Tennessee GOP Gubernatorial Hopefuls Split On Private School Vouchers

Image Credit: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout & Canva

***Note from The Tennessee Conservative – this article posted here for informational purposes only.

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

Tennessee’s three top Republican gubernatorial candidates are miles apart on expanding the state’s main private-school voucher program.

The race’s dark-horse candidate, state Rep. Monty Fritts of Kingston, opposes expanding both the Education Freedom Scholarship and the Education Savings Account programs, saying they violate the state Constitution.

“I think it’s unconstitutional at its inception,” he told the Lookout.

Fritts noted the state is required only to fund public schools and said he was disappointed to see the state increase a contract recently with the group handling an online portal for student applications and the disbursement of funds.

In contrast, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, whose campaign is benefiting from the support of dark money groups backing vouchers, fully supports expansion, while U.S. Rep. John Rose of Cookeville appears more concerned with bringing “transparency” to the program than expanding.

Tennessee is pouring about $310 million into the programs this year, after lawmakers expanded Education Freedom Scholarships, as the voucher program is called, to 35,000 students, funding roughly $7,300 per student to enroll in private schools. The state’s first voucher program, Education Savings Accounts, provides about $9,000 for about 5,000 low-income students only in Metro Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga to attend private schools.

Asked if he supports voucher expansion, Rose couched his answer in an interview with the Lookout, saying it is clear parents want options when they feel public schools are failing to serve their children.

Yet Rose said, “I think we have to be sure this program is producing the results that have been promised. And I believe that Tennesseans deserve full transparency. … I think we should know who’s receiving the scholarships, who’s being turned down, how those decisions are being made.”

Lawmakers and Gov. Bill Lee, who made private-school vouchers the focal point of his administration, declined again this year to require students receiving the money to take the state’s standardized test, which is used to measure the performance of students, teachers and schools. Under a bill legislators approved, students receiving the voucher money are required only to take a nationally recognized test that allows them to be compared to their peers across the country, but it doesn’t provide a direct comparison to the test given through Tennessee Comprehensive Achievement Program.

Blackburn, the campaign’s frontrunner, makes it clear she supports an increase in “scholarships.”

“Parents shouldn’t have to win the lottery to have a say in their child’s education. We must continue to expand school choice programs, like the Education Freedom Scholarships, to make certain that every parent can choose the education for their child that best suits their child’s unique needs. I will continue to fight for education freedom and excellence until every child in Tennessee receives the world-class education that they deserve,” Blackburn said in response to email questions from the Lookout. She has avoided interviews with local media during the campaign.

Blackburn’s campaign is being bolstered with TV ads funded by Tennessee Freedom Fund political action committee, registered to David McIntosh, president of the conservative group Club for Growth, which contributed $3 million from an affiliated group, School Freedom Fund.

Two ads are critical of Rose, accusing him of being soft on undocumented immigration and Chinese acquisition of Tennessee land. 

Rose said this week the ads are “misrepresentations” of his stances on both issues.

If elected, Rose said he would make sure the program is producing results but pointed out that lawmakers can’t ignore public schools where nine of 10 students in the state will graduate.

The next governor has to “invest” in public education, Rose said, adding one of his pledges is to hire an education commissioner who has taught in Tennessee schools.

“I think it’s a lot to ask our teachers to follow the leadership of somebody who has never held chalk in the front of a classroom,” Rose said.

Lee’s education commissioner, Lizzette Reynolds, a former employee of a pro-voucher group, came under fire from Democrats early in her tenure for failing to hold a Tennessee teacher license, a requirement under state law. Reynolds eventually enrolled in a teacher program at UT-Martin, but it isn’t clear whether she earned a teacher certificate.