School choice expansion helps Tennessee parents who have been waiting for better options

How long do Tennessee’s children have to wait to get an education that works for each one of them?

The state constitution “recognizes the inherent value of education and encourages its support.” It orders the legislature to establish free public schools. But it doesn’t forbid the legislature from finding other ways to educate children who don’t thrive in those schools.

Parents, not the government, will always be best suited to determine what educational setting works best for their child. Once the pandemic opened parent’s eyes to the one-size-fits-all education system, we are seeing a school choice revolution. 

Lawmakers have heard from parents and recognized that public schools don’t serve all students equally. While some students thrive in a traditional school setting, others don’t. A system that gives students only one option leaves thousands of students behind.

Counterpoint: Admit it: Tennessee Senate and House are at odds on school vouchers. It's time to move on

My mother would have loved better school choices for me

I know. I was one of those students. I have the unique perspective of attending a small rural school, where I received a stellar public-school education, before moving to Antioch sophomore year.

I knew what school could be like, and it made my experience in a failing school even more disheartening. I was stuck. Unchallenged. And like so many of my peers I became a “problem student.”

My mom didn’t have the ability to move or put me in a private school. What she would have given to remove me from a situation where she was certain I would end up dead or in jail.

This is why school choice matters. Parents know their children best. They know when their child’s life depends upon a change of environment. Nay-sayers make arguments about systems and money instead of considering children and their education.

Thankfully, legislators recognized the need for public school alternatives. They’ve created great options for some students. But not for all.

Polling shows Tennesseans supporting expanding school choice

The Individualized Education Account (IEA) program gives students with disabilities the option to find the best education for their needs. Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) were created for students trapped in the worst preforming schools. Despite lawsuits pausing them temporarily, thousands of families have now been able to pursue new educational opportunities.

A Beacon Center poll showed that 68% of Tennesseans support expanding EFAs. Tennesseans want a system that empowers families to pick the best educational options for their own children. Only 38% of Tennessee students are proficient in English, and only 34% are proficient in math. This is a drastic improvement over the past decade, but it’s still unacceptable.

Parents are tired of waiting. Too many children are being left behind. We must rescue those kids—no matter where they live — and we must do it now.

The Education Freedom Scholarship Act would do this and do it responsibly.

More money isn't the answer; systemic education reform is

It’s been nearly a decade since school choice was offered to the neediest Tennessee students. Parents are told to give public schools more money and wait for the improvements to follow. We’ve been doing that. Spending goes up, yet our children continue to struggle.

Simply throwing money at a problem will not fix it. We need systematic education reform. Instead of trapping students on the altar of public education, we should find ways to give struggling students a path out. Reforming government programs takes a long time – I’m not suggesting we stop striving for the best public education available. We can and should do both: give families options and fix what is broken in public education.

Freedom Scholarships — available to all Tennessee children — would finally fulfill the promise of a universal, quality education for every child.

Our children have waited long enough.

Tori Venable is a native Nashvillian and state director at Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee. 

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: School vouchers: Tennessee parents have been waiting for more choices