State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Initial version of Governor Lee’s new voucher bill would require participants to be tested

Testing didn’t receive a lot of headlines during the debate earlier this year over Governor Bill Lee’s plan to let families use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school, but it played an important role in why the legislation failed. Members of the State House and Senate advanced different versions of the Governor’s Education Freedom Scholarship, sometimes called vouchers, and couldn’t come to a compromise on those differences. One of the biggest involved a provision in the House version of the legislation that would reduce the number of tests students in public school are required to take.

The Governor’s new voucher plan unveiled Wednesday includes no reduction in testing and additionally requires participants in grades 3 through 11 to either take a nationally standardized achievement test or The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program.

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Elections, Chattanooga Sky Arnold Elections, Chattanooga Sky Arnold

Hamilton County race pits former teacher against candidate who’s open to rejecting federal education funding

Last year, the Tennessee General Assembly attracted headlines when members held multiple hearings on the possibility of rejecting up to a billion dollars in federal education funding. Lawmakers ultimately didn’t go forward with that idea, but that doesn’t mean it’s dead. Republican House District 27 candidate Michele Reneau said in a recent interview that she’s open to the possibility of rejecting federal education dollars.

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Hurricane Helene recovery will be costly, but Governor Lee isn’t interested in using voucher money to fund it

When Tennessee Governor Bill Lee unveiled the details of the $100 million Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) Program in a press conference Thursday afternoon, a reporter asked whether he might be willing to dip into the unused funding for his vouchers program. The Governor did not seem interested despite $144 million in voucher funding sitting unused.

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Representative Scott Cepicky misleads the public in radio interview on his school vouchers plan

Representative Scott Cepicky, R-Culleoka, went on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show recently to discuss the failed effort he led last session to reduce the amount of state tests Tennessee students are required to take along with the number of evaluations their teachers see. Cepicky said the changes he championed were similar to changes Wisconsin lawmakers made when they implemented a school voucher program.

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Clarksville, Elections, State Education Sky Arnold Clarksville, Elections, State Education Sky Arnold

Governor Lee endorses conservate school board member Aron Maberry in a State House race in Montgomery County

Governor Bill Lee is stepping into a House primary race to help ensure the seat remains supportive of his school choice proposals.On Thursday Lee announced the endorsement of Clarksville-Montgomery County School Board member Aron Maberry in the House District 68 Republican Primary.

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Governor Lee endorses conservative Jason Emert in open East Tennessee House race

In April Tennessee Governor Bill Lee promised to bring his plan to let parents use taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school back next year, and this week he’s taking a new step to help it pass.The governor announced his endorsement of Blount County attorney Jason Emert in the House District 20 race.  Emert is facing county commissioners Tom Stinnett and Nick Bright in the August Republican primary.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

School “vouchers” attracted headlines this legislative session, but charter support could have the lasting impact

Members of the Tennessee General Assembly adjourned the legislative session Thursday following more than three months of sometimes contentious and challenging educational debate.Headlining the list of challenges was Governor Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship Act that failed to reach either the House or Senate Floor.

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State Education, State Government Sky Arnold State Education, State Government Sky Arnold

Governor pulls plug on Education Freedom Scholarships and vows to revisit the plan next year

Governor Bill Lee conceded that there’s no pathway for his signature education bill to pass this session and vowed to bring back the Education Freedom Scholarship plan next year.On social media Monday morning the Governor expressed his gratitude to supporters of the plan to allow parents to utilize taxpayer dollars to send their children to private school and his disappointment in pulling the plug on it.

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