It seems that school choice has become a hot topic nationwide, with 32 states and Washington, D.C., implementing it in various ways. Arizona has actively supported school choice from the beginning. Arizona resident Rebecca Eklund, an educator, parent and advocate for parents of children with special needs who has placed her children through public school, charter school, private school, home school and even the voucher program, said she, “returned to teaching in a traditional public school because [their] local districts still have the most comprehensive resources and the most experienced and educated teachers.”
Other states have hit the brakes on funding such programs. Illinois stopped funding their voucher program in 2023, after only six years. It’s important to note that school choice can take many different forms: vouchers, education savings accounts and tax credit scholarships, to name a few. They can be multi-layered in structure, and the qualification process can be equally complex. For instance, some programs prioritize children with disabilities, with autism receiving the highest rate of assistance.
In other programs, such disabilities would disqualify a student from receiving services. The same can be said for home-schooling, an option many parents are considering due to ongoing threats of violence and the increase in the number of school shootings, most recently at nearby Antioch High School.
Some programs allow spending money on this type of program, others do not. Tennessee’s, in its current form DOES NOT. The so-called Education Freedom Act was signed into law on February 12, 2025, in Tennessee. It will award 20,000 scholarships in the amount of $7,295.00, with 10,000 of those reserved for low-income families. How generous! In addition, it has been estimated that up to 65% of students who receive these vouchers are already enrolled in private school.
According to the Nashville city government, Tennessee’s public school system currently serves over 900,000 students in 147 districts. So, what happens to the other 880,000+ students who are currently enrolled in public schools? Are they to be left with no choice? Or must they make do with what is left over? It has been said by lawmakers that funding for public schools will not be affected by this, but how is that possible when public tax dollars once used to fund public schools will now be diverted to fund private education?
Of the state’s approximately 1,859 public schools, 1,519 receive Title I funding. Title I is a federal program that provides funding particularly low-income families to help improve educational outcomes. Federal funding makes up about 14% of a public school’s budget, and the amount of money each school receives is based at least partly on the number of students that are enrolled.
So, a decrease in enrollment would DEFINITELY mean less money for public schools, which in turn means our struggling public school system will likely continue to deteriorate.
It’s also worth mentioning that private schools may not have the same accreditation requirements or core curriculum and are not held to the same testing standards as public schools.
In contrast, each year, every Tennessee public school teacher receives a Level of Effectiveness score from 1-5. These take into account student growth and achievement, as well as qualitative data obtained by principal observations and the like.
So, what is this information used for? The Tennessee government’s website goes on to say: “Evaluation scores shall be a factor in employment decisions, including, but not limited to, promotion, retention, termination, compensation and the attainment of tenure status.” Clearly, public school teachers are being held to a higher standard because of this greaterscrutiny and oversight.
One concerned parent put it this way: “When they privatize education, they can modify the curriculum to conform to their views. There is a lack of accountability, and with no one to monitor their standards, they often perform poorly on standardized tests with no consequences.”
Similar sentiments have been echoed by educators. While I AM NOT a proponent for the excessive amount of testing our children are exposed to, I do believe some is necessary to assess a student’s growth and to identify where they may need help.
Something else to consider: private schools can deny entry into their program, while public schools DO NOT have that luxury. They MUST accept every student in their district. Another concern about this type of program is that it does very little for students in rural areas where school options are limited and transportation is often an issue. (I experienced this myself in caring for my granddaughter — it was quite costly.)
One educator with 17 years of experience in a rural area said, “If people can afford it that would be great, but the students who need help the most have few options. Even when they are available, they can’t afford to get it, or they encounter other barriers to their education.” Instead she said she’d like to see “smaller class sizes and additional classroom space.” (She currently shares her space with another teacher who teaches on a different grade level, which can lead to distractions.)
One final thought: if Tennessee can afford such a costly program — worth $145 billion — why can’t we find the money to pay our teachers a wage that would allow them to live in or near the communities they serve? Doing so would ensure a higher quality of education for ALL students, NOT just a select few. This is especially true when teachers are spending money out of their own pockets to ensure ALL their students have the BASIC NECESSITIES available, not just those who can afford them.
Remember: your child’s teachers are helping to shape who they will become, often spending more time with them than parents and grandparents do! The state of education in Tennessee is tenuous at best. Only time will tell if the Education Freedom Act proves to be beneficial for students here or if it will be detrimental to their well-being. But if other states are any indication, you’d better fasten your seatbelt, because it looks like we’re in for a bumpy ride.