Democrats attack Governor Lee’s claim that school choice is the “civil rights issue of our time” as offensive

Governor Lee speaking at the Republican National Convention (Photo by Republican Governor’s Association)

Tuesday Governor Bill Lee took his ongoing push for universal school choice to the biggest stage yet.

Speaking as the chair of the Republican Governor’s Association at the Republican National Convention, Lee compared efforts by Tennessee and other Republican led states to allow parents to use taxpayer money to send their kids to private schools to prior a prior generation’s fight against racism and equity.

“Republican governors fought back for a parent’s right to choose their own child’s education,” said Lee. “President Trump was right when he said that school choice is the civil rights issue of our time. In the storm stirred by Washington, Republican governors across this country have stood as anchors of courage, their states as harbors of hope, and their people as models of freedom, but governors can only do so much. We need strong leadership in the White House.”

Wednesday afternoon the Tennessee State Democratic Caucus responded, calling Lee’s statement about universal school choice, sometimes referred to as school vouchers, “offensive.”

"Gov. Bill Lee's assertion that private school vouchers are the 'civil rights issue of our time' is not only misleading but deeply offensive. The true civil rights issues of our time are those that uplift and support all children, regardless of their background. Private school vouchers do the exact opposite,” said the Senate Democratic Caucus in a joint statement. "Tennessee has a proud history of leading in the fight for civil rights—from the lunch counter sit-ins and Freedom Rides to school integration and labor rights. To label a policy that promotes segregation and inequality as a civil rights issue is a grave disservice to the legacy of those who fought for justice in our state.”

The dueling statements are the latest in a frequently heated debate over universal school choice that began in 2019 when Governor Lee created the Education Savings Account program to a limited number of families in Davidson, Shelby, and later Hamilton County.

This year Lee attempted to expand upon the concept statewide with the Tennessee Education Freedom Scholarship plan, but disagreements between House and Senate leaders ultimately derailed it.

Governor Lee has vowed to bring universal school choice back next year.The concept itself has divided opinions across the state, with supporters arguing vouchers provide educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged students and opponents arguing they divert money from public schools to private schools.

The Democratic Senate Caucus echoed that complaint in their statement Wednesday.

Governor Lee speaking at the Rotary Club of Nashville earlier this year (Photo by Sky Arnold)

"Vouchers divert crucial funding away from public schools, which are designed to serve children from all walks of life. Instead of helping those in need, voucher programs have consistently failed the students they claim to assist. In every state where vouchers have been implemented, the primary beneficiaries are families who already send their children to private schools, leaving public schools underfunded and students underserved,” wrote Senate Democrats. "Private schools have the power to discriminate and reject students based on disabilities, religion, race, and income. They are not held to the same standards of accountability and inclusivity as public schools. This undermines the principles of justice and equity that true civil rights movements strive for.”

Last week Governor Lee pushed back on those arguments in a speech at the Rotary Club of Nashville, saying he chose to become a champion of universal school choice after working at an at-risk inner city youth program years ago that served the most disadvantaged kids who were in the schools with the worst educational outcomes.

“And that just didn’t seem right to me, and I thought those kids ought to have the choice as the kids that lived across town,” said Lee. “I just don’t think that only wealthy families should have access to private education. I think that the poorest children in our communities, their families too, should also have access to that education that they think is the best one for their family.”

This summer Lee has expanded his efforts to pass universal school choice next year by backing three candidates in open House primary races who support it along with incumbents who are running for re-election.