Andy Spears of the Tennessee Education Report informs his readers that the state has a budget surplus in excess of $ 2 billion. It also has public schools that are perennially underfunded. How will the state spend the surplus?
He writes:
A state with one of the lowest investments in public education in the country now has a record budget surplus. This, of course, means Tennessee could make great strides in shoring up an education budget that can best be described as severely lacking without raising taxes one dime. In fact, investing in schools with new state money would also have the added benefit of keeping local property taxes low. It’s a policymaker’s dream.
That’s why Gov. Bill Lee has announced his definitive TISA plan – Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement.
Apparently, a key element of that plan was just announced today:
While we’re on the subject, let’s examine the reality of Lee’s TISA school funding plan:
A $500 million investment in a domed stadium in Nashville for the Tennessee Titans.
Sure, that really has nothing to do with student achievement or funding schools or anything at all related to education. It does, however, continue a trend of placing just about everything else above public schools when it comes to Lee’s priorities.
First, it does nothing to shore up the shortage of teachers needed to adequately support students now. That is, according to both TACIR and the Comptroller, Tennessee districts hire MORE teachers (11,000 more, to be exact) than the current formula funds. Guess what? TISA does nothing to change that. There is no indication that the weights will mean more teachers hired and supported by state funding.
Next, TISA does nothing to boost overall teacher pay. Sure, TISA “allows” lawmakers to earmark certain funds to give raises to “existing” teachers, but that doesn’t mean they will. Nor does it mean those raises will be significant. This year’s $125 million set aside for teacher compensation will mean what is effectively a 2-3% raise for most teachers. Based on current inflation rates and rising insurance premiums, this essentially amounts to a pay cut.
While the plan doesn’t address the shortage of teachers or teacher compensation or local costs for hiring/retaining teachers, it does raise local property taxes.
Open the link and read how Governor Lee will ingeniously raise property taxes, build a shiny new domed football stadium, and shortchange the school children of Tennessee. All while sitting on a huge surplus.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Should anyone be surprised. Tennessee is a very RED state.
Certainly not surprising, but next door to very red Tennessee is Kentucky, a deep red state that has not thrown open the doors to vouchers and charter schools. There are other red states protecting their public schools too, like Nebraska and the Dakotas. And the city with the most charter schools and the most per capita charter schools — blue Los Angeles. To me, what all that speaks to is the issue of where the attack on public school funding comes from.
It’s not coming from the voters. It’s coming from targeted investments by the Koch network and the privatization industry. I honestly would be no less surprised if deep blue San Francisco or NYC did what Governor Lee wants to do and turned their school funding into backpacks full of cash, then gave much of that cash away to the billionaire owners of the NFL Giants or 49ers. All it would take is a phone call from a super-yacht to make stupid happen.
If it’s anything like Utah, they will cut taxes instead a whole $9.00 a month per family and $40 million taken from schools, but now politicians can say they, “cut taxes.”
Tennessee is arguably the most beautiful place in America. From the quiet beauty of the ancient Appalachian mountains that define about half the state to the Mississippi in the west, this is a great state. Not too cold, not too hot. This time of year, spring wildflowers abound. Migration is underway as birds head for northern breeding grounds and summer residents return.
But every year almost 30,000 people are added to the Nashville area. American slash and burn urbanization is taking my state. And it not only leaves the flowers dug up and paved over, it ignores the children as well.
And Lee fiddles with his bank account while Rome burns. Davy Crockett famously left Tennessee with the statement: “you all can go to hell! I’m going to Texas!”
Roy, please don’t go to Texas. It’s worse off than Tennessee.
The prior post tells us where some of those monies are going to end up: “Far-Right Hillsdale College Runs a Charter Chain, Which Tennessee Governor Wants to Expand”.