Education is on the Ballot in November
Education is on the Ballot in November
by Racquel Collins
With one month left before Election Day, voters have some big decisions to make as we prepare to choose between candidates running for local, state, and national office. But November ballots will include more than just choices between elected officials – the future of public education in Tennessee is also on the ballot. In a significant blow to the Republican-backed school voucher bill last week, the Tennessee Court of Appeals upheld the Davidson County PCourt’s decision that Governor Lee’s Education Savings Account Plan is unconstitutional. Think about this for a moment...instead of passing bills that can improve the quality of life for all Tennesseans, our Republican-controlled state Legislature has been wasting taxpayer time and money by pushing a bill that would divert our tax dollars to private schools to the tune of $7300 per family. Even worse, the Tennessee state Legislature pushed a bill that applied to schools in only two Tennessee counties: Davidson and – you guessed it – our beloved Shelby County. The Legislature continues to fight to illegally single out our county and to take away our the ability oversee our own schools. The school voucher saga is not over yet – the case is now in the Tennessee Supreme Court for a final decision, and we can only hope that they agree that the voucher bill is unconstitutional. However, even a positive ruling from the Court, does not prevent Gov. Lee from bringing up another, modified voucher bill.
As citizens and voters of Shelby County, we owe it to our students and teachers to fight for public education in service and at the ballot box. Future901 has endorsed some incredibly passionate candidates running for the Tennessee state legislature, all of whom believe in the power of a good public education. They are all opposing individuals who have supported vouchers.
Andrea Bond Johnson, District 82: Andrea believes that investing in education means fully funding our public schools and making certain that our education system is equitable for all. Every single child in Tennessee deserves an opportunity to succeed, regardless of their zip code. To ensure the best possible student outcomes, we need to work collaboratively with educators to understand the challenges they face and make sure they have access to the resources their schools need. Teachers deserve manageable class sizes, school buildings that are properly equipped and maintained. Our families and communities can only be their best when we support education, and Andrea will always fight for our public schools and stand with our public school educators. https://www.andreabondjohnsontn82.com/
Jerri Green, District 83: Jerri supports fully funding public schools to improve resources, infrastructure, raise teacher salaries, access to technology, and recruitment of new teachers to Tennessee. She opposes the school voucher program and lunch debt shaming in any form. Jerri believes in prioritizing universal Pre-K program and preventing bullying in our schools. Jerri will back solid planning for future distance learning programs, as additional periods of shelter-in-place may be necessary to battle Covid-19, or during other times of crisis. https://www.jerrigreen.com/meet-jerri
Torrey Harris, District 90: Torrey believes, like most in this district and state, that the School Voucher Program is not the answer to giving all of our children the resources and education that they undoubtably deserve. We must not take away money from our Public Schools to give away to Private Schools. We must stand together to empower our educators, hold accountable our administrators, support our parents, and do all that we can to get more funding for our Public Schools so that our children can receive the help and development they deserve. https://www.torreyharris.com/
Gabby Salinas, District 97: Gabby believes that investing in education needs to be a priority. Her district has some of the best schools in the state, but they also have schools that are under-performing. It is vital that our state increase funding for education and work towards funding equity across our school board districts. Currently, teachers, on average, spend $600 of their own money to bridge the gap between funding and their classroom necessities. We cannot adequately fund education with deep state and municipal revenue cuts. If the cuts in Hall tax revenue continue, we will see a significant increase in our property taxes or a profound decline in education funding. In a county like Shelby County, it is critical that we tackle the leading underlying cause of crime and poverty, which is access to a high-quality education. http://voteforgabby.com/
The Republican opponents of our Future901-endorsed candidates all support the school voucher program (AND support the idea of Shelby County’s public schools being micromanaged by the state). Consider this: if the school voucher program went into effect, our public schools would lose over $300 million over the next three years if every eligible student used the school voucher. In a public-school system where books and supplies are sorely needed and teachers are overworked and underpaid, Shelby County public schools cannot afford to lose $300 million to private schools. Our public-school teachers are already spending an average of $600 of their own money to pay for classroom supplies. Can you imagine what our public-school system would look like with a $300 million loss over the next three years?
We all want our children to attend good schools – there is no debate about that. But we need representatives in the Tennessee Legislature who will listen to their constituents and make thoughtful decisions about what is best for our children. So, when you go to the ballot box in November, bear in mind that you are not just voting for your favorite candidate. You are voting for the future of public education in Shelby County and all of Tennessee. Stand with us as we support Andrea, Jerri, Torrey, and Gabby. If you want help support candidates who will fight for progressive ideals in West Tennessee, follow Future901 on Facebook and get involved today.