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Opinion | Public dollars, public schools. Michigan must reject tax credit vouchers
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Every Michigan parent wants the same thing: safe, welcoming schools where their children can learn, grow and develop the skills they need to succeed in life. As Hazel Park superintendent, I see that commitment every day in our classrooms from our dedicated educators who work tirelessly to support all of our students, despite facing significant challenges from funding cuts to staff shortages and ever increasing demands on our teachers.
At a time when we should be investing more in students, educators and neighborhood schools, I stand with Michigan Education Justice Coalition (MEJC) and call on our state government to opt out of the federal “tax credit scholarship” program, which lays the groundwork for a nationwide voucher system.
Revenue shortfalls, persistent teacher shortages, and aging facilities are compounded by inconsistent budgeting decisions in Lansing and Washington, as well as budget debates that often drag on long after school leaders are required to make critical decisions about staffing, programs and services.
Michigan voters have already rejected voucher schemes because they understand a fundamental truth: Public schools educate every child who walks through their doors. Private schools do not.
Don’t be fooled. Although proponents spin it as expanding educational opportunity, this voucher program would redirect public resources away from the neighborhood schools that serve every child and toward private institutions that are not held to the same standards of accountability, transparency, or commitment to serving all students.
Public schools are required by law to serve students with disabilities, English language learners, students experiencing poverty and students who need additional academic, behavioral, or mental health support. Public schools accept all students regardless of race, gender, income, religion or disability status.
Students with disabilities, and the public schools who serve them, will bear some of the biggest consequences. Public schools are legally required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to provide services and accommodations. Private schools receiving public voucher funding do not have the same responsibility and yet will divert public resources away from neighborhood schools.
The proposal also raises serious concerns about equity and accountability.
Research from states that have expanded voucher programs shows that these systems often increase segregation rather than expand educational opportunities. Since most vouchers do not cover the full cost of tuition, transportation, fees, and other expenses, lower-income families often remain unable to access the schools supposedly available to them. Rural areas often do not even have private schools yet this program would still siphon off their funding.Â
Public schools are subject to stringent transparency requirements, undergo annual audits, publish budgets, comply with open meetings laws, report student outcomes and answer directly to locally elected school boards. Conversely, private schools typically operate with far less transparency than public schools. Even as they benefit from public funding, private schools and scholarship-granting organizations in voucher systems are often subject to far fewer accountability requirements than public schools.
The strong research on voucher program outcomes is also sobering. Multiple studies have found little evidence of consistent academic improvement and, in some cases, significant declines in student achievement among students who leave public schools for voucher-funded options.
If our goal is helping students succeed, we should invest in approaches that are proven to work.
Michigan schools need stable and predictable funding to invest in educators and high quality programming. In Hazel Park, funding needs to be focused on hiring and retaining teachers with equitable salaries and programs for our students.
Community-governed public schools are the heart of healthy communities where our kids build skills for their careers and learn how to be civically engaged. Our state should continue to strengthen public education, not create new pathways to privatize it. The future of Michigan depends on the success of all our children. The best way to ensure that success is by investing in the public schools that serve every one of them.
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