Today’s politics are so often divided into two camps: you’re either with us or against us. That make sense when it comes to national defense, but not our children. We must do better for Tennessee families.
The recent debate around school choice, particularly education freedom accounts, divided Tennesseans into two camps: you’re either for public schools or against them.
I firmly reject that premise.
My children attend public school
I have the honor of serving as the chair of the Knox County Schools Board of Education, but more importantly, I have the privilege of being a mom. I have seen firsthand how children can grow and thrive when they have the opportunity for a great education. I have witnessed outstanding public educators spending hour upon hour serving our students. I believe in our public school system – that’s why my husband and I have chosen to send our children to our local public school.
I also believe in school choice.
I believe parents should be empowered to make decisions that are right for their child’s education – particularly if they lack the resources to pay for a different school.Despite what the loudest voices will tell you, those two beliefs are not in conflict. Instead, those beliefs center on one thing: what is best for the child.
Education is about building a future where every child has the opportunity to succeed. School choice can open doors of possibility for students where none exist.
The General Assembly's failure to implement a statewide school choice initiative was disappointing to many Tennesseans. Our children are only young once and they don’t have time to wait.
Parents should have flexibility to make choices for their children
To truly understand the impact of this decision, we need to consider the benefits true school choice would have brought to families across our state. Imagine a mother of a child with dyslexia struggling to find a school that meets her child's needs. Or a low-income family, whose child has been bullied, seeking a different educational environment. Or a single mom who can’t afford to move but knows the zoned school for her child is not right for them. For the first time in Tennessee, these parents would have had the means to make real choices for their children.
Families across Tennessee have this kind of flexibility, but only parents who can afford it. Education should be the great equalizer that allows every child the chance to succeed no matter their background or family’s income. We need to ensure that we empower every parent, regardless of income or ZIP code, with the education choices the parents with means have today.
We’ve all heard the opponents of school choice claim that it would drain our public schools of much-needed resources. Nothing could be further from the truth. In Knox County, our budget has increased by 35% in the past five years, and that does not include federal pandemic relief measures of more than $150 million. These increases in funding have occurred while student population has actually decreased.
I have consistently voted to increase teacher pay, improve security and increase funding for high-quality instruction because I firmly believe that improving our public schools and education as a whole is essential.
The funding argument that we can’t do both is a straw man for inaction to support a system rather than a child. The result is locking these families into a one-size-fits-all environment. God made every child unique, with distinct learning styles and needs. We must support them as individuals.
The legislature should not allow one more year to pass before giving every family the freedom to choose. Our children don’t have the luxury of time.
Betsy Henderson is the chair of the Knox County Board of Education and mom of two public school students.
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