The Tennessee Education Association (TEA), a radical leftist organization, distributed a literature piece that hit mail boxes last week and appears to target Democrats, encouraging them to vote for Jeff Eby – because he is against school vouchers and charter schools – in the August 4 House District 69 Republican primary.
The Tennessee Star has obtained a copy of the mail piece, which says on one side, “In the fights ahead, we need Jeff Eby as our state representative.”
One bullet point targets school choice, saying, “Fighting vouchers and charters: Jeff will fight out-of-state interest groups and stop the push for rural and suburban charter schools against Tennessee.
Another bullet-point says Eby will oppose parents’ rights and legislation aimed at eliminating Critical Race Theory in the classrooms and grooming children.
It says, “Stop attacks on what and how we teach: Jeff knows Tennessee teachers are the experts on what our students need and teach the state standards with fidelity. Jeff will stand up to the ‘reformers’ who have run amok with high-stakes testing and attacks on our professional integrity.”
It also says, “Jeff Eby has a pro-educator record as a Dickson County commissioner. Please take a few minutes and vote for Jeff, an ally in the fights ahead.”
On the other side, the mail piece says, “in the Republican primary, vote Jeff Eby.”
The mail piece continues with a message that several political consultants, on the condition of background, say targets Democrats.
“State law says you can vote in the GOP primary,” it says. “Low turnout means your vote has a huge impact. To win the big fights we need to win this election! Stand up for our schools and ourselves: Vote!”
“That’s exactly the language I’d use if I were trying to get Democrats to vote in a Republican primary,” one political consultant with 20 years of experience said.
The piece adds in bold letters, “Vote like your school depends on it. It does!”
The TEA logo is featured prominently on both sides of the piece. The piece does not appear to contain the proper disclaimer.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that the TEA is a teachers’ union, and is a division of the National Education Association (NEA).
NEA President Becky Pringle recently attacked former President Donald Trump for his U.S. Supreme Court justice appointments that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for signing parental rights legislation.
“We will fight unceasingly for the rights of our LGBTQ-plus students and educators,” Pringle said to NEA delegations at their national assembly in early July. “We will say ‘gay’; we will say ‘trans’; we will use the words that validate our students and their families that encourage them to walk in their authenticity, to love themselves fully to be who they are meant to be.”
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Jeff Eby” by Jeff Eby for Dickson County TN Commissioner. Background Photo “Tennessee State Capitol” by Reading Tom. CC BY 2.0.
I oppose using public tax-payer money to subsidize private schools, especially if they promote a sectarian religious view. Separation of Church and State is an extremely vital foundation of our Constitution which even the MAJORITY of Southern Baptists supported at one time, especially if another religious denomination like Catholicism tried to infringe on Baptists rights. Using public money to finance religious schools also HURTS the religious school receiving the money as doing so makes that religious school dependent on the very government from which it wants freedom. Subsidizing religious schools with public money is, thus, a two-edge sword!
Gov Lee and the TN Legislature are to blame for the open primaries making this tactic possible. RINOs love it because it helps them get in and stay in office.
Charter schools ARE public schools that are privately owned and do not have any better results than a traditional public school. They must adhere to all the same rules and regs as a public school. The teacher unions hate them only because they do not support teachers union which is the only good thing I can say for a charter. BUT taxpayers have no voice in how they teach or what they teach. As a taxpayer if I do not have a child in a particular charter school I cannot have any say in how that school is run but my taxes pay their bills. This is unlike a traditional public school because as a taxpayer I can attend school board meetings and express my praise or concerns even if I have no children in the system. AND vouchers are a funding mechanism to destroy private/religious schools. Once a private school takes public money they too much tow the line. In todays climate the only good education is gotten at the kitchen table.
Charter schools typically have better results than traditional public schools in the same districts. This is the case in almost all urban areas. Here is a presentation of the data that proves the point in Nashville: https://www.scarlettfoundation.org/friends-followers/nashville-education-facts/
Charters and vouchers have the highest form accountability in that parents can take their child and leave whenever they want to. Republicans believe that parents know best what is best for their children–it has been carved into the Party platform. It is the fundamental concept from which all “parents rights” policies spring.
Karen, you might want to read some of the Supreme Court rulings on vouchers and how the government has very little say in the operation of private schools that accept voucher money. The courts have been clear in their recognition that parent directed funds are NOT the same thing as government funding.
Also, states are free to codify those restrictions in their own laws. For example here’s what Arizona’s law says on the matter in 15-2404: C. A qualified school shall not be required to alter its creed, practices, admissions policy or curriculum in order to accept students whose parents pay tuition or fees from an empowerment scholarship account pursuant to this chapter in order to participate as a qualified school.
Federal and state governments have many programs similar to vouchers for funding programs other than k-12. Examples include the GI Bill, Pell Grants, Food Stamps (SNAP) and some Pre-K programs. If someone uses a Pell Grant at Notre Dame it doesn’t grant the federal government authority as to what courses Notre Dame teaches. If a welfare recipient uses SNAP funds at Publix it doesn’t give the federal government authority over how Publix runs their business. I have yet to hear a peep how these individual directed funds are destroying these institutions and businesses. This hand wringing on the matter of vouchers “destroying” private schoos is bunk. It is disingenuous and ignores the legal precedents.
Facts matter.
You’re right on, Karen!