Tennessee charter school law, which currently allows only nonprofit organizations to run the independently operated public schools, would open the door to for-profit companies under a bill approved Wednesday by a key legislative committee.
The Senate Education Committee voted 6-3 for a proposal backed by National Heritage Academies, a Michigan-based company and one of the nation’s largest private education providers.
Most of the major education advocacy groups in Tennessee – including the Tennessee Charter School Center and organizations representing the state’s school boards and superintendents – oppose the legislation.
“We’re not supportive of taxpayer dollars being used to earn a profit when they should be used to support students and teachers,” said Elizabeth Fiveash, chief policy officer for the charter center.
The vote tees up another battle over a proposal that critics say would privatize public education and proponents argue would expand education choices for families. In 2019, after a bitter fight, the legislature passed a school voucher law that has since been overturned by the courts and is under appeal.