Protect public education! Say NO to vouchers!

As a constituent, I strongly urge you not to use the budget reconciliation bill to create a voucher scheme that diverts $4 billion every year in public funding to private and religious schools that are not accountable to the public. Voters all across America have rejected voucher schemes every time they’re on the ballot—17 times—for good reason. Vouchers weaken the public schools that educate 90 percent of our students, including 95 percent of students with disabilities. Vouchers do NOT work in the rural communities where public schools are also economic centers. Vouchers do NOT improve student performance—in fact, large-scale independent studies show, they’ve done the opposite in the District of Columbia, Indiana, Louisiana, and Ohio. Students who attend private schools lose important legal rights and protections—an especially serious concern for students with special needs. America cannot afford to fund two education systems—one private and one public. Taxpayer dollars should go to public schools open to all students, not private schools that can pick and choose their students. Please do not include a voucher scheme in the budget reconciliation bill.