Reposted from TennEconomics-Legislative Report

The City Paper discussed the emergence of education in the Nashville mayoral race.

If a casual observer were to listen to the collective political pitches of the Metro mayoral field they might mistake this summer’s election as an old-fashioned school superintendent campaign.

Clement, Dean, Gentry, Briley and the rest offer up the usual…
… smaller class sizes, higher teacher pay, public-private partnerships etc. In other words, they want to spend more money. Dean doesn’t want to “throw money at the problem of low-performing schools.” He wants to “wisely invest it.” Whatever.

Buck Dozier’s plan though is substantially and qualitatively different. His Athens Project will seek to raise $1 billion for an endowment to help fund education. That is bold and ambitious. Here is why I think the Athens Project can be successful - Dozier’s plan is far more comprehensive.

It embraces genuine reform. As such it has the potential to capture the imagination of those with the ability to contribute.

“A key success to learning starts with parental buy-in to their child’s education. One way I see to ensure greater buy-in is to give parents real options for schooling,” Dozier said in a speech last December.

He’s right. Parental involvement is crucial. Dedicated and well-trained teachers who teach smaller classes aren’t enough. The best way to get parents involved is by providing them options.

“I am 100 percent behind choice; charter schools, home schooling are some of the … aspects of choice in our community. … I welcome quality alternatives to public education. I don’t see them as a threat to public education at all. They actually enhance the learning environment in Nashville,” he said this week.

Choice in education is not a conservative idea. It is not a liberal idea. It represents a systemic reform that is missing from all the other candidates’ plans. Good teachers should embrace it (expect the teachers’ unions to howl in protest). Parents should embrace it. The business community and interested citizens without children should embrace enhanced opportunity through expanded choice (don’t expect the Tennessean to embrace it but the City Paper might).

There are over 70,000 children in Metro schools, half of whom are “at-risk.” Any policy that does not include enhanced choice is not worth the paper it is written on.

Recap of Volunteer Meeting-April 29, 2007

Volunteers lined up at the Kountry Kitchen last Sunday April 29, 2007. Kountry Kitchen formally owned by Laurie Morgan now owned by Stan Marlar. The restaurant is located at Old Hickory Blvd and I 24 near White House, TN.

The meeting was centered around what Councilman-At-Large mayor elect Norman "Buck" Dozier would like to see happen in Nashville, TN as well as what volunteers could do to get involved.

Some of the first words spoken were education! He said that Davidson county schools were in disarray; the system is broken. By the time youngsters reach the 7th grade their parents are putting them in private schools or moving to surrounding counties.

One of the points covered concerning our schools is he remembers a time when police wasn't needed in Davidson County schools and would like to do something about that. Raising kids in a good and moral environment is key. The kids are running the show he says.

Buck wants to make Nashville, TN "SAFEST CITY IN AMERICA." Some of the issues talked about were preparedness: a fully-staffed police & fire, joint & seemless police/fire/sheriff/OEM team communication, private business partnerships.

Also safety on a different level by way of prevention: curbing illegal immigration, furthering after school programs, education endowment providing music & health programs for public schools whereby deterring juvenile crime, etc.

One other comment I would like to post is he said that truth is missing in government. Political correctness is always used and he would like for truth to be heard for a change.


"Some of the best lessons we ever learn, we learn from our mistakes and failures. The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future."