Even if school voucher legislation is passed in Tennessee, many families may find that their kids can’t actually take advantage of the program because, quite simply, few private schools will accept vouchers.  So says Claire Smrekar from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College on Nashville Public Radio.

The pro voucher narrative goes like this, says Smrekar.  Currently 20,000 open private school seats exist, meaning that almost everyone could take advantage of this program.

Here’s the problem: in Memphis and Nashville, where the vast majority of vouchers would be given out, very view private schools have expressed a willingness to take vouchers.  In Memphis, she says that only the Catholic Diocese have confirmed they would accept vouchers and would only offer 400-500 seats.

So what happens?  Well, we promised school choice through vouchers and we’ve created the demand, so naturally public officials will end up creating the supply.  We’ll end up creating private schools with the sole purpose of serving voucher students.  But these schools won’t be as accountable to the public and won’t be governed by the same rules as traditional public schools or charters.

If you want an example of how this scenario can turn into a nightmare for families and public officials alike, check out this story of a voucher school called LifeSkills that closed down mid year in Milwaukee, taking over $200,000 in tax payer money that could not be recouped by the district.

Additionally, we already have a similar program to this in Tennessee with a proven track record of success.  They’re called charter schools, and its where our elected officials should be putting their money if we’re truly committed to school choice.  Lets put our time and energy towards strengthening our existing charter school network and culling those that aren’t truly improving student outcomes, not towards a program with a track record of almost universal mediocrity when it comes to student outcomes.

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