by Travis Pillow and Patrick Gibbons
When new school choice options are proposed, opponents like to ask, "Who benefits?"
The answer, they like to claim, is someone other than the children the program would serve. It's usually "the wealthy," as was the case with the talking points rolled out this week against a proposed education tax credit in New York.
This line of attack glosses over the fact that New York's proposal would offer tax credits of 75 cents on the dollar for every contribution, which means donors who fund scholarships would be giving up money to support education. Other states like Florida, offer dollar-for-dollar tax credits for similar programs*.
More importantly, parents and students (especially the low-income and working-class students the plan would prioritize) are all but invisible in the arguments about the program.
Both the Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his Lieutenant Governor are barnstorming the state in support of the proposal. Jewish and Catholic leaders support it, as do some parents and school choice advocates. The usual suspects, of course, are up in arms.
Meanwhile...
A circuit judge in Florida dismissed a lawsuit challenging the state's tax credit scholarship program.
A Wisconsin legislative panel passed expansion of the statewide voucher program extending $12,000 scholarships to children with special needs. Not all parents of special needs children are thrilled.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed the state's new education savings account program into law.
A group advocating for Hispanics in Idaho filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights and U.S. Education Department alleging charter schools are discriminating against Hispanics and English language learners.
New York rejected all charter applications in the middle of a statewide debate to raise the cap on the number of schools allowed to open.
Charter schools aren't the enemy of public education in Missouri.
Quote of the week:
"For kids it's not really a choice, its a chance. It's a chance to get an excellent education that's based in religious values. And you can't beat that, you can't take that away ever from kids." - Sister Carol Cimino, Diocese of Buffalo school superintendent, on the proposed education tax credit.
We'd love the chance to hear from you. Get in touch at tpillow[at]sufs[dot]org, or pgibbons[at]sufs[dot]org.
ICYMI, this week on redefinED:
Florida school choice advocates receive national honor
Setting a high bar for charter schools, without unnecessary burdens
Foster families seek stability in school choice programs
We can all learn from home schooling
*Florida's tax credit scholarship program is administered by Step Up For Students, which employs the author of this post.
