Tue
Feb 2 2016
11:44 pm
Candidate Campaign Financial Disclosures are posted for contested BOE seats
By: Tamara Shepherd

The first of BOE candidates' campaign finance disclosures were due January 31 and are now posted to the Election Commission's site.

I'll recap just the two you're most interested to see in the contested races, namely Grant Standefer's (running in the Second District versus Jennifer Owen) and Buddy Pelot's (running in the Fifth District versus Susan Horn and Lori Boudreaux), as follows:

Standefer is out the gate with nearly $30,000 and boasts donor names including Haslam, Boyd, Jubran, Lawler, Schmid, Stowers, and Lee.

Current BOE chair Harris and wife also contributed big, as did BOE member Karen Carson's husband, Joe.

Pelot sprints with nearly $24,000 and boasts donor names including...well, copy and paste every last one of those above.

Current BOE chair Harris and wife also contributed to Pelot, although Carson apparently did not.

Topics:
Tamara Shepherd's picture

Consultant

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Wed, 2016/02/03 - 12:39am.

I also meant to point out that Gary Drinnen's Targeted Strategies is consultant to both Standefer and Pelot. You'll note the expenditures recorded on the disclosures.

Sandra Clark's picture

From the folks

Submitted by Sandra Clark on Wed, 2016/02/03 - 11:19am.
(in reply to Tamara Shepherd)

who brought us Tracie Sanger ... Same donors, same Gary Drinnen, same outcome???

Attended the LWV candidate forum last night -- incredibly, no one asked about vouchers.

BrianHornbackdotCom's picture

I am recapping all candidates financials

Submitted by BrianHornbackdotCom (not verified) on Wed, 2016/02/03 - 5:59am.

On BrianHornback.Com, have the Property Assessors, Law Director and all Commission candidates. Will recap all School Board today.

Republicans Michael Covington, Carson Dailey, Democrats Evelyn Gill, Marleen Davis, Donna Lucas and Independent Tyrone LaMar Fine had not filed as of yesterday 2-2-2016, a day late. Now they are two days late and counting

Bbeanster's picture

Attended the LWV candidate

Submitted by Bbeanster on Wed, 2016/02/03 - 8:24pm.

Attended the LWV candidate forum last night -- incredibly, no one asked about vouchers.

League "debates" are lame.

reform4's picture

It's all about the quality of submitted questions.

Submitted by reform4 on Thu, 2016/02/04 - 9:07am.
(in reply to Bbeanster)

I put in 3 good questions for the Commission forum, and they used all three. Sorry I couldn't have made this one.

I suppose it would be interesting to know their opinions, but does the local BOE have any power on this issue anyway? It seems that Nashville is continuously stripping the power of local BOEs to nothing.

Min's picture

Which is another reason...

Submitted by Min on Thu, 2016/02/04 - 9:49am.
(in reply to reform4)

...TSBA and TOSS oppose vouchers, as well as TEA. It's about the money, but it isn't just about the money.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Thu, 2016/02/04 - 10:46am.
(in reply to reform4)

...does the local BOE have any power on (the voucher) issue anyway?

No, not really--but it would be nice to ensure that we don't elect another Doug Harris, whom I guess you know sent his letter of support for vouchers to Bill Dunn last week, prior to the House committee vote on same.

And this in spite of the fact that Harris chairs the BOE that has consistently adopted an annual legislative agenda opposing vouchers.

Lots of folks really, really disgusted with him over that move.

Sandra Clark's picture

It about money ... and more

Submitted by Sandra Clark on Thu, 2016/02/04 - 10:42am.

Just got this communication, sent to parents of kids in Catholic schools (emphasis added)

Dear Parents:

For the past three years, I have shared with you the efforts being made by our Catholic Public Policy Commission for Education to encourage our state legislators to pass the "Tennessee Choice & Opportunity Scholarship Act". Once again, I am writing to you to request your assistance in reaching out to your state representatives to encourage them to vote in favor of this bill. Last week, it passed out of the House Finance Committee and will be voted on within the House on Tuesday. This is a critical juncture as the committee will determine whether it goes on to the full House for a vote on the floor. The Tennessee Choice & Opportunity Scholarship Act will provide greater equality for all students to attend a school of choice.

This legislature will empower low and middle income families to make choices about where their child will attend school. For our Catholic Schools, it will potentially provide increased overall student enrollment and revenue. Even more importantly, it will expand the educational ministry and evangelizing mission of our Catholic Schools. It will open doors to families who desire Catholic school education for their children, but who do not have the personal finances to afford it. This legislature will give children the opportunity to attend our schools: places where Gospel values are taught and students receive an outstanding education in environments of respect, dignity, safety and discipline.

The Catholic Church in Tennessee can play a pivotal role in this effort in the upcoming legislative session. It is my hope that by making you aware of the "Tennessee Choice & Opportunity Scholarship Act" and the current legislative discussion, you will assist us by contacting your State Senators and representatives and express your support of this piece of legislature. Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our Catholic Schools.

Because of Jesus,

Sister Mary Marta Abbott, R.S.M.,Ed.S.

Superintendent of Catholic Schools

Catholic Schools Office

The Diocese of Knoxville

805 S Northshore Drive

Knoxville, TN 37919

o: 865-584-3307

f: 865-584-4319

Living our Roman Catholic faith in East Tennessee

Tamara Shepherd's picture

Meanwhile, within NC's new private school voucher program...

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Thu, 2016/02/04 - 11:26am.
(in reply to Sandra Clark)

I wonder if Sister Mary is watching developments in North Carolina's new private school voucher program?

Specifically, developments relating to the Greensboro Islamic Academy?

According to data released by the N.C. State Educational Assistance Authority, 98 out of the 109 private schools that have received vouchers (formally known as Opportunity Scholarships) from the state so far are religious institutions. Ninety-four of those schools identify as Christian, and four other schools identify as Islamic. To date, the state has disbursed just over $1 million to the religious schools.

The largest recipient of school voucher dollars thus far is Greensboro Islamic Academy. The school has received more than $90,000 from taxpayers while information has surfaced indicating that the school is in financial trouble and has inflated its tuition rates to reap as many publicly-funded vouchers as possible to stay afloat.

(As to the lawsuit mentioned in that article, the last word I find is that on July 23, 2015, the NC Supreme Court declared that using taxpayer dollars to fund private school vouchers *is* constitutional. Media coverage indicates that the ruling *does* extend to religious schools, as well.)

jcgrim's picture

Catholics disagree w/ bishop on vouchers

Submitted by jcgrim on Tue, 2016/02/09 - 9:25am.
(in reply to Sandra Clark)

If Bishop Stika thought about this for more than 1 minute he'd realize vouchers are a bad idea for them too. They'll expose their inner workings to public scrutiny. No more autonomy.

There has been controversy at the diocese in Nashville. Bishop Chobey is in favor of vouchers. But other people at the diocese know that it may come with oversight & requirements that they don't want & will require more administrative staff than they have.

I have a friend who was a principal at a Catholic school in Nashville & she has always been anti, & convinced it's a huge hassle that will cost more than they think. In her opinion even taking federal funds has come w too many strings; & they've discontinued participation in some programs for this reason.

And where will the Catholic schools put all those kids flooding into their schools? Are they going to build a wing? Hire new teachers? Doubt it. The Diocese will take maybe 5 kids & turn away the rest.

Middle class families think vouchers will help them with private school tuition but they don't realize the voucher $ isn't for them.

Vouchers are a zombie idea cooked up in free-market economic think tanks. They are not an education plan. They never have worked but the belief never dies.

Tamara Shepherd's picture

*

Submitted by Tamara Shepherd on Tue, 2016/02/09 - 7:44am.

In this week's Shopper, Sandra Clark combs through BOE candidates' financial disclosures more closely to report how few deep-pocketed people are actually generating all that High Dollar support for Standefer and Pelot:

(Grant) Standefer raised $29,600 (against just $525 reported by Owen). Of his receipts, 17 donors maxed out at $1,500 each. They were Doug and Carla Harris (he’s the current school board chair), Jim and Natalie Haslam, B. Ray Thompson, Sherri Lee, Rodney and Dell Lawler, Steve and Ann Bailey (she’s Jim Haslam’s daughter), Harry and Elizabeth Stowers, John Tolsma, Dr. Michael and Lisa Walsh, and Randy and Jenny Boyd.

That’s $25,500 of $29,600 from 17 people – not one of whom lives in District 2.

In District 5, Buddy Pelot raised $23,750. Of that, 14 donors maxed out. And look who they were: Doug and Carla Harris, Jim and Natalie Haslam, B. Ray Thompson, Sherri Lee, Rodney and Dell Lawler, Steve and Ann Bailey, Harry and Elizabeth Stowers and Randy and Jenny Boyd.

That’s $21,000 of $23,750 from 14 people. At least some of them live in his district.

Contrast that with Horn raising $5,105 from donors giving $20 to $500, and Boudreaux raising $3,295.

Can you say "astroturfing?"

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