NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Legislators confirmed in the House Education K-12 Subcommittee hearing this week that, as introduced, money allocated for teacher raises will be used to fund components of the private school voucher bill. General Assembly leaders have explained their intent to take away teachers’ raises as an opportunity to offset health insurance costs for teachers.
“In an attempt to win support for a bad bill, the voucher expansion legislation has been packed with concepts to improve public education for which the Tennessee Education Association has advocated for many years,” said Knox County educator and Tennessee Education Association President Tanya T. Coats. “The acknowledgement in committee this week of legislators’ intent to take away teacher raises to pay for the enticements they’ve added to the voucher bill is one more attack on Tennessee’s hardworking, committed public school educators. The harm this voucher proposal would cause every district in the state cannot be offset by the other components included in the legislation.”
