Oliver vs. The Oligarchs
Tennessee lawmaker takes on school voucher scam
Next week, Tennessee lawmakers will converge on Nashville for a special legislative session focused on Gov. Bill Lee’s school voucher scam.
Yes, Gov. Bill Lee wants universal school vouchers - it’s been a goal of his since before he held elected office.
Sen. Charlane Oliver of Nashville is having none of it. In an opinion piece in the Tennessean, she calls out school vouchers for what they are: A scam to extract public money for the benefit of the oligarchy.
Tennessee’s public education system is under siege by wealthy conservative oligarchs, including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who are bankrolling Republican leaders to push school vouchers. Ultra-wealthy conservatives have made dismantling public education their mission, even descending upon Washington ready to disband the U.S. Department of Education.
Oliver continues with a stark warning:
I’m writing to forewarn parents, educators, and taxpayers that Governor Lee’s proposed $400 million school voucher plan is a scam.
Her sentiments are supported by education policy expert Josh Cowen, a professor at Michigan State University. At a recent forum in Nashville, Cowen warned policymakers that school vouchers end up busting budgets while failing to help kids.
In Arizona, for instance, the state faced a $1.4 billion budget shortfall, much of which was the result of new voucher spending. Similar issues have arisen in Ohio, where vouchers now account for $1 billion of spending and Ohio House Republican leadership is eyeing a $650 million cut to public school funding. In Arkansas, the governor is steering more than half of the state’s budget surplus to its voucher program — shortchanging other priorities.
Cowen also noted that data from multiple state voucher programs indicates that school voucher programs fail to improve academic outcomes.
Instead of school vouchers, perhaps it is time for Tennessee to try something it hasn’t yet: Generously funding public education.
This exactly.