Many Factors Paving Way For Education Savings Accounts, School Choice, And Public School Exodus

First in a series of reports

Image Credit: Skyler Ewing / Pexels

By David Seal [Special to The Tennessee Conservative] –

A tidal wave is under way. Students and teachers are leaving public education for a variety of reasons, a symptom of widespread discontent that is fueling the demand for public education money to follow the student to a non-public school.

The education establishment has created this problem by being out of touch with parents, teachers, students, and the taxpaying public.

The Beacon Center of Tennessee reports that nearly 70% of Tennesseans support school choice and the ESA program.

A day of reckoning is on the horizon.

The state government, through overregulation, has removed local control of schools to the extent that parents have little recourse when trying to address issues with school officials. School systems and many of their governing boards are not equipped, or even willing, to fight state education regulators.

In many cases, school board members are not responsive to communication initiated by citizens simply because they know little about how to manage a school system and depend heavily on school administrators to drive policy.

Conservative school board members in Tennessee that think logically, exercise common sense, and respond well to taxpayers and parents are grossly outnumbered in many jurisdictions.

State grant funding is driving schools away from academics and in the direction of ultra-liberal social programs and social engineering. Using mental health liaisons as a substitute for traditional student discipline is one of many examples.

This is a recipe for widespread discontent and poor school system management.

“Parents are becoming increasingly aware of the systemic woke indoctrination agenda that undermines academic performance and usurps parental authority. As public schools continue to double down on being centers for social engineering, surveillance and data mining, more parents are looking for alternatives where children can thrive academically and parents’ rights are respected,” said Aundrea Gomez, Citizens for Renewing America, Tennessee Director.

Parents report a long list of reasons for pulling their children out of government schools.

At the top of the list, parents fear for the safety of their children in public schools, not because of frequent news reports of school shootings; they fear for the safety of their kids because school administrators are impotent in dealing with violent, disruptive, and criminal behavior in classrooms.

Teachers, classroom aids, and bus drivers consistently report that school administrators fail to support them with student discipline. This causes continuous classroom disruptions and frustration among teachers, students, and parents. It is a morale buster for teachers and teachers’ aids. Hundreds are leaving the profession altogether. Additionally, unruly behavior on school buses creates safety issues for the driver and passengers, adding to parent safety concerns.

Author’s note: This report, and the series of reports to follow, are based on 32 years of public school teaching experience, conversations with parents, students, and exit interviews with teachers that are leaving public education.

About the Author: David Seal is a retired Jefferson County educator, recognized artist, local businessman, 917 Society Volunteer, and current Chairman of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He has also served Jefferson County as a County Commissioner and is a citizen lobbyist for the people on issues such as eminent domain, property rights, education, and broadband accessibility on the state level.