Roy Exum: Vote ‘No’ On Vouchers

  • Sunday, February 7, 2016
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

I fully believe that public education in Hamilton County is the single most important opportunity that challenges us today. Over the weekend the new website for the ‘Chattanooga 2.0’ initiative went up and every parent who has a child in our public system should make it “required reading.” You can find it at www.chatt2.org. Please sign up for updates because a lot of us need to get involved if, indeed, we want to get from ‘worst’ to ‘first’ in the state.

What’s more important today is that the biggest threat to public education has once again wormed its way into the Tennessee legislature. Vouchers, if approved by our state representatives, will cut $130 million out of our public education budgets and this must not be allowed to happen. A voucher enables a child at a poorly-performing school to go to a private school and we, the taxpayers, foot the bill. It is absolutely nuts.

This Tuesday at the state capitol, the Ways & Means committee of the legislature will vote on whether to allow “the rich get richer, the poor get poorer” scam into Tennessee when it has caused heartache in every other state it has been tried. Not only does it not work, but private schools are exempt from any state oversight. Imagine the cherry-picking of potential athletes by the private schools with public school dollars paying the way. It is patently absurd.

My two children went to private schools and, because of their mother, excelled mightily. But I went to three private schools in my teenaged years, and I hated every minute at each of them. That’s why I worked so hard, and successfully I might add, to get kicked out of all three. That’s right, you can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear.

The biggest reason we must never let private schools scrape “easy money” at public school’s expense is because – read this real slowly – the 44,000 children now in Hamilton County public schools are the backbone of our future. The private schools should never get taxpayer money when some of our public schools struggle to find money for paper … yes, toilet paper at that. 

The three Hamilton County representatives seem to be split. Mike Carter (615/741-3025) can see the damage vouchers will do and has consistently voted against them. Gerald McCormick (615/741-2548), who was once solidly against vouchers, is now leaning towards the dark side and – unbelievably – Patsy Hazlewood (615/741-2746) has actually voted for vouchers in the past, much to the chagrin of Signal Mountain’s stellar public education community.

If Patsy votes for vouchers, I just may run against her in the next election out of spite and spite alone.

I think I could get enough votes over a pro-voucher dummy where we’d split the conservative side and then both lose to some flaming liberal. The result? Everybody on Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain and points between would suffer for the next two years. And – get this -- it would all be Patsy’s fault! How on earth could she ever endure such pain and sorrow for 24 long months?

And what’s up with Cleveland’s Kevin Brooks? With the just-ousted head of the public school in Bradley County shaming the city, why would Rep. Brooks (615/741-1350) slight his name and ride the voucher band-wagon? He shouldn’t treat Cleveland’s public schools like this. Have some pride, man!

Here’s what public-school activists need to do. Call Nashville – you’ve got the phone numbers – and be mindful that Mike, Gerald and Patsy are up for re-election this August if they decide to run.

Remind them that public education in Tennessee has never been as critical and, in Hamilton County, there is a great fear our public education structure can no longer meet the requirements of the technical skills needed in our evolving workplace. How could any legislator with a conscience take vital dollars away so some poor child can go to a private school at taxpayer expense?

Then remind each that when they took the oath of office, each pledged:

“I (name) do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as a member of this General Assembly, I will, in all appointments, vote without favor, affection, partiality, or prejudice; and that I will not propose or assent to any bill, vote or resolution, which shall appear to me injurious to the people, or consent to any act or thing, whatever, that shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and privileges, as declared by the Constitution of this state.”

I believe that to divert a dime of public-school money is most definitely “injurious” to the 44,000 children our public schools must educate and – if you’ll read “the fine print” in the material the pro-voucher crowd is trying to spill “without favor, affection, partiality and prejudice” is pretty much off the table as well.

The voucher game in a nutshell: follow the money – where is it going and where does it come from?

royexum@aol.com


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