In Tennessee, Advocates of School Privatization Spend Heavily on Elections
More than $1 million spent to shift outcomes of primaries
I wrote recently about Team Kid PAC, the political action arm of Tennesseans for Student Success.
The dark money, pro-privatization group spent heavily to influence key races in the August primary. As Adam Friedman in the Tennessean notes, Team Kid was joined by other privatization groups in spending that ultimately resulted in the defeat of Republican incumbent House member Terri Lynn Weaver and Senate member Bob Ramsey. Both have opposed using public money to fund private schools.
Education groups that support charter schools and vouchers raised $1.2 million to spend in Tennessee’s most recent legislative primary, helping defeat two Republican incumbents.
Some of education groups support charters and others vouchers. Some back both. They operate using the political actions committees of Team Kid PAC, Tennessee Federation for Children PAC and Tennesseans for Putting Students First.
