Consulting Firm with Deep GOP Ties Helps Launch Effort to Fully Privatize Tennessee Schools

Dark money group states goal of removing nearly 500,000 students from public schools in the Volunteer State

Photo by Aidan Bartos on Unsplash

I wrote yesterday about a new issue advocacy group in Tennessee and its stated goal to remove nearly 500,000 students from the state’s public schools by 2031.

A New Nonprofit Would End Public Education in Tennessee

Tennessee Leads appears to have been launched with the help of a group of political finance consultants tied to top GOP leaders in the state.

The address and Registered Agent of the group match that of Political Financial Management, a group that has helped the Tennessee Republican Caucus and Gov. Bill Lee.

The group says it is advocating to have 200,000 students using school vouchers and 250,000 students in charter schools by 2031.

The voucher plan would cost $1.5 billion.

While it is not clear who is paying this group to establish a nonprofit focused on tearing down public education in our state, it is clear who has been paying them: Top GOP leaders - including Gov. Lee, who is seeking to rapidly expand the state’s school voucher program before he leaves office.

Another top client?

Former state Senator Brian Kelsey - convicted of campaign finance violations and pardoned by President Trump.

Kelsey’s Red State PAC paid PFM a total of $7000 this year, according to the Registry of Election Finance.

Tennessee’s top campaign finance watchdog advised former Sen. Brian Kelsey he can’t use his political action committee to pay attorneys as he tries to reverse a conviction for violating federal campaign finance law.

Kelsey, a Germantown Republican, transferred $196,833 from his state campaign account to his Red State PAC last summer, then sought a legal opinion on whether that money could be used for legal fees in his federal case, after switching attorneys twice.

Interestingly, during his service in the legislature, Kelsey was a fierce proponent of school vouchers.

He also helped Gov. Lee create a charter schools commission with the power to usurp the authority of elected local school boards.

Kelsey is now employed by the America First Policy Institute - a legal group and think tank strongly supportive of the Trump agenda.

Among their core issues? Education Freedom - code for vouchers, charters, privatization.