State Rep. Gino Barso (R-61st District) held his second town hall meeting in Franklin last Friday to discuss current state law. Although it wasn't as explosive as his rally in Brentwood in March, many voters asked tough questions about the Educational Freedom Scholarship (EFS) bill and other education issues facing the state.
Basho began the meeting with an explanation of several bills circulating in the nation's capital, including the Baby Olivia bill, which would add controversial videos to the state's family life curriculum, and Gov. Bill Lee's Education Freedom Scholarship bill. It started. Then things got interesting when Bulso took questions from the floor.
The audience jumped straight into tough questions, including how the House and Senate can reconcile the large differences in the EFS bill and how successful the pilot Education Savings Act (ESA) was in Davidson, Shelby, and Hamilton counties. I asked him if he was using it and what the problem was. The EFS bill is actually trying to solve that problem.
Bourso said that while the House and Senate versions of the bill are significantly different, lawmakers from both agencies are working together (sometimes behind closed doors) to find a way forward. Bruso said he disagrees with some parts of the Senate bill, but would not confirm whether they would prevent a vote on the final joint bill.
Citizens and officials who follow the EFS process know that pilot programs that have been in place for several years in Davidson, Shelby and Hamilton counties have not shown improvements in student test scores. Barso said he measures the success of these programs in two ways: parent satisfaction and academic improvement.
“When you look at the satisfaction levels of parents who participate in the ESA program, it's certainly an overwhelming success. 99 percent of parents are satisfied with the program,” Bruso said. “If you just look at the raw test scores, you'll say no, you're not successful.”
Questions posed at an event in Brentwood last month were repeated in Franklin. How can EFS help solve problems in public education?
The House bill now provides for increases in teacher pay and benefits beyond just the EFS program, which is a plus for many public education advocates, but some voters are concerned about state priorities. I have doubts about this.
“Frankly, the House bill is going to put honey in a lot of poo by giving raises to teachers and increasing health care benefits,” said Peggy Kingsbury from the audience. “If the state can afford that, why not do it now to help our teachers?”
Bruso recognized that this bill is not a one-size-fits-all solution to public education. Instead, he pointed to the education funding increases the state has passed in recent years and argued that the EFS bill is a starting point to help some families.
“This bill doesn't solve all the problems in the public school system,” he said. “This just gives some parents the opportunity to get the education their kids deserve, so I think it's still worth doing.”
Gary Humble, a Republican candidate for state Senate (District 27), asked what impact this bill could have on private education and the private sector in the long term.
“What makes a private school private is the fact that it's privately funded,” Humble said. “I think this law is going to legally fundamentally change the nature of what makes private schools private.”
Brousseau pointed to the HOPE Scholarship, which helps Tennessee students pay for tuition at in-state higher education institutions, and said the government already funds private education without undue regulation. insisted. Humble called this “apples and oranges.”
After an hour of questions, Mr. Bourso ended the meeting with his hands raised. Although most of the floor remained dissatisfied, representatives sought to reassure voters throughout the meeting that EFS was unlikely to have a significant impact on Williamson County. But no one knows what this bill will do or how it will affect public schools across the state.