A statement released by the Tennessee Catholic Conference on Monday praised the Education Freedom Act, the school choice plan presented by Governor Bill Lee, endorsed by President Donald Trump, and passed by the General Assembly last month, creating 20,000 scholarships to help families choose alternative schools for their children.
The conference, the policy arm of the Catholic Diocese of Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville, said it was celebrating the passing of the school choice plan, calling it “a significant step forward for advancing opportunities for all students across our state,” and “landmark legislation” that reflects Tennessee’s commitment to giving children better education opportunities.
“The Education Freedom Act aligns with our mission to create an environment where all children can thrive, offering families more flexibility and access to the educational opportunities that best fit their values and aspirations,” stated the Tennessee Catholic Conference.
It added, “We believe this law will help foster a more inclusive and equitable educational landscape, empowering parents to make choices that reflect their children’s needs and supporting schools in their efforts to provide the highest quality of education.”
Catholic clergy throughout Tennessee previously endorsed the legislation, including Bishop Mark Spalding of Nashville, Bishop Mark Beckman of Knoxville, and Bishop David Talley of Memphis, who Nashville Catholic argued the school choice plan would expand access to Catholic schools that are committed to “serving the common good by educating children in their local communities.”
The Catholic group joins a large coalition that celebrated the passing of the Education Freedom Act, including the TennesseeCAN, Job Creators Network, and Latinos for Tennessee.
After it passed, State Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said the legislation proves Tennessee wants “parents making choices that are right for their kids.”
He stated, “We believe in parents. We believe in parents making choices that are right for their kids. It’s a great day for Tennessee, and I look forward to having Governor Lee sign this legislation and it becoming law.”
In addition to creating the scholarships, which will be worth about $7,300, the Education Freedom Act contains provisions that maintain funding for public schools that lose students to scholarship recipients and offer a one-time bonus of $2,000 to public school teachers. Part of the legislation also directs the majority of online sports betting revenue to maintain public schools.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Another organization that stands to financially benefit from government expansion, applauds that expansion? What next more Covid shots from Pfizer?
This just means that the price of tuition in private schools will go up