Killing Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's school choice bill does not help students achieve

The Tennessee legislative session is over, but much like the Tennessee schools that are officially out for summer, a new year is just around the corner.

School choice died this past session despite the push from Gov. Bill Lee and other state lawmakers to make this the year families attain educational freedom. Disappointingly, legislators failed to come to an agreement during negotiations on different versions of the school choice bills thanks to special interest groups igniting confusion and opposition.

The need for expanding educational options in Tennessee is clear. Only 30% of fourth-grade students performed at or above the proficient reading level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2022, and there are significant achievement gaps between racial groups, to cite a few examples. Gov. Lee’s robust school choice bill, the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, introduced earlier this year, would have served as a powerful step toward helping students learn and achieve regardless of their ZIP code, race, or parents’ income. It is disappointing for Tennessee children that, despite the governor’s bold leadership in ushering in the legislation, it won’t be moving forward this year.

School choice should be available for all families

As a long-time proponent of school choice, mother of four, and product of a good public school, I know the power of quality education. When I served in the White House under President Donald J. Trump, he was America’s greatest champion for school choice.

By fostering greater accountability among school administrators and increasing the options available to families, school choice benefits all students, particularly those in underserved communities. School choice ensures educational opportunities are not limited to affluent families and unleashes all students’ future potential.

The data from states that have embraced the idea that parents and students should decide where a child attends school shows that even public education is tremendously improved by introducing competition and choice. In this light, the protests from those who argue that education freedom draws needed funds away from our public schools are disproven by plain facts. If anything, school choice directs more funding toward the parts that matter in school- accountability for improved academic outcomes for students.

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The results for children in the school system where choice is allowed speak for themselves. Better schools mean better education, which in turn means better outcomes in life for those children. Better schools and more choices among them mean parents have greater visibility and input into the values, methods and principles taught and the outcomes demanded.

One of the lessons of the past several years is that we can no longer trust an unaccountable education bureaucracy, at any level, to reflect the values of any given community, to say nothing of the country. Accountability, which is exactly what education freedom brings, requires this type of learning, This is what Tennessee's parents want, but certain state lawmakers have denied them after disingenuous influence from special interests.

More choices equate to better test scores, per research

Research from 2021 demonstrates that expanding school options, whether public or private, leads to children doing better in the classroom.

Studies conducted in 2014 and 2020 specifically highlight the benefits of initiatives like Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship program, indicating that proximity to alternative schooling options correlates with improved test scores, reduced absences, and fewer suspensions for students in traditional public schools, particularly those from low-income backgrounds.

Tennessee’s bill would have granted educational freedom to tens of thousands of students during the 2024–2025 school year and offered universal eligibility the following year. In other words, it was a slam dunk for Tennessee families, offering parents a stronger voice in their child’s education.

More: How the Aug. 1 GOP primary in Tennessee is turning into a referendum on school vouchers

The Volunteer State is behind in implementing education freedom despite the opportunity brought forth by Gov. Lee to be the best at it. It’s what Tennessee families and teachers want and need. Unfortunately, it remains for the Tennessee legislature to act on the momentum behind school choice and make the dream a reality.

The next school year and the next legislative session are only months away. The school choice movement has strongly begun, and the America First approach to education will have its day in the great state of Tennessee.

Brooke Leslie Rollins is the president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute and served as director of the Domestic Policy Council during the Trump Administration.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: School choice in Tennessee: Gov. Bill Lee's plan would help children