ALL RESOURCES
FILTER BY TAG
Select a tag
- Academic performance
- Accessibility
- Accountability
- Advocacy
- Advocates
- Article
- Bill analysis
- Bill tracker
- Billionaires
- Blog post
- Civil rights
- Coalition building
- Community Schools
- Cost impact analysis
- Dark Money
- Data
- Disability
- Discrimination
- Drain funds from public education
- Education Savings Account (ESA)
- English language learners
- Fact sheet
- Fraud Waste and Abuse
- Graphic
- History
- Indigenous and Native Education
- Integration
- LGBTQ+
- Legislation
- Letter
- Litigation
- Messaging or talking points
- Model legislation
- National Voucher
- News
- Parents
- Personal narrative
- Podcast
- Policy brief
- Policymakers
- Radio
- Referendum
- Religion
- Report
- Rural communities
- Segregation
- Separation of church and state
- Slides
- State Constitutional Right to Education
- Students
FILTER BY AUTHOR
Select an author
- Aaron Sanderford
- Alec MacGillis
- Allen Pratt
- Associated Press
- Beth Lewis and Damaris Allen
- Bob Peterson
- Bruce Schreiner
- Carl Davis
- Casey Tolan, Rene Marsh and Nelli Black,
- Catherine Caruso
- CREED and HEAL NC
- Cyrus Driver and Mary Gonzalez
- Damaris Allen
- David Montgomery
- David Pepper
- Derek W. Black
- Donald Cohen
- EdTrust
- Education Law Center Pennsylvania
- Education Voters of Pennsylvania
- Eli Hager
- Emily Walkenhorst
- Ethan Dewitt
- Families for Strong Public Schools
- Florida Policy Institute
- Florida Policy Institute and the Education Law Center
- Geoff Mulvihill
- Georgia Budget and Policy Institute
- Gov. Roy Cooper and Gov. Andy Beshear
- Greg Adams, Kathy Campbell, Al Davis, Curt Friesen, Mike Gloor, John McCollister, Paul Schumacher, John Stinner, and Matt Williams
- Griffin Coop and Benjamin Hardy
- Hilary Wething
- Hilary Wething and Josh Bivens
- Howard Fischer
- Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy
- IDRA
- Illinois Families for Public Schools
- In the Public Interest
- Indiana Coalition for Public Education
- Jamie Klinenberg, Jon Valant, and Nicolas Zerbino
- Jasmine Bolton and April Callen
- Jason Bailey
- Jason Bailey, Dustin Pugel, Joanna LeFebvre, and Pam Thomas
- Jeff Bryant
- Jennifer Berry Hawes and Mollie Simon
- Jessica Corbett
- Jim Collier
- Joanna LeFebvre
- Joe Dana
- Jon Valant and Nicolas Zerbino
- Joshua Cowen
- Juan Perez Jr.
- Kevin Welner
- Kiera Butler
- Kris Nordstrom
- Kris Nordstrom, Phyllis Nunn
- Laura Pappano
- Laura Meckler and Michelle Boorstein
- Liam Amick
- Liz Canada
- Maurice Cunnningham
- Michelle Harven
- Missouri Budget Project
- National Coalition for Public Education
- National Education Association
- National Education Policy Center
- Network for Public Education
- New Jersey and National Organizations
- Nicole Stelle Garnett
- Nora De La Cour
- North Carolina Justice Center
- OpenSky Policy Institute
- Paige Masten
- Parents for Public Schools
- Pastors for Texas Children
- Patrick Darrington
- Paul Hammel
- Peter Greene
- Phil Williams
- Phoebe Petrovic
- Policy Matters Ohio
- Preston Green/Kevin Welner
- Public Funds Public Schools
- Public Funds Public Schools and Education Law Center
- Public Funds Public Schools and Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy
- Public Funds Public Schools and Joshua Cowen
- Public Funds Public Schools, Education Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center
- Public School Forum of North Carolina
- Rebecca Clarren
- Reg Ballantyne
- Rob Boston
- Robert Huber
- Rowan Moore Geretsy
- Sam Stockard
- Sasha Pudelski
- Save Our Schools Arizona
- Sherri Jones
- Southern Education Foundation
- State Rep. Glenn Rogers
- Stephen Caruso, Angela Couloumbis, and Katie Meyer
- Steve Suitts
- Support Our Schools Nebraska
- The Parents' Campaign Research and Education Fund
- Up North Podcast
- Wisconsin Public Education Network
- Yesica Balderrama
- Zack Carreon, WVXU, Kendall Crawford
Voters Across the Political Spectrum Gave Public Education Important Wins in the 2024 Election
School voucher programs, elaborate schemes that give parents taxpayer money to fund their children’s private school tuition, had an especially bad day at the ballot box. Voters rejected these schemes despite their popularity with Trump, who many experts say will likely make a federal voucher program a priority in his upcoming administration.
The Fiscal Impacts of Expanded Voucher Programs and Charter-School Growth on Public Schools: Recommendations for Sustaining Adequate and Equitable School Finance Systems
The U.S. Department of Education has projected enrollment declines over the next decade, leading to budget cuts for school districts, which will be particularly impactful in urban and rural areas serving vulnerable students. As federal COVID-19 funds expire, districts will face challenges in cutting costs, potentially leading to layoffs or school closures. Meanwhile, many states have expanded voucher programs and charter schools, diverting funds from public schools despite limited enrollment growth. Research shows these shifts harm traditional public school financing. To address this, policymakers must ensure equitable funding for public schools and hold charter and private schools to the same standards as public ones.
No-Limit Vouchers Are Blowing Up Arizona’s Budget. This Woman Is Leading the Way.
Since Arizona passed its universal voucher bill in 2022, eight more states have followed suit: Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Indiana expanded existing voucher programs. Arkansas, Alabama, Iowa and Utah joined West Virginia, whose Hope scholarship program began in 2021, in creating new programs set to become universal. Clark’s Love Your School AZ has expanded to Alabama and West Virginia, and Clark has started a series of related groups to bolster the national ecosystem supporting school vouchers. She’s also become one of the movement’s key messengers, aided by the prestige of an appointment to the Arizona board of education, and the most visible antagonist of the state’s public school advocates.
The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual
PFPS is excited to welcome back authors Jennifer Berkshire and Jack Schneider to the PFPS webinar series. Ms. Berkshire and Dr. Schneider will discuss their new book, "The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual," with Jasmine Bolton, Policy Director at the Partnership for the Future of Learning.
PFPS and Allies Defend Protections for LGBTQ+ and Other Students in Schools Receiving Public Funds
Public Funds Public Schools and allies submitted an amicus curiae brief in St. Dominic Academy v. Makin urging the First Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the application of Maine’s anti discrimination requirements to all schools receiving public funds, whether public or private, religious or secular. PFPS also recently filed amicus briefs in two other cases presenting similar issues.
How Religious Schools Became a Billion-Dollar Drain on Public Education
The center had played a key role in bringing about one of the most dramatic expansions of private-school vouchers in the country, making it possible for all Ohio families—even the richest among them—to receive public money to pay for their children’s tuition. In the mid-nineteen-nineties, Ohio became the second state to offer vouchers, but in those days they were available only in Cleveland and were billed as a way for disadvantaged children to escape struggling schools. Now the benefits extend to more than a hundred and fifty thousand students across the state, costing taxpayers nearly a billion dollars, the vast majority of which goes to the Catholic and evangelical institutions that dominate the private-school landscape there.
How to Fight Vouchers in 2025: A Toolkit for Advocates
This PFPS webinar featured ELC Senior Fellow Josh Cowen, Nicole Fuller from the National Coalition for Public Education, and speakers from PFPS/ELC who shared information, resources, tools, and tips to help advocates prepare for crucial state and federal legislative fights over private school voucher programs in 2025.
Public school supporters surpass signature goalto put repeal of LB1402 voucher scheme on the November ballot
The Support Our Schools Nebraska coalition needed to collect 61,621 signatures to let voters repeal or retain a bill that spends millions of public tax dollars to pay for private schools. Today, the coalition submitted more than 86,000 signatures to the Nebraska Secretary of State to ensure the issue will appear on the November ballot. The group also exceeded the 38-county requirement with 5% of voters signing the petition in more than 60 of the state’s 93 counties.
Voucher Talking Points
Pastors for Texas Children developed this one-pager with anti-voucher arguments.
Telling the Real Story on School Voucher Programs Rapid Response Memo
Opponents of public schools have pushed forward with another attack on children’s freedom to learn. This time, some elected officials are threatening to rip funds from students via school voucher programs to bankroll private schools for the wealthy and hide their refusal to fully fund public schools and ensure that every child from the big cities to small towns has a neighborhood school where they can learn, grow and thrive.
Opposing Private School Vouchers:A Toolkit for Legislators and Advocates
This toolkit is designed as a resource to help legislators and pro-public education advocates oppose attempts to create new or expand existing private school voucher programs.
In recent years, a network of anti-public-education politicians and lobbying groups has been emboldened in its push for private school vouchers. Billionaires like the DeVoses, including former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, the Kochs, and the Waltons are spending hundreds of millions of dollars on these campaigns. These funders are using their war chests to lobby for voucher bills in state legislatures, contribute to the political campaigns of pro-voucher candidates, and seed astroturf petition drives to put vouchers on the ballot.
5 Reasons Private School Vouchers Would Hurt Students – Infographic
IDRA 5 Reasons Private School Vouchers Would Hurt Students – Infographic
Public Funds Public Schools Bill Tracker
The PFPS bill tracker monitors all 50 states and the U.S. Congress for proposed legislation that creates, expands, or modifies private school voucher programs. Use the tracker to search for bills by number or keyword or to filter by state, year, and/or PFPS-assigned categories.
The Invest in Kids Program Must End Public Dollars, No Public Oversight
This Illinois Families for Public Schools fact sheet depicts how the Illinois Invest in Kids voucher program is characterized by discriminatory revenue, low academic quality, and compulsory child labor.
Achievement Impact of Private School Vouchers
The Parents’ Campaign Research and Education Fund provides a state by state snapshot on voucher programs impact on student achievement.
The Truth About ESA Vouchers
In this video Save Our Schools Arizona outlines the truth about the Empowerment Scholarship Account voucher program.
PA’s EITC and OSTC Training Module
Education Voters of Pennsylvania developed a series of modules on school funding topics for advocates. The Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) module includes a video, handouts, activities and a mini quiz to check for understanding and certify your completion of the course. Most should take less than ½ hour to complete and you can work at your own pace.
Taxpayer Funded Vouchers
Pennsylvania has two programs that provide students with taxpayer-funded vouchers to private and religious schools: the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs. Since their inception in 2001, the EITC and OSTC programs have provided more than $2 billion in taxpayer-funded support for school vouchers.
In 2022-2023 the EITC and OSTC programs will provide $340 million to private scholarship organizations, which award tuition vouchers to families whose children attend private and religious schools.
A History of Private Schools and Race in the American South
Private schools in the South were established, expanded, and supported to preserve the Southern tradition of racial segregation in the face of the federal courts’ dismantling of “separate but equal.” White students left public schools in droves to both traditional and newly formed private schools. From 1950 to 1965, private school enrollment grew at unprecedented rates all over the nation, with the South having the largest growth.
Vouchers Impede Efforts to Create Diverse School Communities and Harm Academic Outcomes
Illinois Families for Public Schools developed these talking points in English and Spanish on how the Invest in Kids voucher program hurts equity.