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Two veteran Democratic education advocates announced a new public school think tank and action fund this week aimed at making inroads in four Southern states. But the outfit may face an uphill battle in states like Alabama and Tennessee, where Republican supermajorities have backed privatization efforts in recent years.

The Center for Strong Public Schools Action fund will back center-left candidates in Georgia, Texas, Alabama, and Tennessee, in addition to investing at the legislative policy level with its think tank arm. Former Georgia state lawmaker Alisha Thomas Searcy and Texas education advocate Garry Jones co-founded the group.

Searcy said last week they narrowed their focus

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