presstalk
865-671-TALK (8255) or editor@farragutpress.com
• Thank you to all of our state legislators who voted against the Universal Voucher Bill. The Letter to the Editor published in the Jan. 29 farragutpress is misleading and an error in writing that a benefit of school vouchers, presented as school choice, will help children with unique needs, citing a child with dyslexia, as well as helping low-income families.
While the private schools are subject to federal disability protections, they are not required to provide things like individual education programs, which help accommodate specialized learning needs, nor do they have to admit any student with disabilities.
Public schools are required to accept everyone. As for helping low-income families, the vast majority of beneficiaries are families that can already afford to put their children in private schools. The Voucher Bill siphons funds intended for public education to underwrite these costs. Half of the 20,000 vouchers can go to anyone no matter what their income level. In reality, considering all the expenses to go with those of private education, many students from lower income families will not be able to afford a year’s worth of education in private schools.
In addition, by providing a floor for public schools, Tennessee taxpayers are paying not only the $7,000 for the voucher, but an additional $7,000 to the public schools where the student no longer attends.
The fiscal warning bells have been rung and they are simply being ignored. Those of us that are against the Voucher Bill are not, as the writer states, bending to the pressure of self-preservationists, protecting institutions rather than serving our children.
We are not confused about our values. For all the genuine concerns about the quality of education in the United States, providing the giveaway to the most advantaged among us is not school choice — it is preferential placement.
• It looks like the Biddle Farm development is not really progressing. There are so many vacant buildings there. The apartments are not finished — they were supposed to be finished months ago. My questions is: what is going on with Biddle Farm? Does the developer have financial problems? What’s the deal? The whole thing looks strange; kind of abandoned, almost.
