Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, is developing a proposal to reject $1.8 billion in federal education funding. The U.S. Department of Education and a local schools advocate are raising concerns.
The high-profile Republican said this is about ending federal overreach into education.
“It would allow us to create an education system that fits the Tennessee model and allow teachers to teach without the federal government trying to tell us what to do.”
But Gini Pupo-Walker, executive director of the Education Trust in Tennessee, said most requirements placed on school teachers come from the state.
“I would really encourage Speaker Sexton and other folks that are exploring this idea to enumerate: What are the things that teachers are forced to say and do and teach by the federal government?”
Sexton did point to the state’s standardized test, TCAP, as an example of a federal requirement. He floated the idea of coming up with an alternative assessment for Tennessee students instead of TCAP.
Pupo-Walker says even if the state stopped accepting federal money, it would still have to comply with certain federal laws, like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
The money Tennessee would pass up under this proposal flows to programs that serve a lot of low-income and disabled students. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Education said the move would be “detrimental” to students and education systems.
“This political posturing will impede the basic education of young people throughout the entire K-12 school system,” the department said, “and limit opportunities — particularly for students most in need…”
Sexton said Tennessee could make up for the funding on its own, pointing to expanded education spending in Gov. Bill Lee’s latest budget proposal. But on the whole, the governor wants to downsize the state’s budget by about $500 million this year. And there are concerns about a potential recession on the horizon.
Pupo-Walker also shared serious doubts about whether the plan would be economically feasible.
“I just have to wonder if they’re going to find nearly $2 billion — additional dollars — per year for eduction,” Pupo-Walker said. “And is that really what we think is best? Is that the most prudent fiscal move for Tennessee to make at this time?”
She says she’ll be waiting to hear what state lawmakers in budget and finance committees have to say about the proposal. That is, when the bill is made public.
A spokesperson for Sexton said the bill will be filed as H.B. 1249. He said it is currently a caption bill and that language is still being finalized.
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