Mayor bashes private school vouchers as legal fight continues
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Nashville Mayor John Cooper led a group of city officials Wednesday in bashing the Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for private school vouchers.
- Cooper's press conference came one day after the city filed a motion asking the Supreme Court to reconsider the case.
Why it matters: Cooper says vouchers could have a devastating effect on Metro Nashville Public Schools, arguing the Supreme Court's ruling was flawed because it concluded MNPS is not a part of the Metro government.
What he's saying: "If we're diverting students from public to private schools, then which public schools would we be forced to close? Which teachers and support staff would we have to lay off because of the migration from public to private schools?" Cooper said.
- Cooper also pointed to studies showing that the academic benefits of voucher programs in other states were mixed at best. He said Tennessee's voucher program lacks quality controls to ensure it is working.
Details: Also at the media event were MNPS director Adrienne Battle, legal director Wally Dietz, school board chairperson Christiane Buggs, Metro Councilmember Antoinette Lee and state Sen. Brenda Gilmore.
The other side: Gov. Bill Lee and other supporters say education savings accounts will give students more options for a quality education.
- "Every child deserves a high-quality education, and today’s Tennessee Supreme Court opinion on (the voucher law) puts parents in Memphis and Nashville one step closer to finding the best educational fit for their children," Lee said after the Supreme Court ruling.
What we're watching: The legal challenge by MNPS and Shelby County schools is ongoing, and it is unclear when the state will begin implementing the voucher program in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling.