Unfortunately, the really bad Voucher bill (aka: "Education Savings Account") passed out of the Education subcommittee last week. It is scheduled to be heard this WEDNESDAY. This is bad news, folks. This bill would devastate our already underfunded public schools. It most certainly would not help the poor, minority students it is claiming to help. In fact, it would harm them and their schools even more.
Our legislators are being repeatedly bombarded with lobbyists paid for with out-of-state money. It is difficult to ignore generous campaign contributions from those who are eager to get their greedy hands on public tax dollars by privatizing public education. Not only that, the new Governor is really pressuring the newer legislators to support his bills. These legislators need to hear from the people who elected them! Would you please take a few minutes to contact the legislators below, especially if you are in their district? Your voice CAN make a difference! The message below has what you need to know and do...
Our legislators are being repeatedly bombarded with lobbyists paid for with out-of-state money. It is difficult to ignore generous campaign contributions from those who are eager to get their greedy hands on public tax dollars by privatizing public education. Not only that, the new Governor is really pressuring the newer legislators to support his bills. These legislators need to hear from the people who elected them! Would you please take a few minutes to contact the legislators below, especially if you are in their district? Your voice CAN make a difference! The message below has what you need to know and do...
The following is re-posted from Pastors for TN Children:
Friends, we need your help!
A voucher bill (HB939/ SB795) will be heard at 8 am this Wednesday, March 27th, in the full House Education Committee, and this is our best chance to stop vouchers in Tennessee. Vouchers will destroy public education in our fair state!
Please contact the legislators who will vote on the bill. Also, for those who can attend, we need as many pastors and supporters as possible to be there for the vote on Wednesday. The vote will be held in House Hearing Room 1 of the Cordell Hull Building.
Here is information on the bill: HB 939/SB 795 would create a new form of vouchers in Tennessee called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). ESAs have been described as “vouchers on steroids.” This proposed legislation is targeted not toward “children trapped in failing schools,” but toward wealthier families, with virtually no regulation or public accountability. Vouchers would be available in any district containing at least three schools in the bottom 10% of schools in the state, but vouchers would be made available to ALL students in that district, including those enrolled in high-performing schools and private schools. Families making up to around $100,000 per year would be eligible for the voucher, and private schools would not be required to accept the voucher as payment in full. This means that more affluent families with children already enrolled in private schools could use the voucher to help offset their current payments for private school. It will also allow students to cross county lines with their vouchers, which could wreak havoc on many rural school districts. Local school districts will have to pay for the bulk of these vouchers. (For example, in Davidson County, the state would pay only about $3,600 toward the cost of the voucher, while Davidson County would be required to pay about $8,100 per voucher.) On top of this, the state would withhold a 6% management fee for the voucher program. The governor has claimed that a limited amount of funding will be available to school districts to help offset the cost of the vouchers for three years, but this money could be revoked at any time- and worse, vouchers will create ongoing recurring costs that school districts will be unable to cover for an indefinite period of time.
Once the door to vouchers has been opened, it cannot be shut. Under this legislation, vouchers would become an entitlement for upper middle class private school parents and homeschool parents.
Below is a list of the legislators who will vote on the bill:
Thank you for your help!
Mark White, Chair 615-741-4415
rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov
Kirk Haston, Vice Chair 615-741-0750
rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov
Debra Moody 615-741-3774
rep.debra.moody@capitol.tn.gov
Charlie Baum 615-741-6849
rep.charlie.baum@capitol.tn.gov
David Byrd 615-741-2190
rep.david.byrd@capitol.tn.gov
Scott Cepicky 615-741-3005
rep.scott.cepicky@capitol.tn.gov
Mark Cochran 615-741-1725
rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov
Jim Coley 615-741-8201
rep.jim.coley@capitol.tn.gov
John DeBerry, Jr. 615-741-2239
rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov
Vincent Dixie 615-741-1997
rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov
Jason Hodges 615-741-2043
rep.jason.hodges@capitol.tn.gov
Chris Hurt 615-741-2134
rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov
Tom Leatherwood 615-741-7084
rep.tom.leatherwood@capitol.tn.gov
Bill Dunn 615-741-1721
rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov
Harold Love, Jr. 615-741-3831
rep.harold.love@capitol.tn.gov
Antonio Parkinson 615-741-4575
rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov
John Ragan 615-741-4400
rep.john.ragan@capitol.tn.gov
Iris Rudder 615-741-8695
rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov
Jerry Sexton 615-741-2534
rep.jerry.sexton@capitol.tn.gov
Kevin Vaughan 615-741-1866
rep.kevin.vaughan@capitol.tn.gov
Terri Lynn Weaver 615-741-2192
rep.terri.lynn.weaver@capitol.tn.gov
Ryan Williams 615-741-1875
rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov
John Mark Windle 716-741-1260
rep.john.windle@capitol.tn.gov
Friends, we need your help!
A voucher bill (HB939/ SB795) will be heard at 8 am this Wednesday, March 27th, in the full House Education Committee, and this is our best chance to stop vouchers in Tennessee. Vouchers will destroy public education in our fair state!
Please contact the legislators who will vote on the bill. Also, for those who can attend, we need as many pastors and supporters as possible to be there for the vote on Wednesday. The vote will be held in House Hearing Room 1 of the Cordell Hull Building.
Here is information on the bill: HB 939/SB 795 would create a new form of vouchers in Tennessee called Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). ESAs have been described as “vouchers on steroids.” This proposed legislation is targeted not toward “children trapped in failing schools,” but toward wealthier families, with virtually no regulation or public accountability. Vouchers would be available in any district containing at least three schools in the bottom 10% of schools in the state, but vouchers would be made available to ALL students in that district, including those enrolled in high-performing schools and private schools. Families making up to around $100,000 per year would be eligible for the voucher, and private schools would not be required to accept the voucher as payment in full. This means that more affluent families with children already enrolled in private schools could use the voucher to help offset their current payments for private school. It will also allow students to cross county lines with their vouchers, which could wreak havoc on many rural school districts. Local school districts will have to pay for the bulk of these vouchers. (For example, in Davidson County, the state would pay only about $3,600 toward the cost of the voucher, while Davidson County would be required to pay about $8,100 per voucher.) On top of this, the state would withhold a 6% management fee for the voucher program. The governor has claimed that a limited amount of funding will be available to school districts to help offset the cost of the vouchers for three years, but this money could be revoked at any time- and worse, vouchers will create ongoing recurring costs that school districts will be unable to cover for an indefinite period of time.
Once the door to vouchers has been opened, it cannot be shut. Under this legislation, vouchers would become an entitlement for upper middle class private school parents and homeschool parents.
Below is a list of the legislators who will vote on the bill:
Thank you for your help!
Mark White, Chair 615-741-4415
rep.mark.white@capitol.tn.gov
Kirk Haston, Vice Chair 615-741-0750
rep.kirk.haston@capitol.tn.gov
Debra Moody 615-741-3774
rep.debra.moody@capitol.tn.gov
Charlie Baum 615-741-6849
rep.charlie.baum@capitol.tn.gov
David Byrd 615-741-2190
rep.david.byrd@capitol.tn.gov
Scott Cepicky 615-741-3005
rep.scott.cepicky@capitol.tn.gov
Mark Cochran 615-741-1725
rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov
Jim Coley 615-741-8201
rep.jim.coley@capitol.tn.gov
John DeBerry, Jr. 615-741-2239
rep.john.deberry@capitol.tn.gov
Vincent Dixie 615-741-1997
rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov
Jason Hodges 615-741-2043
rep.jason.hodges@capitol.tn.gov
Chris Hurt 615-741-2134
rep.chris.hurt@capitol.tn.gov
Tom Leatherwood 615-741-7084
rep.tom.leatherwood@capitol.tn.gov
Bill Dunn 615-741-1721
rep.bill.dunn@capitol.tn.gov
Harold Love, Jr. 615-741-3831
rep.harold.love@capitol.tn.gov
Antonio Parkinson 615-741-4575
rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov
John Ragan 615-741-4400
rep.john.ragan@capitol.tn.gov
Iris Rudder 615-741-8695
rep.iris.rudder@capitol.tn.gov
Jerry Sexton 615-741-2534
rep.jerry.sexton@capitol.tn.gov
Kevin Vaughan 615-741-1866
rep.kevin.vaughan@capitol.tn.gov
Terri Lynn Weaver 615-741-2192
rep.terri.lynn.weaver@capitol.tn.gov
Ryan Williams 615-741-1875
rep.ryan.williams@capitol.tn.gov
John Mark Windle 716-741-1260
rep.john.windle@capitol.tn.gov
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