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Governor Bill Lee urges state control of K-12 education, cites Medicaid waiver and school choice
Summary
In an interview, Governor Bill Lee said Tennessee should operate education primarily at the state level, criticized federal spending and oversight, credited a Medicaid waiver for saving about $1 billion and described recent state efforts on literacy, summer bridge camps and school choice.
Governor Bill Lee said in an interview with hosts identified as Sean and Emma that Tennessee should operate education primarily at the state level and that federal funding comes with counterproductive bureaucracy and strings.
"There's nothing more important for the future of our country than the future of our children," Lee said, arguing that states can use federal funds more efficiently when given authority to do so.
Lee cited a Medicaid waiver negotiated with the first Trump administration as an example of state-level innovation, saying the agreement "saved our state and the federal government a billion dollars." He also described Tennessee's post-COVID focus on literacy and "school summer bridge camps," and said the state called a special session to address the issues. "Our outcomes in Tennessee are ahead of the national average post COVID," Lee said.
Asked about diversity, equity and inclusion programs in K-12 schools, Lee responded that schools should "go back to the basics," emphasizing reading, writing and arithmetic. He framed stronger parental control and school choice as central to his approach, saying he supports measures that give parents more decision-making power. Lee credited former President Donald Trump and "Secretary McMahon" for supporting parental authority and school choice and said, "When we eliminate the government and empower the parents, we will find success in this country going forward in education." He also said, "In Tennessee, we just passed, universal school choice."
Lee characterized federal education funding as reduced and "siphoned off" by bureaucracy in Washington, and called for more authority at the state level to use those dollars without the Department of Education's "strings." He said the status quo in federal education policy has not improved outcomes since 1979 and argued for continual improvement and strategic planning similar to business practice.
The comments were delivered as policy positions in a recorded interview; Lee did not announce new state legislation or administrative actions during the conversation beyond describing recent and past state measures and claiming the results he cited.
