Another warning about tax-credit scholarships and other neo-vouchers, this one from Florida. Stories like this are part of why we believe bills attempting to establish or expand these programs need to have standards and accountability provisions.
“I recently received a call from a community partner in the south end of Miami-Dade County about a Mom in need of support. Impressed by glossy ads for a small, local private school, she had enrolled her two children a few years ago in a small private school using one of Florida’s many “scholarships.” These vouchers were specifically for low-income parents to send their children to private schools, and it seems like a perfect fit…they made it work, thinking this was the best choice for her children.
Then Mom learned painfully what thousands of other Florida parents and education advocates have been saying for years…
- Scholarship voucher programs never fund educational expenses entirely, unfairly shifting the educational expense to parents.
- Parents don’t know if their child is receiving an adequate education because private schools aren’t required to use certified teachers, teach from an approved curriculum, and the children don’t have to take state standardized tests.
The community agency that contacted me operates an afterschool program. When the children entered the program the previous school year, they quickly noticed that they were both very far behind academically.”
Originally posted to Facebook 2/2/2021.