Tennessee State Rep. Mike Turner, D-Old Hickory, says Republicans have lately abandoned their mantra that small government is best closest to the people. But he admits to TNReport on Sept. 25, 2012 on War Memorial Plaza that Democrats believe big government is called for at times -- just not in the case of fining Metro Nashville Public Schools for refusing to approve a school district state officials favored. For more, go to http://www.tnreport.com.
In the Great Hearts Academies fight, Democrats in the legislature are making the case that the Metro school board didn’t break state law in thumbing its nose at the state Board of Education. The state board did tell Metro to approve the charter application, but at the same time made that order contingent on Great Hearts presenting a satisfactory school diversity plan, Democrats point out. Under this argument, the school board was within its rights to reject Great Hearts.
That undermines the central talking point of Gov. Bill Haslam, who claims he was backed into a corner and forced to retaliate by withholding $3 million in state funds from Nashville’s school system. Lest any voters think the governor has gone a little too far in supporting the free-market education agenda of the business community, the wealthy and those on the right, Haslam contends his hands are tied and he’s the good guy here just doing his job. It’s a have-it-both-ways position. Like most politicians, Haslam loves those.
“I don’t think the school board left us with an option,” Haslam told reporters. “This wasn’t something we were eager to do. When the legislature passes a law, our responsibility is to enforce it. It’s no different than any other area. We said we have a responsibility to enforce the law and we did. … When they say, ‘OK, we don’t care what the state law is. We’re still going to do this,’ they didn’t really leave us an alternative. Writing a really strong letter I’m not sure really works when somebody goes against state law.”
Which side is telling the truth here? Let’s go to the video of the July 27 state Board of Education meeting when the Great Hearts order was made.
