President-elect Donald Trump hasn鈥檛 even taken the oath of office yet, but already supporters and opponents of his promise to make it easier for families to use public dollars to pay for private schools a big focus of his second-term K-12 agenda are previewing their arguments.
Supporters of more choice鈥攂oth within private and public education鈥攃ontend that the policy has strong public support.
The yes. every kid. foundation, a nonprofit that backs expanding all types of school choice, of U.S. adults on Dec. 12 that showed a majority of Americans鈥攁nd even higher percentages of K-12 parents鈥攆avor tax credit scholarships, education savings accounts, and public-school choice. (Tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts are mechanisms to provide parents with public funds to enroll their kids in private schools or, in some cases, home-school them. Public-school choice allows parents to choose a public school for their child other than the one to which they鈥檙e assigned.)
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a 50-50, partisan issue,鈥� Scott Foster, the director of education marketplace and insights for the foundation, told reporters. 鈥淒espite all the opposition and all the money spent in the past year or two trying to defeat education freedom efforts around the country, there are very solid majorities in favor of these policies.鈥�
On the same day, the National Coalition for Public Education, an alliance that鈥檚 opposed to private school choice measures, sent a opposing a bill to create a federal tax credit scholarship program. That legislation, which passed a key House panel this year, is expected to form the basis for Trump鈥檚 national school choice program.
鈥淭uition tax credit voucher schemes may have a different name and structure, but they are simply another private school voucher,鈥� said the letter, which was signed by more than 50 education, civil rights, and disability advocacy organizations.
The legislation, which was introduced in the House by Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., would 鈥渄ivert taxpayer funds away from public education and into private schools,鈥� which can then turn students away because of their 鈥渄isability, sexual orientation and gender identity, religion, academic achievement, and economic status,鈥� the letter argues. The signatories included the Council for Exceptional Children, the Education Trust, and the National Education Association.
Voters this year rejected school choice on three state ballot measures
The yes. every kid. foundation survey found that three-quarters of adults鈥�72 percent鈥攁nd 81 percent of parents of students in K-12 schools support giving families more choice in how their child is educated, the schools they attend, and the way financial resources for education are used, the survey found.
Most respondents鈥�68 percent overall, and 75 percent of K-12 parents鈥攁lso favor allowing students to attend any public school in their state, even if it is not one their child is zoned for, the survey found.
Almost two-thirds of adults overall鈥�63 percent鈥攁nd 75 percent of K-12 parents back the use of education savings accounts, or ESAs, to help families cover private school tuition, tutoring services, online education programs, and more, the survey found.
And 60 percent of adults鈥攑lus 76 percent of K-12 parents鈥攕urveyed said they like the idea of tax credits to help families pay similar education-related costs, including for private school.
This is the second year in a row that the foundation has sought to capture public opinion on school choice. Last year鈥檚 survey yielded similar results, Foster said, a sign that support for choice-related polices is consistent. The survey, which was conducted for the foundation by YouGov, included responses from 1,000 adults.
Sasha Pudelski, a co-chair of the National Coalition for Public Education, said the wording of the questions generally emphasized the upside of school choice-related policies without detailing the potential cost to public schools, and therefore aren鈥檛 a true barometer of public sentiment.
鈥淐learly, they have an agenda and are willing to spend money on slanted, leading poll questions to promote their narrative,鈥� said Pudelski, who is also the director of advocacy for AASA, The School Superintendents Association. AASA is also part of the coalition and signed the letter to congressional leaders.
The real poll, she said, came at the ballot box this fall when voters in three states鈥攂lue Colorado and deep red Kentucky and Nebraska鈥�spurned initiatives that would have expanded choice.
Voters realize that 鈥渨e can鈥檛 afford to fund a secondary private system of education when the one that 90 percent of our students attend is underfunded,鈥� Pudelski said.
But Matt Frendewey, the yes. every kid. foundation鈥檚 vice president of strategy, argued that ballot initiatives typically fail since voters will reject any proposal they don鈥檛 fully understand. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 say [those rejections] are an indication of where voters are,鈥� he said.
And he dismissed the contention that a tax credit scholarship would draw resources from public schools, arguing school choice hasn鈥檛 鈥渄evastated public schools鈥� in the 28 states that have embraced the policy.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 really just a talking point from the status quo,鈥� Frendewey said.
