The executive director of Tennessee’s Public Charter Schools Commission has recommended against two new charter schools, after last month battling to stop a charter school from opening in Rutherford County and another from opening in Williamson County.
Tess Stovall reportedly agreed with the Memphis-Shelby County School Boards’ unanimous votes – one in April and another in July – and recommended against the opening of Binghampton Community School and Tennessee Volunteer Military Academy.
The former school would have served about 360 students, while the latter would have served about 800.
The final decision on whether the schools will be opened will be made via a vote by the nine-member state Charter Schools Commission, comprised of appointees by Governor Bill Lee (R), who bills himself as pro-school choice.
But Stovall appears to be opposed to the governor, despite her appointment.
Aside from her recent votes, she has a history of left-wing activism. Democrats do not typically favor school choice.
Before her appointment by Lee, she worked for a left-wing nonprofit and for a Democrat congressman.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she used to work as the deputy director of Economic Programs at Third Way, a Washington, D.C. think tank that describes itself as:
Third Way is a national think tank that champions modern center-left ideas. Our work is grounded in the mainstream American values of opportunity, freedom, and security.
But we identify as center-left, because we see that space in U.S. politics as offering the only real path for advancing those ideals in the century ahead.
Our agenda is ambitious, aspirational, and actionable. It is built on the bedrock belief that for political movements to succeed in our political system, they must relentlessly re-imagine their policies, strategies, and coalitions.
We are fighting for opportunity, so everyone has the chance to earn a good life; progress on social issues, so all have the freedom to live the lives they choose; and security, so we are protected from 21st century global threats.
Before working at Third Way, she worked for Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN-05), according to the notoriously left-wing congressman’s financial disclosures.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Tess Stovall” by Tennessee Public Charter School Commission and “Memphis-Shelby County School Board Meeting” is by Shelby County Schools.
Another wildly liberal Little Billy Lee appointee opposes education upgrades for Tennessee children. Is anyone surprised?! Lee really messed his nest with his education appointments. And we are going to suffer through another 4 years of his liberal agenda.
Good! We don’t need any more charter schools. They are a racket! Save our public schools, They enabled our nation to prosper during the 19th and much of the 20th century. The public schools can save us again if we invest in them..
We are no longer in the 19th or 20th century. The public schools of the 21st century are no more than indoctrination camps for socialist organizations.
Typical appointment by split tongue Lee, what he says vs what he does.
Penny Schwinn appt should have alerted us all, a separate layer of (unelected) union bureaucracy protects Lee & Schwinn.
Why are these decisions not made at the local school board level?
Starting to feel like a lawsuit is coming
VOTE
FOR
JOHN
GENTRY
He appointed her so she could be the “bad guy” in the hope that he wouldn’t be such a blatantly obvious RINO – you underestimated the intelligence of your constituents, Bill. You got away with it once , and unfortunately it got you elected, but hopefully, not a second time.
All Governor Lee does is appoint leftists. We need a MAGA Governor.
Pitiful appointment by the Governor. Not surprised.
Democrat Pary/Leftists are funded by teachers unions. Of course she’ll follow orders and prevent non-union teachers from skimming away students. Charter schools actually educate the children, and thus put public school teachers in a bad light.
If you actually educate people and not indoctrinate, they are likely to see through your filthy evil schemes. Public Education is broken. The people responsible for fixing it lack the intestinal fortitude for doing so. Having been trained by a failed system to fear the government or the DOJ and simply stand there with your hand out and hope for free stuff while they line their pockets.. The Governor can always remove her.
The Governor “should” remove her.