To The Proponents Of Voucher Bill 1049 - And Response (2)

  • Monday, February 8, 2016

So you lucked out on two voucher opponents not being at the committee meeting.  Vouchers are a detriment to every school in Hamilton County and our great state, robbing the school systems of necessary dollars which are already underfunded thanks to lack of BEP funding. There are mandates coming down from the state that we cannot comply with because of that lack of state funding. Just look at TNReady, (my new name for it is NOT TNReady) our new test to replace TCAP.

We are not ready in Hamilton County, not due to any fault of our own, but  due to the issue of using iPads that has just come to our attention in several of our schools.  Now we are having to purchase paper tests for some of our schools. How does that leveI the playing/testing field? Kids using iPads and some having to keyboard?  Or actually script? 

I urge our representatives to not continue the quest to promote vouchers in Hamilton County schools and other districts in the great state of Tennessee.  This vote is a crucial "NO" and is on their shoulders, or all of our shoulders if we do not protest.  Are you willing to throw the entire state under the bus to experiment with an already unproven trial? I cannot believe that surrounding private schools in our area will not accept our dollars, but I feel pretty sure that probably they will be willing to accept them, at a costly expense to us.  Hamilton County and all of Tennessee.  I would venture to guess that the tuition of any area private schools hugely supersedes what these vouchers will provide and I don't foresee any private school accepting less than half of what their actual tuition is. 

I am appealing to your conscience.  Think about what vouchers will do to Hamilton County.  Hamilton County needs to step up and voice their opposition to HB1049 and they need to do it now.  These are our tax dollars that will be going to private schools. If folks had wanted that, then they probably would have sent their kids to a private school to begin with and possibly get a hardship due to their income. 

I sent this letter to each representative and only heard back from one.   

There is still a chance to voice your opinion about vouchers-Bill HB 1049. Please contact your representatives to vote no.

This bill will negatively affect Hamilton County Schools. This is a threat to public schools.This will be voted on Thursday morning.

Below is a list of our representatives:

Mike Carter District 29

rep.mike.carter@capitol.tn.gov

JoAnne Favors District 27

rep.joanne.favors@capitol.tn.gov

Marc Gravitt District 30

rep.marc.gravitt@capitol.tn.gov

Patsy Hazlewood District 27

rep.patsy.hazlewood@capitol.tn.gov

Gerald McCormick

rep.gerald.mccormick@capitol.tn.gov

Make your voice heard.

Donna Horn, School Board Representative District 7 

* * * 

Mrs. Horn and Mr. Exum, 

Can you please explain why you think school districts own the per pupil funding that follows students? Does it not make more sense that this money should be used at discretion of the parents? If they believe a private school is the best place for their student, they should be able to offset private school with the per pupil funding. 

The two of you have described a collectivist dream where the group is exalted above the individual. This is America, not China. Parents parent children, not school systems. My children are not the children of Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee, America, or Earth. They are my children and the money allotted for their education should be spent how I wish or no allotment should be made.

The natural progression of the arguments the two of you have made against the voucher bill indict all private school parents are enemies of public schools. If the schools systems don't want to lose students, quit making excuses and improve your schools.

Charles Scealf 

* * *

I guess a school is not competitive (i.e. gives a poor education), you would rather not give the children a chance to go somewhere better?  Who do you represent as a school board member? 

Robert Harvey
Chattanooga

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