Vouchers 101
Privatization Writ Large
Tennessee's ESA Pilot
2025 ESA Bill
Public Education Facts
100
What is the name for a governmental subsidy of private education?
Voucher
100
When did the first voucher program start in America?
1869
100
When did Tennessee pass its ESA pilot program?
2019
100
What day was the current voucher bill filed?
Nov 6, 2024, the day after the presidential election
100
Where does the right to a public education come from?
Northwest Ordinance
State Constitutions
200
What is the type of voucher that directly pays for tuition?
Direct Tuition Voucher
200
What gave rise to the modern era of school vouchers?
Desegregation
200
Tell me one of the legal problems the ESA pilot bill has encountered.
* A lawsuit
* Legal questions for the former Speaker of the House who may have bribed legislators for votes
200
Who is eligible for a voucher under this bill?
Anyone making up to 3x the reduced lunch limit.
Anyone zoned to a public school in Tennessee.
200
What percent of Tennesseans send their children to public school?
90%
300
What do you call the scheme where individuals can make above-the-line tax-deductible donations to scholarship funds that fund private education?
Tax-Credit Scholarships
300
What do some people consider a "middle ground" privatization between public school and private schools?
Charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately run
300
Which counties were initially included in the pilot?
Shelby and Davidson
300
How much is this voucher worth?
About $7,000
300
How much money does Tennessee have in reserves?
$20 billion
400
What type of voucher allows parents to use public money on a list of approved educational expenses?
Educational Savings Accounts (ESA)
400
When Arizona implemented universal vouchers, what percentage of recipients had ever set foot in a public school?
29%
400
What does this chart tell us?
Currently, voucher schools are underperforming public schools.
400
How many vouchers will be available to begin with?
20,000
400
Where does Tennessee rank in school funding nationally?
According to NEA, 45th
500
When presented directly to voters, how many times have vouchers been approved?
Zero.
500
What happened when they tried vouchers in Washington DC?
A statistically significant decrease in math achievement
500
Who is eligible for vouchers under the current pilot?
People who are already attending public school in Shelby, Metro Nashville, or Hamilton
People who make up to 2x the free lunch limit
500
What did the legislature include in the bill to convince people to support vouchers?
* a one-time bonus for teachers
* funds for school facilities
500
When did the attack on public education begin in Tennessee?
2010