In a significant development in Tennessee's education sector, Governor Bill Lee has announced the state's participation in what he terms as a "revolution in America right now around school choice."

This comes as a $400 million bill aimed at revamping public school achievement testing and implementing universal school choice progresses in the state legislature.

Governor Lee, who is also serving as the president of the Republican Governors Association this term, believes that the issue of school choice is resonating on a national scale, extending beyond Tennessee, particularly during the 2024 presidential election year.

In an interview with Fox News Digital, Governor Lee expressed that school choice, in his view, is fundamentally about freedom. He highlighted how parents, irrespective of their political leanings, hold strong opinions about various aspects of their children's education, including COVID-19 vaccines, books in public school libraries, and classroom instruction.

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"The only way to resolve those differences are [is] to give parents the choice so that they're not resolved to live with whatever, you know, some teacher or some classroom or some library or some educational school district believes that they ought to be," Lee stated. He further emphasized that education is a top priority for most Americans, not just elected officials.

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Governor Lee dismissed the notion that the choice is between school choice and public schools. He affirmed Tennessee's strong commitment to improving its public school system, which will continue to educate the majority of the state's children, even after the proposed legislation is enacted.

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He also addressed criticism that the proposal would divert resources from Tennessee's underfunded public schools. "We need to have the best public school systems. They need to be funded well. They need to be innovative and creative and part of the part of the legislation," he said.

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Governor Lee has noticed an increased understanding among conservatives and Americans in general that parents should have the ability to influence their children’s education. He attributed this shift to the pandemic, which exposed parents to the gender and racial ideologies included in public school curricula during remote learning.

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The governor is hopeful that the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, which he believes embodies the principles of freedom in education, opportunity, and security, will be passed in Tennessee in the coming weeks.

Despite objections from state Democrats, the framework of Governor Lee's proposal, encapsulated in House Bill 1183, has advanced through the state House Government Operations Committee and has been recommended to proceed to the state House Finance Subcommittee. With a Republican super majority in both the Tennessee House and Senate, Governor Lee anticipates a version of the legislation to pass once the final provisions are agreed upon between the chambers.

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The current version of the bill in the House proposes several changes, including an increase in payment for teacher health insurance from 45% to 60%, a $75-per-student infrastructure payment towards school facilities and maintenance, and increased state funding for students in small and sparsely populated school districts. It also proposes less frequent teacher and principal evaluations and state-mandated student testing.

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The corresponding version of the legislation in the state Senate, SB 0503, is estimated to cost about $250 million less than the House bill. However, it primarily focuses on creating the governor's Education Freedom Scholarship program and opening inter-county school enrollment, excluding the House bill’s provisions on teacher health insurance, evaluations, and changes to testing requirements.

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Governor Lee noted that school choice initiatives have been passed in several states, including Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, and are gaining momentum in Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia. He also mentioned that Florida and Indiana have multiple stages of school choice.

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In states like Texas, opposition to school choice has cost candidates elections, according to Lee. He acknowledged Tennessee's rapidly growing population and top-performing economy, stating that the influx of families is influencing the school choice debate.

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"We need to give parents more choices. And when we do, children are going to have much more options to be successful. And at the end of the day, that's what this is all about," Lee said.

Governor Lee first proposed school choice legislation five years ago during his first legislative session. The legislation passed narrowly for a few of the state’s largest counties, and he has been working to expand it since.

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In the wake of the tragic shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville on March 27, 2023, which claimed the lives of three children and three adults, Lee said that although the current legislation does not focus on the issue, Tennessee has become acutely aware of the importance of providing security for schools.

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"And I suspect public safety, and especially around kids in schools, that conversation should and will never stop in the state," he added.

Despite the progress, the proposed legislation has faced criticism. Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, has taken issue with a provision in the House’s version of the governor’s school choice proposal that would exclude non-U.S. citizens from the Education Freedom Scholarships voucher program. However, Rep. Scott Cepicky R-Culleoka, said the bill would allow any student regardless of immigration status to enroll in any public school, but lawmakers can still set limiting factors on who can receive a "public benefit," such as Lee’s voucher program.

As the debate continues, Governor Lee remains committed to expanding school choice in Tennessee, believing it to be a crucial issue for his constituents and a practical solution to improving education outcomes in the state.