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
Court Bars Tennessee From Starting School Voucher Program
A court said legislators violated the state's constitution when they passed a law that targeted specific areas to be included in the program without local consent.
Education
Special Education Teachers a New Focus for Betsy DeVos Voucher Push
The proposed priority for special education grants is the latest push by the U.S. Secretary of Education to embed more choice for students and educators in federal K-12 funding.
School Climate & Safety
Opinion
The Coronavirus Just Might End School Privatization Nonsense
The pandemic has boosted appreciation for public schools; the next step is greater funding, argues education historian and activist Diane Ravitch.
School Choice & Charters
LGBTQ Issues Roil Florida School-Choice Debate
As lawmakers weigh expansion of the state’s voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs, some renew a push for anti-discrimination protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.
School Choice & Charters
What the Research Says
What Happened to Students Left Behind as Florida Expanded Its Voucher Program?
The nation's largest tax-credit scholarship program doesn't seem to have hurt the academics of students who remain in public schools, a new study shows.
School Choice & Charters
From Our Research Center
Private School Choice Programs Fall Short on Transparency, Accountability
Education Week finds that few of the nearly 30 states with programs that pay tuition at private schools or tax-credits to incentivize businesses and individuals to do so require private schools to follow standard policies used to ensure transparency and accountability in the nation’s public schools.
Federal
Democrats Press D.C. Voucher Program for Information on Student Civil Rights
Lawmakers' concerns come as the Trump administration seeks to boost private school choice programs through a federal tax credit.
Federal
Trump Touts Tax-Break Plan in State of the Union Address
In his State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump urged passage of a $5 billion federal program that would provide tax-credits to cover the cost of private school scholarships.
Equity & Diversity
Church-Run Charter Schools? Supreme Court Argument Stirs the Discussion
Could a U.S. Supreme Court case clear the way for charter schools run by religious organizations? Justice Stephen Breyer raised the question this week.
Families & the Community
Reported Essay
Why Don't Parents Always Choose the Best Schools?
School quality isn’t always the primary driver of parent decisionmaking. So what is?
School Choice & Charters
Betsy DeVos Tests a Rhetorical Twist on 'School Choice'
The education secretary has been pushing the theme of "educational freedom," a rebranding that suggests options like mixing and matching components to build an educational experience from scratch.
School Climate & Safety
Democrats Vying for President Make Pitches to Teachers' Union
Three presidential candidates have pledged to nominate a teacher to the Education Secretary position during a National Education Association forum.
School Choice & Charters
Despite Fierce Teacher Opposition, West Virginia House Votes to Allow Charter Schools
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed its version of a sweeping education omnibus bill, which would allow the state's first charter schools.
Federal
Timeline: Party Platforms & Charter Schools
A look at the two major political parties' platforms since the first charter school law was passed shows how Democrats' positions on school choice have evolved, including increased calls for accountability.