Another win for AIM: Tennessee makes leap toward universal school choice
March 7, 2024
Accuracy in Media has proven that school choice is necessary in Tennessee. Our undercover investigation did show that school districts carried on teaching Critical Race Theory and Social and Emotional Learning even after the legislature said they couldn’t. Thus, the only way to get the schools obeying the law is to free them from the school districts – school choice.
This week, universal school choice—including out-of-district choices—passed the Senate Education Committee with only one vote against. Politics is a messy business, and there’s always the possibility of wrecking amendments and so on. But consider this: We have now advanced to the point that the debate is over what sort of school choice to have, not whether to have it.
At this stage, the perfect is the enemy of the good. More school choice is good, therefore let’s have more, even if the system doesn’t end up as perfectly desired.
As our investigations show, it is choice that improves schooling more generally. And as Thomas Sowell has proved at great length and in detail, it is the poor and minority students who benefit most.
School choice advanced in Tennessee in 2022, and is headed in the right direction to continue change. But fights against entrenched political interests can take both time and effort. The work is still not done in the Volunteer State. Yes, school choice was a significant matter in the gubernatorial election. But it’s still not done.
It’s near it, but not completed. The legislature is in the middle of considering varied versions. The House version differs from the Senate and so on – fairly normal at this stage. But the general move is to a significant expansion of school choice – something we pronounce to be good.