Opportunity Nashville Releases Education Policy Voter Guide for 2023 Mayoral Candidates
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 17, 2023) — With 12 candidates vying for the open position of Nashville Mayor this year, Opportunity Nashville has created a guide to help undecided voters evaluate their choices based on the candidates’ positions on public education policy. The guide is available online through the Opportunity Nashville website at www.opportunitynashville.org/mayoral-candidate-guide.
“Public education is one of the largest expenditures for Metro Government, yet educational inequity still plagues our city,” said Tanaka Vercher, executive director of Opportunity Nashville. “The mayor is responsible for proposing the city’s annual operating and capital budgets, including more than $1 billion for public schools. Just as important, the mayor sets the tone for citywide priorities. To make an informed choice for mayor, voters need to understand where each candidate stands on public education policy.”
Because of the number of mayoral candidates, a runoff election will take place between the two candidates who received the highest number of votes in the Aug. 3 election. Opportunity Nashville has partnered with Nashville Public Television (NPT) to produce and broadcast a live mayoral debate between those top two mayoral candidates. The Nashville Mayoral Debate on Public Education will take place on Thursday, Aug. 17, at 7 p.m. CT, and can be viewed over the air, online, or through multiple streaming services: How to watch NPT.
The debate format will include questions from community members. Opportunity Nashville is specifically calling for questions from MNPS stakeholders, including former and current students, parents, and teachers.
“The very foundation of Nashville Public Television is built on education and we are excited to partner with Opportunity Nashville to feature our final candidates in a conversation that will reflect the challenges and opportunities within public education in our great city,” said Becky Magura, NPT president and CEO. “The state of public education requires all of us to be informed and engaged. I’m excited that NPT and Opportunity Nashville are working together to provide a timely debate for our citizens to learn more before they vote.”
Questions can be submitted online through the Opportunity Nashville website or you can also share a video submission via Dropbox. Videos must be filmed horizontally and include you stating your first and last name (and how to spell them), your ZIP code, and your role in the community (e.g., former or current MNPS parent, student or teacher). The deadline to submit a question is Sunday, Aug. 13.
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