How are IEA Vouchers working out?
As the ESA voucher bill heads to a conference committee and a final vote is expected soon, we thought that now would be a good time to look at the other voucher program in Tennessee, the Individual Education Account (IEA). According to TDOE's website, IEA "is a school choice program for eligible students with disabilities. The program provides options for parents of students in grades K–12 to choose the education opportunities that best meet their own unique needs through access to public education funds."
Well, at least that is the idea of the program but the reality is much different...
Parents will receive a credit/debit type of card in the mail pre-loaded with money. We are not sure how much money but it’s probably based on your school district’s BEP funding minus some handling fees. All you have to do is sign away all your child’s IDEA federal rights and their right to attend public schools. Then, you get a handy-dandy card loaded with money. And the TDOE even has a helpful suggestion for you.
“Parents are encouraged to put a small sticker on the debit card to identify that the debit card is for the IEA Program only, and, in cases where the account holder has multiple students enrolled in the IEA Program, distinguish which card is assigned to each student.”
So, what if you were a responsible parent who wanted to use your million dollar baby's voucher card at a legitimate school and not a field trip to Disney World, how would that work?
Could you apply for the school of your CHOICE and use the card to pay for tuition? Well, no. That is not how it works!! You would have to choose a school off the state's approved list. Your school choice is limited to the State's list of chosen schools. And there are only seven schools statewide for 2019-2020 school year.
Well, at least that is the idea of the program but the reality is much different...
Parents will receive a credit/debit type of card in the mail pre-loaded with money. We are not sure how much money but it’s probably based on your school district’s BEP funding minus some handling fees. All you have to do is sign away all your child’s IDEA federal rights and their right to attend public schools. Then, you get a handy-dandy card loaded with money. And the TDOE even has a helpful suggestion for you.
“Parents are encouraged to put a small sticker on the debit card to identify that the debit card is for the IEA Program only, and, in cases where the account holder has multiple students enrolled in the IEA Program, distinguish which card is assigned to each student.”
So, what if you were a responsible parent who wanted to use your million dollar baby's voucher card at a legitimate school and not a field trip to Disney World, how would that work?
Could you apply for the school of your CHOICE and use the card to pay for tuition? Well, no. That is not how it works!! You would have to choose a school off the state's approved list. Your school choice is limited to the State's list of chosen schools. And there are only seven schools statewide for 2019-2020 school year.
Several schools on the list have ties to religious organizations. PEER Academy in Knoxville belongs to the Association of Classical Christian Schools. Barbara K. Lipman Early Learning Center promises "a high-quality academic experience for young children in a Jewish setting…"
And then, there is Chattanooga Christian School that desires to be a leading Christian school that is distinguished by its redemptive discipleship through rigorous curricular programs promoting Christ-centered critical thinking and co-curricular programs that allow students to fully display their diverse talents and skills while fostering an enthusiastic love for their school community.
You can read for yourself about Silverdale Baptist Academy…
And then, there is Chattanooga Christian School that desires to be a leading Christian school that is distinguished by its redemptive discipleship through rigorous curricular programs promoting Christ-centered critical thinking and co-curricular programs that allow students to fully display their diverse talents and skills while fostering an enthusiastic love for their school community.
You can read for yourself about Silverdale Baptist Academy…
What Can We Expect with ESA Vouchers?
For all the talk of school choice, it is pretty apparent that IEA vouchers can only be used at a limited number of mostly small Christian schools. And we see no reason for this trend not to continue in the ESA voucher program. We predict that TDOE's ESA approval list will also consist of small Christian schools like Tipton Christian Academy in Covington.
Tipton Christian Academy is a joint ministry with Covington's First Baptist Church, Senator Paul Rose's lifelong church. And it has recently grown from a preschool to a K-12 school. And according to a 2017 article in the Covington Leader, the school received a $1.5M anonymous donation with the stipulation that it be used for a new building. From the looks of the pictures below, it's pretty obvious that Sen. Rose's Construction business got the contract to build the new school.
Tipton Christian Academy is a joint ministry with Covington's First Baptist Church, Senator Paul Rose's lifelong church. And it has recently grown from a preschool to a K-12 school. And according to a 2017 article in the Covington Leader, the school received a $1.5M anonymous donation with the stipulation that it be used for a new building. From the looks of the pictures below, it's pretty obvious that Sen. Rose's Construction business got the contract to build the new school.
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The new school is expected to open in 2019, just in time for ESA vouchers.
Senator Rose voted in favor of the Senate version of the ESA voucher bill which applies to Shelby County Schools, the Achievement School District, and Metro Nashville Public Schools. His Facebook post said that he made the decision to vote in favor of vouchers after prayerful consideration. Specifically, he asked God to give him "the guidance and wisdom to vote in the best interest of the children of Tennessee." He went on to say that this pilot program will "not directly affect any schools in [his] district."
At the risk of being Momma Bear snarky…. We must say, Sen. Rose apparently has not fully listened to God's wisdom since he failed to realize this bill directly affects two schools in his Senate District 32. Students at Bolton High School and Barrett's Chapel K-8 in Shelby County would be eligible for ESA vouchers under the Senate bill. And these two SCS schools are located less than 30 minutes from Tipton Christian Academy's new K-12 school. That is conveniently close enough for some sheep stealing. So, we will be watching to see if Tipton Christian Academy appears on the TDOE approved list for ESA vouchers.
At the risk of being Momma Bear snarky…. We must say, Sen. Rose apparently has not fully listened to God's wisdom since he failed to realize this bill directly affects two schools in his Senate District 32. Students at Bolton High School and Barrett's Chapel K-8 in Shelby County would be eligible for ESA vouchers under the Senate bill. And these two SCS schools are located less than 30 minutes from Tipton Christian Academy's new K-12 school. That is conveniently close enough for some sheep stealing. So, we will be watching to see if Tipton Christian Academy appears on the TDOE approved list for ESA vouchers.
Please contact Sen. Rose before the final vote and remind him that Shelby County School children in his district will be directly impacted by this bill.
