Roy Exum
I believe that from every point on my moral compass the state’s hijacking of five public schools in Hamilton County is wrong. I also believe I can argue with success from any direction on my compass against any of the proposals or terms that Commissioner Candice McQueen just threatened to impose on the county’s Department of Education. But today let’s go to ‘True North’ on my compass because sudden revelations appear to doom and destroy any plans for a “partnership.” While I believe it would be catastrophic, I now do not believe it will ever happen.
On our close horizon we find the Washington Post has just ‘leaked’ the proposed budget for Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos to present on behalf of the federal government for education. If approved, the entire face of public education will change immensely and, to give you a quick start, please know $1 billion (with a ‘b’) will be cut from the country’s Title 1 schools. In Hamilton County there are 44 Title 1 schools among our 76 total. Can you smell any smoke?
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will heavily support charter schools, vouchers to private and religious schools, and total “free choice” to every child in a public school. Further, the proposed budget cuts in half money for federal work study programs, takes $100 million away from adult basic literacy and slashes grants focused on career and technical programs.
Overall there will be cuts of $9.2 billion (with a ‘b’) in federal spending for education. If this budget comes to fruition, any five-year, contractual “partnership” with the state of Tennessee could literally sink the entire Hamilton County Department of Education. Here’s how: Under DeVos, the USDOE will funnel $500 million to charter schools and $250 million to “Education Innovation and Research Grants,” which boiled down means “vouchers” to Christian and private schools.
The $1 billion (with a ‘b’) in Title 1 funds – intended for poor children exactly like those who attend our five hijacked schools – will be gone. Really! Without Title 1 support, the “partnership” cannot be sustainable. If the School Board were to sign any partnership agreement, I believe Hamilton County would appear to be financially culpable and that is plain idiocy. Trust me, in coming weeks and months there will be more enough else to worry about.
Budget documents leaked in Washington affirm the administration would take the $1 billion in Title I dollars -- meant for low-income children -- and use it elsewhere. Under the proposed budget, it will be funneled to a new grant program called FOCUS (Furthering Options for Children to Unlock Success).
The FOCUS money will “focus” completely – read this slowly -- on school districts which “agree” (key word) to give students a choice of which public school to attend. There’s more: Every student will take their federal, state and local government education dollars with them. How you like them apples?
No, I have no idea how this new budget and its proposals will ultimately work but of this I am certain: Knowing what is True North and the stormy seas to come, we can ill afford to play any more footsie with McQueen. And, personally, I believe the somewhat-shocking budget revelations may be a sign from heaven – this “partnership” thing is so wrong I’m giving praise for divine intervention.
There is absolutely no way, in my opinion, any school district in all the state can enter into a five-year arrangement with the state of Tennessee due to such heavy and dramatic uncertainty. Now the options have really changed. We either get a federal judge to put a hold on this madness until the coming storm has passed and all parties know the future of education under Trump and DeVos. Or – if helplessly stymied – there is now no other choice but to tell the state of Tennessee to let the accursed Achievement District Schools (ADS) take our five inner-city schools lock, stock, and barrel.
This way we can watch Candice implode when the new federal budget becomes final and get our 2,600 children back. Yes, public education, faced with 13.6 percent less than Congress approved for education this year—will change but Hamilton County cannot, in any form, accept a burden like Commissioner McQueen demanded last week. Would you?
Also, understand this: with free choice, the state’s ASD will be forced to “accept” the same conditions as public schools across the state. Charter schools and vouchers will become the new standard.
Already there is intense opposition for the DeVos budget but there is also the belief that public education is in dire need of an overhaul. While I have no way to predict the final outcome of the proposed budget, I believe the Hamilton County School Board should send both McQuen and Governor Bill Haslam a copy of the Washington Post article and a carefully-written letter containing just these four words:
“Are you kidding me!!”
Royexum@aol.com