It's Time For Real School Choice In New York

School choice is a nationwide movement that empowers parents by enabling them to make the best possible choice for their children's education. In short, it puts power in the hands of parents to decide which type of education best fits the needs of their particular child – whether that is a public, private or religious institution, or educating their child at home.

School choice also protects parents' constitutional rights to direct their children's upbringing in accordance with the values, principles and religious convictions they hold dear.

Private school choice refers to publicly funded scholarship programs that redirect the flow of education funding to individual families rather than to government schools. In other words, the money now follows the child rather than a bureaucracy. Under these programs, parents can apply for scholarships that allow them to send their child to a private school of their choice, including religious ones.

Without school choice scholarships, parents who want their kids to go to a private school would have to, in essence, double pay. In other words, they would pay for a private education while also paying taxes that go toward public education. It would level the playing field for families of different incomes by allowing parents to redirect their tax dollars toward schools of their choice.

School Choice for New York State!

The Empirical Evidence on School Choice

A vast body of research shows educational choice programs improve academic outcomes for students and schools, saves taxpayers money, reduces segregation in schools and improves students’ civic values. The fourth edition of A Win-Win Solution: The Empirical Evidence on School Choice brings together 100 empirical studies on each of these essential questions in one comprehensive report. You can download the full report here.

It's time for New York State to get on the bandwagon with the 26 other states that have some form of School Choice program that allows parents to direct some of their school taxes as they see fit for the benefit of their children!

Parents Rally and Vote for School Choice!

Parents rise up in ‘14, elect educational choice
candidates nationwide

   

The 2014 midterm elections will go down in history as the election cycle in which parents rose up in support of educational choice. Prominent pro-educational choice gubernatorial candidates were elected and re-elected, as well as pro-educational choice legislators in states across the country. 

  

“There is an education revolution underway in this country, and yesterday parents rose up and embraced candidates who support educational choice,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children, the nation’s voice for educational choice. “On behalf of children in need of quality educational options everywhere, I want to especially recognize Gov. Scott Walker, Gov. John Kasich, and Gov. Rick Scott on their tremendous victories and congratulate the hundreds of pro-educational choice candidates nationwide who stood for principle and belief that parents know best.”

“Our movement is truly in a David-and-Goliath matchup in terms of spending, but what we lack in dollars, our movement makes up for in robust support from parents nationwide,” said Kevin Chavous, Executive Counsel to the American Federation for Children.

 

Tonight’s results demonstrate the power of parental choice and how voters rallied around candidates who support educational choice.

School Choice

The Wall Street Journal called this past year "The Year of School Choice." More than ever, we are seeing state governments pass legislation that allows you to take greater control of your children's education; providing parents with funds and opportunity to provide a better education.

At its heart, school choice is a revolutionary concept that places control into your and your students' hands. It does this by allowing parents to be consumers, so to speak—making schools accountable primarily to families. The idea is that since your tax dollars fund the school systems, you should have greater control over how your child's allotted educational funds are spent—that is, choosing where your children go to school.

As the year comes to an end and we look forward to 2012, please join me in praying for our schools and their staffs, and for the election of political leaders who will embrace the concept of school choice because they put the needs of the children first.


Grace and Peace,
Ed