Gov. Bill Lee’s actions on public education reflect a bizarre dichotomy. On the one hand, the Republican governor has increased funding for public education by more than $1.8 billion, the most in our state’s history.
But Lee, midway through his second (and final) term, also has not been shy about his support for private education, evidenced by his push to expand a voucher program, currently priced at $141 million. The program will give families in Tennessee a $7,000 voucher they can use to attend a private school.
GOP and Democratic legislators have criticized the voucher expansion.
Still, Lee is confident that giving parents more choice about what school their children will attend will lead to better educational outcomes.