25 Mar School Choice Moving Nationally
Momentum continues in Tennessee for giving families educational options, but that isn’t the only place. Just this year Alabama and now Georgia have passed similar programs, and in Louisiana a bill is moving through the committee process.
Watch this moving speech by Senator Greg Dolezal from Georgia just before the Georgia Senate voted in favor of their version of Education Freedom Scholarships:
Unfortunately, people who oppose the bill in Tennessee want to retain all power in education. They are willing to oppose a parent’s right to find the best school for their child, hiding behind conversations about dollars and cents when Governor Bill Lee and the legislature already increased public school funding (including increasing teacher pay) by $1 billion the last two years. Thankfully, our advocates do not live in an “either/or” world. We need to fund education and we need to give parents options.
In Tennessee, the Education Freedom Scholarships bill is now in both the Senate and House Finance committees. Your input matters!
Send an email to your legislators in support of educational choice. School choice should be for all families, not just families that live in big cities. Or call your legislator and tell them our part of Tennessee matters and our kids deserve the same options and opportunities that they have in Nashville.
This Week’s FAQs
WHAT CAN YOU USE AN EDUCATION FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIP FOR?
- Online education programs, therapies, and other direct education needs that their child may have
- Tuition, fees, and textbooks at a nonpublic school or accredited institution of higher education
- A neighboring public school
- Tutoring service
- Purchase of a curriculum
- Academic testing
- Services from a physician or therapist related to education, primarily utilized by families with special needs
- Transportation to/from a participating school
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR AN EDUCATION FREEDOM SCHOLARSHIP?
Tennessee’s current Education Savings Account Program is currently only available to a limited number of students from low-income households in Shelby, Hamilton, and Davidson Counties. However, all current proposals would extend this eligibility to all Tennessee families.