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Private School Vouchers on the Ballot on Election Day
Bills Legislation and Litigation Public Funds Public Schools Bills Legislation and Litigation Public Funds Public Schools

Private School Vouchers on the Ballot on Election Day

Voucher programs, which divert scarce public resources to private schools, have been repeatedly shown to fund discrimination against students and families, fail to improve student outcomes, and undermine funding and resources for public schools, which serve the vast majority of children. They are also widely unpopular with voters. In fact, every time vouchers have been on the ballot, they have been rejected.

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PFPS Launches New Interactive Tool Examining Public and Private School Student Populations
Toolkits and Guides Public Funds Public Schools Toolkits and Guides Public Funds Public Schools

PFPS Launches New Interactive Tool Examining Public and Private School Student Populations

Public Funds Public Schools has created an interactive research tool designed to inform and assist advocates in the fight against vouchers. The tool provides 2021-22 data on the numbers, geographical location (city, suburb, rural), and composition (race, income) of public and private school student populations in the states. It also shows the percentage of students attending religious schools and racially segregated schools.

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Florida Private Education Vouchers Cost $4 Billion This School Year
Studies Reports and Data Public Funds Public Schools Studies Reports and Data Public Funds Public Schools

Florida Private Education Vouchers Cost $4 Billion This School Year

Florida is already deeply underfunding its public schools. The state sits at the bottom of the national school funding rankings in ELC’s Making the Grade 2024 report, scoring grades of ‘F’ for funding level, for inequitable distribution of that funding, and for funding effort. As funding for private education vouchers has increased, it is consuming an ever larger portion of overall taxpayer funds directed to education, increasing from 12% of public funds spent on education in 2021-22 to 23% this year.

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The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual
Personal Narratives Blogs Webinars Public Funds Public Schools Personal Narratives Blogs Webinars Public Funds Public Schools

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.

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PFPS and Allies Defend Protections for LGBTQ+ and Other Students in Schools Receiving Public Funds
Bills Legislation and Litigation Public Funds Public Schools Bills Legislation and Litigation Public Funds Public Schools

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.

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No Vouchers! Public Funds Are For Public Schools!
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No Vouchers! Public Funds Are For Public Schools!

Experts including Professor Josh Cowen, ELC Senior Fellow and author of The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers, and Jessica Levin, ELC Litigation Director and Director of Public Funds Public Schools, discuss the implications of Donald Trump's presidency on public schools and voucher programs.

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How to Fight Vouchers in 2025: A Toolkit for Advocates
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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.

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Anti-Voucher Victories in 2024: A Conversation with Education Advocates from MS, NJ, ID, TX and TN
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Anti-Voucher Victories in 2024: A Conversation with Education Advocates from MS, NJ, ID, TX and TN

Although private school voucher programs continue to spread across the country, many states have remained voucher-free or held off significant expansions. In this webinar experienced advocates discussed the work of their organizations and numerous allies to oppose voucher legislation. They offered insight, strategies, and tips for others working against school privatization in their states, with plenty of time for Q&A.

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The PFPS Interview: Darian Burns (SEF) and Mason Goodwin  (GYJC) on Fighting Voucher Expansion in Georgia
Public Funds Public Schools Public Funds Public Schools

The PFPS Interview: Darian Burns (SEF) and Mason Goodwin (GYJC) on Fighting Voucher Expansion in Georgia

The latest installment in the Public Funds Public Schools interview series highlights the work of public education advocates in Georgia, who successfully defeated private school voucher proposals during the 2023 legislative session. As these proposals continue to pass in states across the country at alarming rates, it is more crucial than ever that state and local organizations share knowledge and strategies on how best to oppose these harmful policies.

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The PFPS Interview: Reverend Johnson of Pastors for Texas Children
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The PFPS Interview: Reverend Johnson of Pastors for Texas Children

Reverend Charles Foster Johnson, co-pastor of Bread, in Fort Worth, Texas; Founder and Executive Director of Pastors for Texas Children, a faith-based advocacy group that works to promote and advance public schools in Texas; and head of the national Pastors for Children organization spoke to Jessica Levin, Public Funds Public Schools Director. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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Let the Illinois “Invest in Kids” Private School Voucher Law Sunset
Studies Reports and Data Public Funds Public Schools Studies Reports and Data Public Funds Public Schools

Let the Illinois “Invest in Kids” Private School Voucher Law Sunset

Illinois’ “Invest in Kids” tax credit voucher program is set to sunset after the 2023-2024 school year. This unpopular pilot program should lapse as intended in the law. Illinois should reject any attempt to extend the program or make it permanent, as well as any proposal to establish additional voucher programs. Instead, the state must invest in its underfunded public schools, which, unlike private schools, welcome and serve all students.

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Litigation  Public Funds Public Schools
Public Funds Public Schools Public Funds Public Schools

Litigation Public Funds Public Schools

Private school voucher programs raise a number of legal issues, and many have faced court challenges. Voucher programs may violate a state constitution's education clause, including a state's obligation to adequately fund public schools or to provide a uniform system of public schools, and other important state constitutional protections.

Voucher lawsuits have also been based on violations of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as well as state constitutional provisions, known as Blaine Amendments or no-aid clauses, that prohibit public funding of religious institutions. Other voucher lawsuits have focused on students' civil rights guarantees.

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