Tennessee says no to for-profit charter schools, again

A bill that would let for-profit companies manage Tennessee charter schools has stalled in the legislature as numerous groups lined up to oppose the proposed change. The proposal, which last week cleared the Senate Education Committee, was pulled during a House committee meeting when the sponsor realized he did not have enough votes for passage.

“I feel like this is a piece of legislation that we need further discussion on,” said the sponsor, Rep. David Hawk, after members of the Education Instruction Subcommittee heard testimony for and against the bill.

The decision keeps intact a 2002 state law that allows only nonprofit organizations to manage charter schools in Tennessee. And it turns back another effort to open the door to for-profit operators – this one backed by National Heritage Academies, one of the nation’s largest for-profit charter providers.

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