Teachers and advocates scrutinize Tennessee’s new formula for funding public education

The Tennessee Department of Education is still working on a new funding formula to distribute money to public schools and took feedback in person Thursday at a special hearing.

Lenaye Pearson teaches English to non-native speakers in Cheatham County and notices, under the current proposal, more money goes to English learners in elementary school. She says in her experience, English learners who don’t arrive until middle school need much more help.

“All the children are precious,” she says. “But, I just know, realistically speaking, you get a fifth grader in there, and they know no English, plus they’re having to learn all the content in public education; that needs the greatest funding.”

Blake Farmer WPLN News

Lenaye Pearson, who teaches English learners in Cheatham County, traveled to Thursday’s hearing to highlight her concerns about EL funding going more to elementary students rather than newcomers who start school in upper grades.

The new funding formula, known as the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement, is meant to follow students rather than primarily fund the needs of school districts. The additional money for an English learner ranges from $1,000 to $10,000.

More: TISA — What’s in and out of Tennessee’s new education funding formula

The state legislature approved the funding formula to replace the Basic Education Program, known as BEP, earlier this year. Now, the Department of Education has to work out all the details before the formula takes effect in the 2023 school year.

Education advocates who spoke at the hearing and rallied outside say the new funding formula misses the mark entirely. Several say the formula rearranges money rather than making needed investments to improve public education.

“What they’re doing with TISA is they’re playing these money games,” says Frank Johnson, a former teacher from Memphis and organizer with Tennessee For All. “Just fund the schools the way that they need to be funded. Even though TISA is going to increase funding, it’s still not enough.”

Gov. Bill Lee committed an additional billion dollars for education along with this funding formula. However, Johnson says, too much money is flowing to privately-run charter schools and a new voucher program that could be supporting public education.

The department has published explainer information and is taking feedback online through Tuesday, August 2 at [email protected].