You Can't Offer School Choice Before Offering An Initial Choice
“A man could say every day that he wanted to change his life, was going to change it, and every day the lament became merely a part of the life he was already living, so that the desire for change was in fact a kind of stasis that allowed the unchanged life to continue, because at least the man knew to disapprove of it, which reassured him not all was lost.”
― Rachel Kushner,
Take a deep breath.
Inhale through the nose.
Smell that smell?
Catch that scent?
Feel familiar?
It should.
That's the fragrant aroma of a Tennessee Special Session permeating the air. Now, legislators will try to downplay it, saying you don't smell anything—it's just your imagination. Don't fall for it; it's real and likely to grow once we are past election day next Tuesday.
Now that we've identified the odor in the air, the question would be, what will lawmakers be devoting their undivided attention to this time around?
You might be one of those people who welcome the smell, thinking, it's about time we have a deeper conversation about the devastation in East Tennessee from Hurricane Helena. The storm has made it impossible for tens of thousands of students to continue their education and we probably ought to do more about that.
The Tennessee Department of Education, along with legislators, has been doing as much as it can to address the needs of displaced students. In some cases, arranging buses to take students to schools as far as 60 minutes away. But it's not nearly enough.
Online classes offered a solution during the pandemic. That's not an option here as Helena destroyed homes, churches, and other buildings. Cell phone service has remained spotty even as weeks have passed since the hurricane hit. It's clear that traditional solutions aren't going to be enough.
A timeline for students to return to normal learning still remains unavailable. It could be months, or even longer.
According to News 6 out of Knoxville:
"The Buncombe County School system, which serves over 22,000 students, told families Tuesday on the district’s Facebook page no decision has been made “with regards to start date or length of day” because of a need to repair buildings, restore phone and security systems and redraw bus routes."
A return to regular schooling will only begin to address the issue brought by the tragedy. Research shows that children who experience natural disasters are more susceptible to acute illness and symptoms of depression and anxiety. The physical and mental health impacts put them at greater risk of learning loss: Absences can undermine achievement, as can the effects of trauma on brain function. There is going to be a lot to resolve.
Governor Lee has offered some assistance - sorta. He's tapped into a special savings pot within Tennessee's Medical program. You know, the program that helps economically disadvantaged Tennesseans with their medical expenses.
According to the Tennessee Lookout:
The Helene Emergency Assistance Loans (HEAL) program will direct $100 million in no-interest loans from TennCare to 13 disaster-struck Tennessee counties, tapping so-called “shared savings” funds that are unique to the state’s Medicaid program.
Brilliant. Now, districts that were already facing potential property tax raises due to Lee's reformation of school funding will have no choice but to raise property taxes to pay back a loan provided by the generous Governor. If anybody asks, the tax increases are the fault of Mother Nature and no one else. Sounds like a win for everyone.
Well, unless you are part of a TennCare special program. Lee has acknowledged that certain planned programs for TennCare patients may need to be temporarily scrapped until counties can repay the $100 million in no-interest loans. He didn't say which ones, but still.
I probably don't need to remind anybody that there is $144 million sitting in a pot designated for a non-existent state voucher program. But Lee ain't touching that. "We can do both," he says.
I gotta say, this is a situation that meets the very definition of a Special Session. Republican Sen. Rusty Crowe, who represents Carter, Johnson and Washington counties — which all suffered Helene damage – has already stated that he planned to seek an emergency special session of the legislature in early January to call for the appropriation of additional dollars for flood-stricken counties.
Alas, I don't think this is the Special Session attached to the odor currently wafting through the air.
In this case, I think we are again talking about what we are always talking about - education freedom funds.
How you are going to talk about school choice when students in 13 of Tennessee's states have no choice escapes me, but I'm sure we'll find a way.
My stance on vouchers has considerably softened over the years, The arguments against them seem more geared towards protecting the interests of adults than ensuring opportunities for kids.
That wealthy Tennesssee district whose superintendent is regularly railing against vouchers, is protecting their own exclusivity as much as anything. Disagree? Ask them to take a couple hundred students from a nearby less financially secure district and enroll them in their schools. Let those students see the opportunities available that aren't available in their district.
Any takers? I didn't think so.
As a public school parent without the means to enroll in a private option, the message sent regularly to me is that you owe it to those less fortunate to limit options for your kids. Trust me, it comes through loud and clear. To even suggest that the options in a private school are greater than those in a public school is either met with a rebuke or a silent nod. You can dismiss it all you want, but the trapped feeling exists regardless.
in defending the system, supporters often point to the transparency and accountability built into the public system. That's pure gaslighting.
When was the last time a public school district lost funding due to a failure to adequately serve students? When was the last time a school was closed? So what does that accountability look like?
Metro Nashville Public Schools recently awarded a new contract with a substantial raise to their superintendent two years before the expiration of the current contract. Was there any public engagement before they did it?
How about after it was done, any of the local media coverage? As far as I can tell, WKRN was the only station to run a story. That one was bare bones at best.
So, a year before local citizens face a potential property tax increase, the MNPS school board raises the salary of its contracted director to a level nearly double the Mayor's and higher than the larger Memphis school district's director, and nobody feels it worthy of any discussion?
Where is the transparency and accountability? Yea, this all bears a deeper conversation.
That said, there is a time and a place for everything. Until every student in Tennessee has ready access to a school, something that doesn't hold true in East Tennessee, it's neither the time nor the place to discuss choices.
I get it, Lee is about to be put out to pasture and he knows it is now or never to leave his mark. Unfortunately, Mother Nature has supplied that answer for him - it is never.
The Tennessee General Assembly should hold a Special Session, but its purpose should be dedicated to the students and families of East Tennessee, not the whims of Governor Lee.
I want to leave you with a Governor Lee anecdote. While unconfirmed, it is funny enough to share.
Remember back in the Summer when President Trump call Lee a RHINO?
Apparently, that got under the skin of the Guvener, and he's been dialing folks up and asking them if they think he's a RHINO. No response on what responses he's receiving, but if he calls you, please tell him no, because to qualify for that title, he'd have to at least pretend to be a Republican.
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MNPS is once again in celebration mode. No Dr. Battle didn't get another bonus. This time they are crowing about graduation rates.
Late this week the TDOE released grad rates for the 2023-24 cohort and Nashville's are up by 4.5%, bringing the total to...wait for it...85.7%. According to an MNPS press release, this is the highest graduation rate for MNPS since data tracking began in 2002, reflecting the district’s commitment to ensuring every student has the resources and support needed to complete their education.
I'm not sure I would share the record-breaking part. In my household, an 85, ain't an "A" and that's our expectation.
The district is bragging that if you take any 10 kids, 8.5 of them are going to graduate. But I guess as Board Member Erin Block expressed at a recent board meeting where data was reviewed, that's as good as it gets.
“Our record-breaking graduation rate is the result of dedication from every level of our community – from our board members to our families, and especially our students,” said Board Chair Freda Player. “MNPS is paving new pathways for post-secondary success through innovative programs that meet students where they are and prepare them for the future. This celebration belongs to every student who committed to achieving their best, and to the educators who have guided them every step of the way.”
Two MNPS Academies of Nashville high schools, Maplewood and Glencliff, saw outstanding growth in their year-over-year graduation rates, with gains of more than 10 percentage points, while five other schools – Hunters Lane, Antioch, Overton, Pearl-Cohn, and McGavock – each saw improvements exceeding five percentage points. Three MNPS optional schools achieved a 100% graduation rate: Early College High School, Nashville Big Picture High School, and the MNPS Virtual School.
Despite that growth, Glencliff still sits at 70% and Maplewood at 72%. That's a little alarming.
I'm not arguing that the gains aren't worthy of celebration, but let's temper the crowing because there is plenty of room for growth.
One school I do want to point out is Nashville's East High School. Basically, it is a sports magnet school that often gets derided for its academics, but its students graduate at a rate of 95.3%. That is worth celebrating.
Statewide, the 2023-24 statewide graduation rate is 92.1 percent, breaking the previous record achieved in the 2022-23 school year at 90.6 percent.
Some key points were provided by the TDOE:
Clay County Schools, McKenzie Special School District, South Carroll Special School District, and West Carroll Special District each had over a 99% graduation rate.
73 districts graduated 95 percent or more of their students on time.
1,756 more students graduated in the 2024 cohort compared to last year, for a total of 67,232 students graduating across the state.
78 districts improved their graduation rates from 2023 to 2024, with seven districts improving by five percentage points or more.
The English learners student group demonstrated a 12-percentage point increase in their graduation rate from 67% in 2022-23 to 79% in 2023-24.
23 districts finished the year with over a 99% graduation rate for at least one of the following student groups: English Learners, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Economically Disadvantaged, and Students with Disabilities.
Positive news, but still more to do.
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This week brought light to a disturbing lawsuit filed against MNPS by a Granberry Elementary School parent.
According to court documents, on 10/16/23, their child came home from school with several bruises on their face and head. When questioned by the parent, the child revealed that they'd been repeatedly kicked in the head by another student.
When the parent followed up with the school principal, she was told that she hadn't been notified of the incident because it was never reported to the teacher by the paraprofessional who saw the incident. The child's injuries were initially chalked up to a head-banging activity. The child has an IEP that requires parental notification in the event of any altercation or injury.
The child has suffered subsequent injuries since then. The family is seeking $300K for medical expenses. There is always more to the story, but read the lawsuit and then tell me that what they are asking is not justified.
Every child known, right?
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