A battle over classrooms is now headed to the courtroom, as a group of Tennessee parents is suing the state over the new universal private school voucher program.
The program provides families about $7,000 per child to attend a private school of their choice. The lawsuit argues the law violates the Education Clause of the Tennessee Constitution by diverting public funds to private schools that do not have to follow state academic standards, meet accountability requirements, or guarantee equal access for every student across the state.
One of the plaintiffs is Jill Smiley, a Rutherford County parent and former teacher. Smiley said she chose public schools because of their strong reputation and now worries about what she sees as a growing threat to their future.
“I taught for 12 years, and I fought to get my children into Rutherford County Schools because I knew the quality of education here," Smiley said. "Now the state is systematically defunding the very schools families like mine depend on. You can’t expect excellent schools on a shrinking budget.”
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This is a story I immediately went home and showed my boys - young athletes with big dreams. The Vanderbilt football team's success has stolen the spotlight - what I love about Steve Layman's story is he reveals the individual hardships it took to get there. As Clark Lea says, "we all have scuff marks." This team proves perseverance pays off!
- Carrie Sharp
