preaching to the (Hillsdale) choir? Gov. Bill Lee announced at Monday’s State of the State address he wants to partner with Hillsdale College, a private religious school to develop a civics curriculum for Tennessee students. Photo Credit: John Partipilo

By Sam Stockard [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –

Gov. Bill Lee confirmed Thursday Hillsdale College, a conservative Michigan institution with ties to former President Trump’s administration, is making a big push to expand its influence in Tennessee with multiple charter schools.

The governor said he met with Hillsdale’s president and asked the college to bring 100 charter schools to Tennessee. The Hillsdale official was heard on a recording saying 50 would be the more likely number.

“That’ll be up to Hillsdale,” Lee said in a Thursday press conference. 

Lee announced in his State of the State address a plan to partner with Hillsdale College in Michigan for creation of a K-12 civics program. 

Conveniently, he left out details about meeting with Hillsdale’s president and asking the college to bring more charters to the state. But he expounded on it, somewhat, Thursday.

Lee didn’t address concerns about the possibility of public funds going to an out-of-state or religious-affiliated school, which Hillsdale is. Instead, he acknowledged the state wants to create strong public schools, and that includes charters.

“And Hillsdale, that specific partnership is about engaging Hillsdale and public, classical, secular education. High-quality charter schools are an important part of the equation in our public school system and we welcome charter operators, nonprofit charter operators, from around the country to improve the public school system in our state, and that includes classical education charter schools like Hillsdale,” Lee said.

Hillsdale has sought approval in two districts already, including Williamson County Schools, according to reports.

The college released a statement this week saying through a partnership with American Classical Education, it will start offer “classical charter” schools in Tennessee and has filed applications in Madison, Montgomery and Rutherford counties, with plans to open in 2023.

It claims Hillsdale does not receive funding from the charter schools through ACE, a new charter management organization.

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“When Gov. Lee visited Hillsdale College, he was impressed with the college’s ongoing efforts in supporting K-12 schools with classical curriculum and training for school boards, leaders and teachers,” said Kathleen O’Toole, assistant provost for K-12 education. “Here at the college’s K-12 Education office, we help schools to provide the type of education that all Americans both need and deserve – one that is rooted in the liberal arts and science, offers a firm grounding in civic virtue, and cultivates moral character.”

Democrats are not impressed, accusing the governor of using the civics plan to give Hillsdale an “inside track” in the state.

If local school boards reject charter operators, under a law passed in Lee’s first year, charters can go to the state charter organizing committee he appoints and seek approval to open shop.

A proponent of school choice, including charters and private school vouchers, Lee is putting $32 million in the fiscal 2022-23 budget for charter school construction.

Democratic Caucus Chairman Vincent Dixie of Nashville calls the governor’s move a “bait and switch” tactic.

He even questions the $1 billion Gov. Lee is promising to public schools in the next budget year. About $125 million is to go toward teacher pay, though most are disputing whether it’ll reach their pocketbooks. Another $500 million is targeted for college and technical education, and $250 is designed to relocate schools from floodplains, including those in Waverly, which was devastated by flooding and deaths last year. That total is planned for K-12 schools in fiscal 2023-24, once the Legislature approves a new funding formula.

Money for charters is in the document, too, even though experts say charter schools divert money from traditional public schools.

“It’s not to really fund our education system. It’s to fund that college collaboration,” Dixie said.

“They’ll continue to take away from the traditional public schools. That’s what it’s about. I think he was not honest about what he was saying, and he misled the public,” Dixie said.

About the Author: Sam Stockard is a veteran Tennessee reporter and editor, having written for the Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, where he served as lead editor when the paper won an award for being the state’s best Sunday newspaper two years in a row. He has led the Capitol Hill bureau for The Daily Memphian. His awards include Best Single Editorial from the Tennessee Press Association. Follow Stockard on Twitter @StockardSam