- Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative.
After months of political maneuvering and certainty before Congress by Gov. Bill Lee and many of his fellow Republicans, Lee's controversial voucher bill that would have expanded Tennessee's current education savings plan has gone down the drain. .
A statewide community empowerment organization that organizes public education campaigns claimed the voucher bill's failure was “a victory for all of Tennessee.”
It was certainly a win for families satisfied with the zoned schools their children attend in Williamson County, Lipscomb Elementary School and Ravenwood High School.
But there are other Tennesseans in other districts whose situation won't change with this “win.” They were already on the losing side of Tennessee's public schools, and if history is any guide, that's where they'll stay.
Of course the Nashville school board is going to defend MNPS.
In her memoir, “The Girl Who Can't Read Writes a Book and Brings Shoney's to its knees,” Kristin Williams writes that she grew up in Nashville during the desegregation era and was one of the first black students to attend a certain neighborhood. It describes what happened. white school She remembers being in her classroom with a teacher who didn't want her there. Her teacher instructed her to do chores in her classroom instead of teaching her girlfriend. While the rest of the class worked on math problems, Williams was given a snack and a coloring book.
Metro schools have seen many changes since the 1960s, but white children are now in the minority and are less likely to deliberately refuse to educate students in class, but other That hasn't changed. Frustrated that he never learned the basic reading skills that would help him succeed as an adult, Williams dropped out of school at age 15. Tens of thousands of MNPS students are also struggling right now.
Dr. Sharon Gentry is the outgoing Metro Nashville Public Schools Trustee representing District 1. In a guest opinion column for Tennesseans, she responded to my recent column about the 1st District and its status as one of her worst-performing districts in Nashville. I believe that any effort to improve public education in Tennessee should begin with MNPS District 1 and other districts like it. They should also be the barometer of our success. weak link; weak chain.
As the representative of MNPS, it is Gentry's job to communicate that MNPS is not as bad as it seems, and in that regard, Gentry has done an amazing job. In her writing, she said there are signs of improvement and that parents need to remain patient as administrators continue to make major hires and investments while ensuring they “know every child's name.” It's reminding us of something.
Counterpoint:Gov. Bill Lee wanted it, but ordinary Tennesseans didn't. School voucher failed.It's time to move on
Tayla King's story of her struggles at school shouldn't be ignored.
Much of what Gentry wrote was predictable. After all, this is a remix of the same song his MNPS leaders have been singing for decades. That being said, I did not expect her to object to my choice to feature the story of Tayla King, who graduated from White's Creek High School despite being unable to read. .
Teaira King is a past and current customer of MNPS. Her experience is especially alarming as she witnesses her second-grade daughter encountering the same obstacles that King once faced. Nevertheless, Gentry criticized my focus on “the negative experiences of students who graduated nearly 20 years ago” and dismissed King as some kind of anomaly. did.
Never mind that current district-wide data reveals that only 27% of MNPS students are reading at or above grade level. Never mind that these statistics are not unusual either.
Gentry felt it was too much to go back 20 years. So what do you think? The average reading proficiency rate of his MNPS students from 2011 to 2019 was 35%. For Black and Hispanic students, who were and still are the majority of the student population, the reading proficiency rate was even worse, at a dismal and familiar 27%.
With nearly three out of four children in our school district unable to read at grade level, change is needed.
I suspect it was meant as an insult, but Gentry calmly read my column on the subject and said I was pro-voucher. She missed the whole point of my article. That means I'm a pro when it comes to Tennessee's most disadvantaged and marginalized children. change.i am a professional solution.i am a professional peace of mind and professional opportunity.
If you celebrated Lee's defeat, fight harder for black and brown children.
I think that's perfectly fine if, for some families, that change comes from taking their children out of public school and sending them to a school that will educate them on state-allocated education dollars. . And I refuse to apologize for that. It is a refusal to tolerate those who confidently tout a victory for “all Tennesseans” without considering those who have been on the losing side of public education for generations. It's the same.
That being said, I know and have said that private schools are far from perfect, no matter who pays for the tuition. At the same time, not everyone can homeschool. And the failure of this year's bill to increase the current education savings account program has rendered the voucher debate largely, if temporarily, irrelevant.
Before Jackie RobinsonA baseball icon, he was also an elite multi-sport athlete.
So that's all I want to ask. Now that public school advocates have secured a (temporary) victory over Lee's voucher bill, it is important to note that in predominantly white rural areas and wealthy suburbs where established PTOs and powerful fund-raisers are readily available, I am speaking out on behalf of the students at my school. We hope to see similar energy for Black and brown children in MNPS and elsewhere in the state to fill funding gaps.
I am the same person who posted signs and angry posts on social media to ensure that all black and brown children in this state receive the same level of public education as their more affluent white peers. We hope that concerned citizens will fight, scream, and show up to Congress. Friends.
I want the parents of these children to be able to send their babies to school and go to work, so that their children can go to college, start careers, and otherwise be productive and prosperous. We are confident that you will graduate with all the tools and skills you need to succeed. society.
Seventy years after Brown v. Board of Regents, I am hopeful that we can finally achieve equality in public education and a real victory for everyone.
Andrea Williams is an opinion columnist for The Tennessean and curator of the Black Tennessee Voices initiative. She has an extensive background covering country, her music, sports, race, and society. Email adwilliams@tennessean.com or follow us on X (formerly Twitter). @AndreaWillWrite.