As lawmakers in Tennessee consider a couple of proposals on school vouchers, the state's teachers are urging rejection over a variety of concerns.

According to the Tennessee Education Association, one issue with vouchers is that private schools are not required to accept all students, nor do they have to offer services for those with special needs.

Gera Summerford, who serves as president of the TEA, said there needs to be equal opportunity for all students, and with vouchers that won't happen.

"I heard a parent speak recently who, both of her two children - one of whom is intellectually gifted and one of whom is intellectually challenged - and she just really has trouble with the idea that a school could actually recruit one of her children and deny access to the other," Summerford said. "Again, that's one of those accountability issues that the private schools don't currently have to meet."

Among those in support of vouchers is state Rep. Joe Carr (R-Murfreesboro), who said parents should be able to use tax dollars to send their children to private schools.

"We're trying to give the parents the option," he said, "which is basically, 'Take your kid somewhere else, but use that tax money.'"

Summerford said allowing some to use vouchers to go to a private institution would divert funding away from public schools, which are there to serve everyone.

"We pay taxes in order to provide services that benefit everyone," she said, "and I don't have the right to say, 'Well, I don't want my money to pay for paving that particular road or supporting that particular state park.' We pay taxes for the good of the whole, for the good of our community and that's what public schools are all about, is serving everyone."

Summerford said there's no evidence that voucher students perform any better than their public school peers.

More information is online at teateachers.org.