While Brandon Putabrese repeatedly states that Tennessee ranks 45th in the nation on education spending, he never says where Tennessee ranks compared to its neighboring states or others in the region, a much fairer comparison. More importantly, he neglects to mention that, adjusted for inflation, per pupil K-12 education spending in Tennessee more than doubled from 1992 to 2020. (A Short History of K-12 Education Funding in Tennessee - The Sycamore Institute)
So, I have three questions for the press secretary of our state senate's democratic caucus.
First, has this dramatic increase in spending resulted in a dramatic improvement in educational outcomes?
Second, just how much should we be spending on education, especially since K-12 education is already the single biggest line item in the state budget at roughly 30 percent of state spending?
Third, where should that extra money come from?
If you are going to criticize Tennessee's current taxation and spending regimen, you should propose a specific alternative. And by the way, cutting taxes is not a "giveaway." It is letting people and businesses keep more of their own money - money they earned.
Andy Walker, MD