Latest news with #TennesseeEducationFreedomActof2025
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Knox County School Board chair defends support for school vouchers after backlash
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Knox County School Board chair Betsy Henderson is responding to backlash after she went to Nashville to voice her support for school vouchers before lawmakers passed the legislation. She says she spoke as a private citizen, however, some have criticized the move, saying it is hard for an elected official to blur the line between being a public figure and a private citizen. Jury hands Megan Boswell life sentence after guilty verdict During an interview for Tennessee This Week, Henderson defended her actions. 'I did go in my personal capacity, I made that abundantly clear. And before I went, I do have an email here, I did email the law director to make sure I was doing everything properly. And he did email back, saying 'Yes, you did everything properly.' They followed up and watched my testimony, said everything was great, and so, I was just happy to be there. I will always fight for principles. I will always stand up for issues I believe in. This is something that I ran on twice and won twice,' said Henderson. Lawmakers propose constitutional amendments for gun rights, property tax ban, right to refuse medical treatment She went on to say that she is not the only school board member to share support for school vouchers. 'We did have three other board members either go to Nashville or speak publicly at a rally in their capacity as a board member, and I fully support that. I fully respect their right to do that as a board member,' said Henderson. She continued, 'So, I don't believe in this double standard that I'm seeing on social media, that I'm doing something wrong when three other board members did the same thing. And I don't see the outrage against them. It's just that people are opposed to the issue and those are the people that are coming after me.' South Knoxville business owners feel let down by bridge repair timeline On January 31, the Senate and House of Representatives passed Gov. Bill Lee's statewide expansion of school vouchers, otherwise known as the 'Tennessee Education Freedom Act of 2025.' Lee signed the bill into law on Feb. 12. It provides around $7,000 in 'scholarships' in public taxpayer money for parents in Tennessee to use at private schools if they so choose. Watch Tennessee This Week on WATE Channel 6 on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and find past episodes on YouTube and Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
East TN lawmakers react to passage of school voucher bill after years of debate
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee General Assembly on Thursday voted to pass Gov. Bill Lee's statewide expansion of school vouchers, otherwise known as the 'Tennessee Education Freedom Act of 2025.' The bill outlines the process for parents to apply for a $7,000 'scholarship' of public taxpayer funds that can be used at private schools if they so choose. The vote passing in the House, 53-46, as some Republicans jumped party lines to vote against the bill. Meanwhile in the Senate, the measure passed 21-13. This topic has been debated for several years and has gone through several revisions to get to where it's at today. Conservative lawmakers hailed the vote as a milestone for the state. 'Universal school choice is now an option in Tennessee,' said Gov. Lee. While this is not the first time school vouchers have been talked about at the Capitol, it was different because lawmakers were able to focus solely on the issue. 'The nice thing about doing it during special session is we can focus on that,' said State Senator Becky Duncan Massey (R-Knoxville). 'During regular session there are probably 100 bills going on at the same time so there it wouldn't really get it's dual focus by the legislators and by the citizens of Tennessee.' Democratic State Representatives Sam McKenzie and Gloria Johnson from Knoxville voiced their displeasure with how the vote turned out. 'It's extremely disappointing,' McKenzie said. 'I really thought we had a chance to convince enough of our rural Republicans, the fact that this was a bad bill. I'm also really disappointed in my Knox County delegation.' 'I'm just devastated. The reality is, this is the destruction of public education,' said Johnson. 'More than 90% of one million Tennessee students get their education from our public schools.' The vote in the House was not down party lines as it ended in a 53-46 decision as some Republican lawmakers voted against the measure. Votes on the Senate side were not split down party lines either. 'It was a bipartisan vote against it. We just didn't get enough,' McKenzie said. 'It was a close vote. A lot of Republicans were true to their constituents and a lot of them held the no's and voted for it unfortunately.' State Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) said this bill will do good things for the people of Tennessee. ▶ See more top stories on 'This bill is the single best bill in my 15 years that I've ever seen be presented to the General Assembly,' Faison said. 'We showed Tennessee that we will take care of the funding of our local public schools. We believe in that, but we also believe in empowering parents and we believe in empowering children. Whether we like it are not, there are times that the local public education decision for that parent isn't the best for that child.' Massey said the bill was hard for her to vote on because she saw both sides of the issue. She ultimately voted for the bill after making sure her concerns were heard and her questions were answered. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Groups react to school voucher passage by TN lawmakers
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — School choice advocates are celebrating the passage of HB6004, which expands school vouchers statewide starting next school year. The bill, officially titled the 'Tennessee Education Freedom Act of 2025,' was a major policy point of Gov. Bill Lee this legislative session, prompting him to call a special session to specifically address the issue along with Hurricane Helene Disaster relief funding and immigration safety enforcement. The bill allows for public tax money to be given to families who want their children to attend private schools when they otherwise couldn't afford to in the form of 'scholarships,' worth about $7,000. The bill also provides for a one-time $2,000 bonus for all K-12 teachers if their local school board adopts a resolution affirming their support for the program. TN General Assembly approves school voucher expansion statewide; bill heads to Gov. Bill Lee's desk 'Universal school choice is now a reality for Tennessee families,' Lee said in a press conference after the special session adjourned its business Thursday afternoon. 'I have said all along that we should, and could, have the best public schools in America and provide parents with choice. We've done that. It is, in fact, a momentous day for students and for teacher and for parents across Tennessee….I'm grateful to the parents and the teachers who have advocated here at the Capitol, not just at the Capitol but all across the state to make sure that Tennesseans had this opportunity.' The governor said there had been 'a lot of spirited conversation and debate around this issue on both sides because we know that people all across this state — every Tennessean — cares deeply about the future of our children.' 'Now, families can move forward with an opportunity that they have never had before,' he added. Other groups on both sides of the issue also issues statements following the bill's passage. Today marks a historic moment for Tennessee. The passage of the Education Freedom Act is a transformative step for education in Tennessee, empowering families and giving them the freedom to choose the best learning environment for their children, no matter their background or ZIP code. For 14 years, Beacon has advocated for educational choice, championing the belief that parents should have the right to guide their children's education. Since its founding in 2017, Beacon Impact has worked tirelessly to turn these principles into action through legislative advocacy. While we've made significant strides along the way, today's passage of the Education Freedom Act is truly a game-changer for families across our great state. we would like to extend our gratitude to Governor Lee, Lt. Governor McNally, Speaker Sexton, Leader Johnson, and Leader Lamberth for their unwavering leadership on this important issue. This achievement would not have been possible without their commitment to improving outcomes and opportunities for all students. Their partnership—and that of every legislator who stood up and voted to empower parents today—was crucial in bringing this historic legislation to life, and now Tennessee families will benefit for generations to come. We are grateful for each and every one of them. Justin Owen, Beacon Impact CEO Education is not one size fits all and every student deserves a great education—Tennessee's Education Freedom Act expand that opportunity for more of our children. Thanks to incredible leadership spearheaded by Gov. Bill Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, Speaker Cameron Sexton, bill sponsors Senator Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lamberth, and the majority of our state legislators, our state now has a thriving environment for school choice. I am proud that families, regardless of their background or income, can choose to send their child to the public school, charter school, or private school that will best support their individual learning needs. TennesseeCAN Executive Director Chelsea Crawford Legislators who support this bill today stood up for Tennessee kids. Now we will turn to supporting the important work of implementation to ensure a strong program that helps Volunteer State families get the education that's right for them. TennesseeCAN Advocacy Director Jordan Long We've been entrenched in the fight for educational freedom here for many, many years. Tennessee families won today; future generations of Tennesseans will now have access to more freedom and opportunity. We believe when people have freedom and opportunity, they are capable of extraordinary things. Our grassroots organization has long advocated for school choice, reaching nearly 200,000 Tennesseans at their doors and on the phone in the last year alone. We're extremely proud to see this massive win after combined years of policy and political work to empower parents across the Volunteer State. We'd like to give a special thanks to Governor Lee and state lawmakers for writing and passing this transformative piece of legislation. We're trhilled to help Tennessee students receive the best quality that fits their unique, individual needs because we know it can change the trajectory of their lives. Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee State Director Tori Venable 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → Tennessee's educators are disheartened by the rushed way statewide vouchers passed the Tennessee General Assembly during the extraordinary session called by Gov. Bill Lee. Four days – that's all the time provided to consider a statewide voucher plan and a massive appropriations bill, with just a few hours of actual deliberation. This is a disservice to the students in Tennessee's public schools, and damages public faith in the process when families, educators, and voters were eager to continue engaging in meaningful conversations about what's best for our students, schools, and communities. While we are grateful for the much-needed relief that will finally reach disaster-stricken communities in Northeast Tennessee, we share the sentiment of many local officials who have expressed dismay that universal vouchers were included in the call for the special session. We would have preferred to see relief dollars in a separate appropriations bill from the funds for universal vouchers to avoid the perception that funding for vouchers and providing relief to Tennesseans who are still suffering in the aftermath of a natural disaster were tied together. We thank the legislators who stood with their communities, families, and educators by voting against the statewide voucher bill. We are also grateful to the thousands of parents and community members who reached out to their elected officials with concerns about universal vouchers. We remain concerned about the impact of this statewide voucher program on Tennessee's public schools, particularly rural schools which will be first in line to feel the impact when state funding begins to erode. Over time, the inevitable reduction of the state's support of public schools to fund the ballooning costs of vouchers will leave local governments to try to make up the difference. They'll be forced to decide whether to raise taxes locally or reduce services, which can mean firing teachers and closing schools. We regret that by voting for Gov. Lee's statewide voucher bill, the legislature has agreed to subsidize the tuition for a few families, most of whom have never set foot in a public school, at the expense of opportunity for the vast majority of Tennessee's students. Assurances that public schools will not be adversely affected by this program are impossible to keep, as seen in other states who have created similar programs. It is a sad day for taxpayers who will have little accountability over these funds and for students whose public schools will inevitably suffer as a result of this program.' TEA President Tanya T. Coats Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
School voucher bill passes TN House of Representatives
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After a speedy four-day special session and hours of final debate, the Tennessee House of Representatives has passed the statewide expansion of school vouchers, also known as the 'Tennessee Education Freedom Act of 2025.' The bill outlines a process for parents to apply for approximately $7,000 'scholarships' in public taxpayer money for their children to attend private schools in the state. 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → The vote saw multiple defections from Republicans, ultimately passed the House by a vote of 54-45. One lawmaker, Jerome Moon of Maryville, abstained from the vote. 📲 Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go.📧 Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox.💻 for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
