September 2024
Spotlight on Universal Voucher Legislation
Universal voucher legislation is being introduced in ever larger numbers across the country. Network partners have expressed a need to connect with one another to better track and respond to voucher legislation where and when they emerge. In response, the Partnership for the Future of Learning in coalition with several of co-creators including Public Funds Public Schools, Southern Education Foundation, NYU Metro Center/HEAL Together, and IDRA developed a website for organizations resisting the spread of universal voucher programs. The Truth in Education Funding website offers a collection of resources to help grassroots organizations better understand and respond to voucher policies, links to websites of national and regional organizations that are fighting to combat vouchers, and privatization more broadly, and provides examples of partner organizations that have successfully defeated universal voucher legislation. The site is regularly updated with new resources as they are developed. In our second update since the site went live, we have added 25 new resources for our first quarterly newsletter round-up.
Public Education: The Last Line of Defense for Democracy in Our Communities
Op Ed by Markus Ceniceros
As a student, school board member, and product of the public education system, I am deeply concerned about recent policy decisions regarding vouchers, particularly in Arizona with the implementation of universal vouchers passed by the state legislature in 2022. These developments are not just an attack on public education; they are an attack on the very fabric of our democracy. Public education plays a critical role in sustaining democracy, and it is our responsibility to protect it.
Local school districts and their elected school board members represent the closest form of democracy to a community, shaping its culture and identity in many ways. From decisions about how much residents should pay in property taxes to provide essential services, to determining whether to build or close a school, school boards wield significant influence. Yet, they often operate in the shadows, unknown to many in the community. This must change.
Everyone deserves the right to a high-quality education, but this fight to protect public education is about more than that. It’s about recognizing that public school districts are essential to ensuring we have a say in what happens in our neighborhood schools, in resisting the influence of Wall Street and pro-privatization billionaires. The push for school vouchers is part of a broader effort to defund public schools by funneling taxpayer money into private and charter schools that are not accountable to the public. This not only undermines public education but also weakens our communities.
Historically, public schools have been the heart of community identity places where culture is built and strengthened. The push to privatize education threatens to disrupt this connection, eroding community ties and removing our voice in the education of our children. As a proud product of public schools, I can attest to the vital role they play. In middle school, my local public school was my second home. It’s where I learned how to perform in theater, travel the state for choir competitions, and, most importantly, build a sense of friendships and community. This is what local public schools have been in our communities.
However, I also recognize the gaps, particularly in civic education. The solution isn’t to privatize and diminish community influence but to build on the progress public schools have made. In my own education, I found civic lessons lacking, and most of my understanding of government came from outside the classroom and from my experiences after I was elected to serve on the local school board in my community.
This is concerning because our communities must be informed about the crucial roles local government and school districts play in our daily lives.
Public education has long been seen as an equalizer, providing all children, regardless of background, the opportunity to succeed and contribute to their communities. Current trends threaten this promise. Defunding public schools, the rise of charter schools, and the push for school vouchers undermine the integrity of public education. Political and ideological battles over curriculum content, including restrictions on teaching history, science, and social justice, weaken our schools. Compounding these issues are poor working conditions, low pay, and a lack of support, driving teachers away from the profession and exacerbating the challenges faced by public schools. In Arizona, the average teacher is paid around $40,000.
The weakening of public education has dire consequences for our communities. In my community, we have seen firsthand the impact of non-public schools on local public schools. My local school district has lost a few hundred students who could have been in our district, opting instead for a local charter school. The loss of students to private and charter schools means less funding for public schools, leading to larger class sizes, fewer resources, and a diminished public education experience for the students who remain. This, in turn, leads to a less informed electorate, making it easier for misinformation and authoritarian tendencies to take root. The decline of public schools also contributes to increased social and economic inequality, deepening divisions within our communities. The privatization and corporatization of education strip local communities of their control, undermining their ability to shape the education of their children.
To defend public education, we must take action. Advocacy and activism are essential. We must show up and demand that our elected officials stand with public education and oppose the privatization of education. If they don’t, we must run for office ourselves. Our communities must become more involved in supporting public schools, whether by attending school board meetings, backing pro-public education candidates, or opposing harmful legislation. Parents should send their children to their local public schools, as 90% of parents already do. We must also push for greater investment in public education, ensuring adequate funding, teacher support, and infrastructure improvements. We should advocate for an inclusive curriculum that reflects the diversity of our society and promotes critical thinking, civic engagement, and social responsibility.
The urgency of this issue cannot be overstated. Defending public education is essential for preserving democracy in our communities. I urge readers to take concrete steps to support public education, recognizing it as the last line of defense for democracy and the future of our communities.
Spotlight (Major Themes)
Tennessee: While many national conservative leaders are promoting voucher programs that redirect public funding to private, and often religious, schools, many rural conservative communities have rejected these efforts. In their communities, the public school is the only schooling option, as well as the largest employer and a critical community hub. Despite resistance from elected officials representing those communities, national Republicans and lobbyists have continued to push this policy, even if it requires resorting to political threats. The same story has played out in state after state, including Ohio, Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee. In Tennessee, a lobbyist from a group funded by the Koch brothers was caught on tape warning a Republican representative that their job would be at risk if they did not vote in favor of the voucher bill.
Moms: Advocates seeking to dismantle public education, including through the widespread use of private school vouchers, have consistently emphasized the role that mothers play in their movement. They’ve created groups such as Moms 4 Liberty and more recently Moms on a Mission to make their extreme positions around public education appear more palatable. This newest entry, Moms on a Mission, is openly funded by billionaires such as Betsy DeVos and Charles Koch. This marks a shift from older organizations like Moms 4 Liberty, which do not have to disclose their donors. Nevertheless, each of these groups has a shared purpose of dismantling public education and promoting alternatives such as religious education or homeschooling. The calculated use of mothers shouldn’t detract from that fact.
Pennsylvania: In May the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee passed the bi-partisan Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) voucher program which would provide students from low-income families with up to $10,000 to spend on private school. The proposed voucher program had the initial support of Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro and even A-list celebrity Jay-Z—both had ties to mega-donor and school voucher advocate Jeffrey Yass. While no new voucher program was ultimately passed in the state budget, the state did allocate an additional $55 million in additional funding for Pennsylvania’s current Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) school voucher programs.
Small Wins
North Carolina: In this year’s legislative session, North Carolina failed to pass legislation that would have added almost $500 million in voucher funds. The 2024-25 school year is the first where families of all income levels can apply for a voucher. The new legislation resulted in 72,000 new applicants. To cover the astronomical growth in applicants the legislature attempted to pass legislation allocating an additional $487 million to voucher programs. However, that legislation failed after the Senate stripped the bill of a provision increasing teacher compensation across the state. As a result of the failure to increase funding, 54,000 students whose families applied for a voucher for the 2024-25 school year won’t receive one. The vast majority of those families who will not receive a voucher earn more than $115,000 a year.
South Carolina: The South Carolina State Supreme court struck down the state’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund (ESTF) voucher program. Respondents argued that once public funds entered the ESTF trust they loose their public status. Despite the respondents arguments, the court concluded that ESTF is not a true trust, and public funds can not be used for private and religious institutions.
Nebraska: Nebraska advocates successfully staved off a proposed tax credit voucher program known as the Opportunity Scholarship program—for the second time in a row. The Support Our Schools Nebraska coalition successfully collected 86,000 signatures in only 67 days to ensure that there is a repeal referendum on the ballot. No voucher has everHopefully the referendum will end Nebraska’s new voucher program in November.
How to Get Involved
We need everyone to be involved in our fight for public education. Please check out our menu of resources that provide an easy entry-point and are categorized to meet your needs!
Our co-creators are also curating voucher relateds resources. Please check out their newsletters here: