Vouchers
Education news, analysis, and opinion about public funding which can be used to fund students’ private school tuition
What Are School Vouchers and How Do They Work?
Few topics in education incite as much debate as vouchers, which steer public money to families to pay for students to attend private school
School Choice & Charters
From Charter Schools to Vouchers: School Choice Bills to Watch This Year
Although Betsy DeVos' confirmation as education secretary highlighted the debates over school vouchers and charter schools, it's in statehouses where most school choice education policy is made.
Equity & Diversity
Letter to the Editor
School Diversity Unites Students
To the Editor:
John B. King Jr., the former U.S. secretary of education, made an excellent point ("A Dispatch From the Outgoing Education Secretary," Jan. 18, 2017) when he wrote: "Diversity helps more children succeed, broadens their perspectives, and prepares them for the global workforce. I am convinced the growing conflicts in this country over race, religion, and language would be profoundly reduced if our children learned and played alongside classmates who are different from themselves and if they encountered diverse teachers and leaders in their schools."
John B. King Jr., the former U.S. secretary of education, made an excellent point ("A Dispatch From the Outgoing Education Secretary," Jan. 18, 2017) when he wrote: "Diversity helps more children succeed, broadens their perspectives, and prepares them for the global workforce. I am convinced the growing conflicts in this country over race, religion, and language would be profoundly reduced if our children learned and played alongside classmates who are different from themselves and if they encountered diverse teachers and leaders in their schools."
Federal
Governors, State Lawmakers Roll Out School Choice Proposals
Republican-led legislatures are considering charter school and voucher bills at the state level even as a high-profile school choice proponent takes the helm of the U.S. Department of Education.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Q&A With Nancy Faust Sizer: 'The Whole Country Has to Care'
After 33 years, the progressive Coalition of Essential Schools shutters its national operations, and Nancy Faust Sizer looks ahead.
Student Achievement
Opinion
Six Questions That Counter the Fear of Vouchers
Even if speaking up and fighting against vouchers is your calling ( and we need voices doing that) , it is still worth looking inward.
School Choice & Charters
School Choice Advocate Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Next Education Secretary
Billionaire school choice advocate Betsy DeVos squeaked across the finish line to win Senate confirmation as President Donald Trump's secretary of education, with Vice President Mike Pence breaking the tie.
Federal
Big Stakes for K-12 as Federal Budget Process Gears Up
As Congress and President Donald Trump seek to break years of fiscal gridlock, there are conflicting signals on the education impact of any big domestic spending cuts that may result.
Federal
Opinion
How to Pick a Better Ed. Secretary Than Betsy DeVos
The Trump administration and Congress can do better than Betsy DeVos for ed. secretary, writes Kevin Kumashiro.
Education Funding
Charter School Booster and Billionaire, Eli Broad, Urges Senators to Drop DeVos
In a letter to the Senate majority and minority leaders, Eli Broad urged them to reject fellow billionaire and school choice advocate Betsy DeVos' nomination.
Classroom Technology
Betsy DeVos Answers Questions to Key Democratic Concerns on School Choice
Although the Senate education committee voted to approve Betsy DeVos' nomination as education secretary, she has faced many questions from Democrats on her support for school choice.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Move Beyond 'Good Enough' and Vouchers and Charters Won't Matter
When attention turns to measuring the factors that contribute to successful learning, people will feel better about their schools, and want to support them as far more than 'good enough'.
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Choice, Vouchers and the Trump Education Agenda
Marc Tucker looks at what the world's top performers tell us about the school choice agenda likely to be pursued by President Trump and his Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos.
School Choice & Charters
School Choice Week Offers Republicans Chance to Rally Support for DeVos
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and other GOP lawmakers said they're confident the nominee for education secretary will be confirmed despite opposition from Democrats and others.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
Fla. High Court Tosses Voucher-Program Suit
A bitter feud over Florida's largest private school voucher program ended last week when the state supreme court declined to hear a lawsuit challenging a program used by nearly 98,000 schoolchildren.