Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said on Monday that the controversial removal of the former director of Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) serves as another reason for Tennessee parents to support the Education Freedom Act, the plan by Governor Bill Lee and Republican leadership in the General Assembly to scholarships that help families pay for private education.
The plan is under consideration by lawmakers this week during a special legislative session called by the governor.
Sexton confirmed during an appearance on KWAM’s “Wake up Memphis” that lawmakers are likely to pass legislation to empower Tennessee to take control over the school system following the vote to fire superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins by the MSCS Board of Education.
Six of the board’s eight members voted to fire the superintendent amid claims that Feagins misrepresented overtime fees and failed to disclose receipt of a donation, among other alleged offenses, despite the support of parents who spoke on her behalf.
“It is very likely that legislation will be filed that will null and void the school board,” Sexton said on Monday. “The state will take over the school system, the state will put in place a different board, made up of various individuals in Shelby County, who will oversee the schools and be able to make the changes that are necessary, or hire a new director if necessary, to get the schools back under control.”
He described Feagins as the first in a series of superintendents who unified parents, teachers, and students and said her dismissal should motivate Tennesseans to support choice in education.
“You need to get out and say, ‘Look, if this happens, we have a great leader, and six people decide to kick what we think is a great leader out. What other options do you have?’”
Sexton offered, “that’s the whole point of having choice. That’s the whole point of having public charter schools. And so look at what you have. And if you’re a parent, would you not like to have the $7,000 to take your kid and say, ‘I’m done with this school system, I’m going to go somewhere else?’”
He later told the outlet that the best way for parents to send a message to school boards is to demonstrate that families are willing to make such a change.
“You get their attention when they think that you have options or an opportunity to go somewhere else,” said Sexton. “Right now, they’re not listening to you because they don’t think that there’s other options for you to go to in Shelby County. They can deny charter schools, they want to deny school choice.”
The Education Freedom Act would initially create 20,000 scholarships, worth about $7,000 each, to offset the cost of private education for Tennessee families in its first year, with 10,000 of the reserved for students whose families earn 300 percent of the amount required for families to receive a free or reduced-price lunch or those with disabilities. The other 10,000 scholarships will be available to any student eligible to attend a public school in Tennessee.
While some have claimed the plan will drain money from public schools, the legislation is designed to prohibit funding allocation to schools from decreasing due to a loss of students who receive the scholarships, even if the students continue to use scholarships to attend private school for multiple years.
Universal school choice was made part of the Republican Party’s platform in 2024, and the America First Policy Institute endorsed the Education Freedom Act on Monday.