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
Number of Students Using D.C. Vouchers Drops, Report Finds
The federal voucher program is getting "stiff competition" from the city's charters and from rapidly improving public schools, a report from the think tank FutureED reports.
Law & Courts
News in Brief
New Law Expanding Vouchers Placed on Hold in Arizona
Arizona's ambitious expansion of its school voucher program has officially been put on hold after opponents filed enough signatures to at least temporarily block the new law.
School & District Management
Why Has Charter School Popularity Suddenly Dropped Off?
Pollsters hypothesize that the causes may include changing dynamics within the Democratic Party, as well as high-profile debates over charter school expansion.
School Choice & Charters
Public Support for Charter Schools Plummets, Poll Finds
Support for charter schools has dropped significantly over the last year, while opposition to private-school choice programs has softened, according to a new public opinion poll from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
School Choice & Charters
Massive Expansion of Arizona School Choice Program Could be Blocked
A group that aims to halt a the expansion says it has collected enough signatures for a petition to stop the new law from taking effect.
Teaching Profession
CTQ Collaboratory
Is Public Education Valuable?
Public education gives students the diverse experiences and opportunities that may not be offered through school choice, writes Jessica Keigan.
Federal
3 Things to Watch for in DeVos' Speech to ALEC
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is scheduled to speak to state lawmakers and industry leaders at the American Legislative Exchange Council's annual meeting on Thursday. What will be her central message?
School Choice & Charters
School Vouchers Don't Exist in Texas. Republican Opposition Is the Reason.
Private school choice supporters continue to hit a wall of opposition made up by not only by Democrats, but also members of their own party. In particular, Republicans from rural areas.
School Choice & Charters
As Trump and DeVos Push for Private School Choice, Opponents Highlight Vouchers' Racist Past
School vouchers were used during the Jim Crow era to perpetuate segregation post Brown v. Board of Education, says a new report from the Center for American Progress.
School Choice & Charters
Q&A
Why We Should Expect More Lawsuits Over Private School Vouchers
Law professor Steven Green says that although the Supreme Court didn't blow the lid off of state constitutional bans on church aid, it did open the door a bit.
School Choice & Charters
School Voucher Advocates React to Supreme Court's Trinity Lutheran Ruling
For school voucher supporters hoping the Supreme Court's decision in the Trinity Lutheran case would dismantle major barriers to expanding voucher programs, Monday's ruling didn't offer much clarity.
School Choice & Charters
What Can New Voucher Studies Tell Us About Students With Disabilities?
One study shows that students with disabilities may see drops in academic achievement when they use private-school vouchers, and a second notes that students are more likely than peers to drop a special education label.
School Choice & Charters
Setback for Groundbreaking School Choice Program Could Have Broader Fall Out
Legal challenges and shifting politics have halted Nevada's groundbreaking education savings accounts program. Will pushback there spill over to other states?
School Choice & Charters
Opinion
Student Vouchers Aren't Working. Here's Why
There's a reason school voucher programs get less effective as they're scaled up, write two researchers.