#1 choice

In a brand new study just released this month, parents responded that their top choices for reforming their children's schools would be:
 
#1 choice:  Smaller class sizes
#2 choice:  Increasing technology in schools

Tennessee Parents know that data from this study will likely be "cherry-picked" to show support of reform, but if you notice the suspicious way the questions are worded and you research the organization that produced this study (Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice), you'll see that this study and paper were produced to further that organization's agenda to increase vouchers & charter schools.  (Those are 2 things that Tennessee parents do not want).

It is VERY TELLING that, even despite wording questions to get favorable results, they couldn't make charters or vouchers be the #1, #2, or even #3 choice from the people they surveyed!  How embarrassing for the Friedman Foundation!  Their own study and report didn't support their agenda.

Their report even has several pages on how to best phrase questions to get "favorable" results.  Don't believe us?  Read it for yourself.  Click HERE to see the report on SCHOOL CHOICE SIGNALS: Research Review and Survey Experiments by Dick M. Carpenter II, PH.D. January 2014
 

What Tennessee parents want:

• PUBLIC SCHOOLS: We want quality, adequately-funded neighborhood public schools with smaller, manageable class sizes.
   
• EQUALITY FOR ALL STUDENTS: We want every child, rich or poor, to attend quality neighborhood schools with real teachers, small class sizes, strong curriculum, great music opportunities, rich art programs, sports, support services, and safe buildings.

• LOCAL CONTROL:  We want to elect our local school boards to represent our public schools, and we want our local school boards to have control 
      ...not the TN Department of Education,
      ...not the Federal Department of Education,
      ...and not charter school owners.
   
• AN ELECTED COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION AND ELECTED TN BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS:  To be held accountable to the people they serve, and not to please the person who appointed them.

Tennessee Parents do NOT want:

• CHARTER SCHOOLS: We do not want our tax dollars given to educational entrepreneurs to gamble with our children's educations either through charter schools or virtual schools.  We want to continue to elect our school boards to represent our communities. 
• VOUCHERS:  TN parents are smart enough to realize that the quality private schools will not accept vouchers, and that the mediocre and poor private schools will grow in number but continue to produce mediocre or poor results for students.  This is what has happened in every city and state that allows vouchers.  It will happen in TN if vouchers pass.
• COMMON CORE:  The joint Resolution affirming TN's academic sovereignty is worthless.  If legislators were serious, it would be in the form of a Bill.  Stop blaming the curriculum, a botched implementation, and the Governor... get Common Core out of our State.