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States with Publicly-FundedPrivate School Choice Programs
DEMD
GA
VAUT
RICT
NJDC
NM
FL
AZ
NV
LA
CO
WY
SC
IA
WI
INOH
PA
NH
IL
VT
CA
ND
MI
AL
ID SD
NE
MT
WA
OR
KS
OK
TX
AR
MO
MNNY
ME
NC
WV
MA
KY
TN
MS
HI
AK
Voucher Programs
In a voucher program, the public funds that would have been spent on a child’s behalf at a public school follow that child to the private school of their parents’ choice.
Scholarship Tax Credit Programs
In a scholarship tax credit program, individuals or corporations donate funds to a charitable organization that provides scholarships for children to attend the private school of their parent’s choice. In turn, the state gives these donors a tax credit worth up to 100% of their contribution.
Note: The scholarships are provided using private funds.
Parental Tax Credit Programs
In a parental tax credit program, the state provides parents who send their children to private schools with a tax credit that reimburses them for some of the costs for educating their children.
Note: Middle class and wealthier parents are most able to benefit from a parental tax credit unless the tax credits are made refundable.
Education Savings Accounts
In an ESA program, the state puts funds that would have been spent on the child’s behalf at a public school into an account that the parents control. The parents may spend the money as they see fit on their child’s education.
Note: ESA’s give parents the greatest amount of choice in designing their child’s education. In fact, unspent funds can be saved to pay for college.
Legislative Progress for School Choice Legislation
Number of states that have passed legislation out of at least one chamber
Number of chambers that have passed choice legislation
DEMD
GA
VAUT
RICT
NJDC
NM
FL
AZ
NV
LA
CO
WY
SC
IA
WI
INOH
PA
NH
IL
VT
CA
ND
MI
AL
ID SD
NE
MT
WA
OR
KS
OK
TX
AR
MO
MNNY
ME
NC
WV
MA
KY
TN
MS
HI
AK
Passed ONE Legislative House
Passed TWO Legislative Houses10
2
Legislative Progress 2013
Legislative Trends
Bigger, Bolder Programs•Indiana•Louisiana•Arizona•Ohio?•North Carolina?
More Bipartisan Support•Florida•North Carolina•Iowa
Democratic Support in 2006
Democrat
Republican
Dem/Rep Tie
STATE LEGISLATION GOVERNOR HOUSE SENATEAZ Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Improvements Democrat Republican Republican
Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Enacted Democrat Republican Republican
Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Expanded Democrat Republican Republican
Vouchers for Foster Children Enacted Democrat Republican Republican
Vouchers for Special Needs Students Enacted Democrat Republican Republican
FL Accountability and Voucher Fix Republican Republican Republican
OH Eligibility Expansion for Ed Choice Scholarships Republican Republican Republican
IA Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Enacted Democrat Republican Dem/Rep Tie
PA Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Expanded Democrat Republican Republican
RI Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Enacted Republican Democrat Democrat
UT Improvement to Special Needs Voucher Republican Republican Republican
WI MPCP Expansion and Accountability Democrat Republican Republican
Democratic Support in 2007
STATE LEGISLATION GOVERNOR HOUSE SENATE
AZ Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Expanded Democrat Republican Republican
GA Special Needs Scholarship Enacted Republican Republican Republican
IA Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Expanded Democrat Democrat Democrat
PA Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Expanded Democrat Democrat Republican
RI Eligibility Expansion for Donors Republican Democrat Democrat
UT Statewide Means-Tested Voucher Enacted Republican Republican Republican
Democrat
Republican
Democratic Support Growing
• Between 2006-2010, a majority of the school choice bills
enacted into law had the support of a Democratic Governor or a
Democratic Legislative house.
• Since 2006, seven Democratic Governors have enacted fifteen
school choice bills.
• Since 2006, 14 legislative chambers with Democratic majorities
adopted school choice bills.
Democratic Governors who approved school choice measures
AZ Janet Napolitano 6 bills 2006, 2007, 2008
IA Tom Vilsack 1 Bill 2006
IA Chet Culver 2 Bills 2007, 2009
NC Beverly Perdue 1 Bill 2011
PA Ed Rendell 3 Bills 2006, 2007, 2008
WI Jim Doyle 1 Bill 2006
OK Brad Henry 1 Bill 2010
Democratic legislative majorities that approved school choice bills
Democratic House Democratic Senate
Rhode Island
Iowa
Pennsylvania
Louisiana
Indiana
US House
Rhode Island
Iowa
New Mexico
Louisiana
Maryland
Oklahoma (Tied)
Illinois
US Senate
Continued Progress with Democrats since 2010
In Florida, 46% of the Democrats voted to dramatically expand the scholarship tax credit program. Plus, an expansion of the special needs scholarship program was authored by Democrats in both houses—and passed with a majority of Democrats on board.
Continued Progress with Democrats since 2010
• In the 2010 Pennsylvania race for Governor, both the Republican and Democratic nominees supported a voucher proposal by Democratic State Senator Anthony Williams.
Continued Progress with Democrats since 2010
• In North Carolina in 2011, a special needs education tax credit passed the House 94-20 and the Senate 44-5 with 65% of the Democrats voting in favor.
• In 2013, the statewide voucher legislation was authored by two Democrats and two Republicans.
• In 2013, the House passed a special needs voucher unanimously.
Continued Progress with Democrats since 2010
•In Iowa in 2013, both house of the legislature passed an expansion of their scholarship tax credit program unanimously.
•In Louisiana, the legislature created a statewide voucher program with a strong bi-partsan vote.
•In Ohio, Democratic votes helped keep a new statewide voucher program in the budget and two Democrats are the authors of a new scholarship tax credit proposal.
•In Rhode Island, the Democratic Speaker Pro Tem is the author of a statewide voucher proposal.
Continued Progress with Democrats since 2010
• In Washington DC in 2011, President Obama signed a 5 year extension and a major expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship Program as part of the bipartisan budget agreement.
Diane Feinstein (CA)
Joseph Lieberman (CT)
Bill Nelson (FL)
Mark Warner (VA)
Robert Byrd (WV)
Democratic U. S. Senators Who Voted for DC Vouchers
Continued Progress with Democrats since 2010
“What is everybody scared of? The real goal of education, ought to be to provide a number of different choices for youngsters so you can see where they learn best and then enable them to be in that situation."
Senator Diane FeinsteinU. S. Senate Floor Debate
March 22, 2010
Dr. Patrick J. WolfPrincipal Investigator for
US DOEd Study
"The D.C. voucher program has proven to be the most effective education policy evaluated by the federal government's official education research arm so far.“ (2009)
The Research is In
Lessons Learned
Most initial school choice victories come as part of a larger legislative package or deal—not as separate legislation.
States with Publicly-CreatedPrivate School Choice Programs
DEMD
GA
VAUT
RICT
NJDC
NM
FL
AZ
NV
LA
CO
WY
SC
IA
WI
INOH
PA
NH
IL
VT
CA
ND
MI
AL
ID SD
NE
MT
WA
OR
KS
OK
TX
AR
MO
MNNY
ME
NC
WV
MA
KY
TN
MS
HI
AK
Role of GOP in InitialSchool Choice Victories
State Year Governor House Senate
Wisconsin 1990 Republican Democrat Democrat
Ohio 1995 Republican Republican Republican
Arizona 1997 Republican Republican Republican
Florida 1999 Republican Republican Republican
Pennsylvania 2001 Republican Republican Republican
Washington, DC 2004 Republican* Republican Republican
Utah 2005 Republican Republican Republican
Iowa 2006 Democrat Republican Rep/Dem**
Rhode Island 2006 Republican Democrat Democrat
Georgia 2007 Republican Republican Republican
Louisiana 2008 Republican Democrat Democrat
Indiana 2009 Republican Democrat Republican
Oklahoma 2010 Democrat Republic Democrat
North Carolina 2011 Democrat Republican Republican
Virginia 2012 Republican Republican Republican
* Obviously, in the case of the federal government, the chief executive is the President.** In Iowa, the Republicans and Democrats were tied in the Senate but the Senate Democrat Leader was the key advocate
for school choice.
Lessons Learned
The most recent victories in these states were legislatively driven:
Arizona
Florida
Georgia
Iowa
Oklahoma
New Hampshire
Alabama
Initial School Choice Victory
Date State Legislation Program Type
1990 WI Milwaukee Parental Choice Program Voucher
1995 OH Cleveland Scholarship and Tutoring Program Voucher
1997 AZ Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Scholarship Tax Credit
1999 FL A+ Opportunity Scholarship Program Voucher
2001 PA Educational Improvement Tax Credit Scholarship Tax Credit
2004 DC Opportunity Scholarship Program Voucher
2005 UT Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship Special Needs Voucher
2006 IA Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Scholarship Tax Credit
2006 RI Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Program Scholarship Tax Credit
2007 GA Special Needs Scholarship Program Special Needs Voucher
2008 LAStudent Scholarships for Educational Excellence Program (New Orleans)
Voucher
2009 IN Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program Scholarship Tax Credit
2010 OK Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Special Needs Voucher
2011 NC Tax Credits for Children with Disabilities Parental Tax Credit
2012 VA Education Improvement Scholarships Tax Credits Scholarship Tax Credit
2012 MS Dyslexia Therapy Scholarship Program Special Needs Voucher
Birth Order in States with Multiple Programs
State Date Program Type
Arizona 1997 Individual School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Scholarship Tax Credit
2006 Corporate School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Scholarship Tax Credit
2006 Scholarship for Pupils with Disabilities Special Needs Voucher
2006 Displaced Pupils Choice Grant Program Voucher
2011 Arizona Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Education Savings Account
Florida 1999 A+ Scholarship Program Voucher
1999 John M. McKay Scholarship for Students with Disabilities Special Needs Voucher
2001 Corporate Scholarship Tax Credit Program Scholarship Tax Credit
Ohio 1995 Scholarship and Tutoring Program Voucher
2003 Autism Scholarship Program Special Needs Voucher
2006 Educational Choice Scholarship Program Voucher
Georgia 2007 Georgia Special Needs Scholarship Program Special Needs Voucher
2008 Corporate and Individual Scholarship Tax Credit Program Scholarship Tax Credit
Louisiana 2008 Student Scholarships for Educational Excellence Voucher
2010School Choice Pilot Program for Students with Exceptionalities
Special Needs Voucher
2012 Scholarship Tax Rebate Program Scholarship Tax Credit
Legislative Trends
The laboratories of democracy are creating new versions of private school choice:
Foster Children Pre-KFailing Schools AutismDyslexia Military Families
And now, Education Savings Accounts!
49
Our Most Effective Messages
#1 Every child has the right to a good education.
• It is a civil right of every child to have the opportunity to receive a quality education. (LA - 97%)
• It shouldn’t matter what neighborhood a child lives in or how much money their parents make. All children should have an equal opportunity to get the same quality education. (LA -97%)
• Every child should have the same opportunity for a quality education regardless of the parent’s financial situation. (MO – 93%)
50
Our Most Effective Messages
#2 Children shouldn’t have to wait for their local school to get better.
• “Vouchers provide an immediate path for children from low income families in failing schools to access a better education.”
74% Likely Voters 79% Latino Voters
• “Opportunity scholarship programs give children from low income families a way out of failing schools so they are not forced to wait indefinitely for their local schools to improve. Students should not be sentenced to a poor education based upon their zip code.”
70% Likely Voters 74% Latino Voters
51
Our Most Effective Messages
#3 More options will help reduce the dropout rate.
• “America is facing a massive dropout crisis. We need all options on the table to help every child graduate from high school. More parental choices will reduce the dropout rate.”
66% Likely Voters 73% Latino Voters
52
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#1 School choice steals resources from traditional public schools.
• “Vouchers take money from public schools and give it to private and religious schools. Schools cannot improve if they are forced to make do with less valuable resources each year.”
47% Likely Voters 58% Latino Voters
53
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#1 School choice steals resources from traditional public schools.
Potential Responses• Factual Response: Actually, studies have shown that school
choice programs save money and therefore there is more money left per student in the public schools.
• Emotional Response: We are making a public investment in the future of every child no matter which school their parent chooses.
The money belongs to the families and not the schools.
54
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#2 School choice programs are not accountable.
• “Private schools do not have the same accountability or standards as public schools. We need more transparency in public schools, not a separate system that is exempt from the rules.”
48% Likely Voters 44% Latino Voters
55
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#2 School choice programs are not accountable.
Potential Responses• Factual Response: By law, school choice programs must provide
taxpayers with financial and academic accountability.
• Emotional Response: The strictest accountability comes from giving parents the ability to choose which school their child attends. If the private school doesn’t do a good job, the parent can take their money to some other school. Public schools that do a bad job never close.
56
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#3 Vouchers are unconstitutional.
• “Vouchers are a back door way to use tax dollars to pay for Catholic schools and other religious schools and are a violation of the separation of church and state. Taxpayers should not have to pay for the religious education of other students.”
45% Likely Voters 47% Latino Voters
57
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#3 Vouchers are unconstitutional.
Potential Responses• Factual Response: Both the US Supreme Court and the Arizona
Supreme Court have found school choice programs to be constitutional.
58
What the Public Doesn’t Know
The public does not know that the US Constitution allows public funds to be used to attend private schools.
When told of the U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting this, they overwhelmingly support it
59
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#4 School choice programs help the best kids escape and leave the public schools worse.
• “Vouchers only work to move motivated students and parents out of public schools and into private ones. This further diminishes the quality of public schools, leaving the schools in a worse situation than they were before.”
43% Likely Voters 48% Latino Voters
60
Our Opponent’s Most Effective Arguments
#4 School choice programs help the best kids escape and leave the public schools worse.
Potential Responses• Factual Response: Actually, studies have shown that kids who are
failing in school or poor are the ones most likely to use school choice to leave their public school.
• Emotional Response: Common sense tells you parents won’t take their child out of a public school where all the friends go if they are doing well. They will only make that choice if the school is failing them.
Drafting Effective School Choice Legislation
The scholarship should be large enough so families can afford a wide range of choices.
• We suggest the scholarship should be tied to school costs not school tuition.
• Legislators may wish to means-test the scholarship amount.
Drafting Effective School Choice Legislation
The school choice program must be large enough to create a vigorous market of consumers (students) and producers (schools).
•There must be enough students and schools in a geographically concentrated area to produce a well-functioning competitive market.
•Milwaukee has over 20,000 students choosing from 127 private schools in a single city.
Drafting Effective School Choice Legislation
The scholarship should make the public or private school of choice affordable for all parents.
• Experience suggests that most families do not have the financial ability to choose private schooling until the family income reaches about $75,000. Do not make the income eligibility guidelines too low.
• We recommend that states determine program eligibility using a multiple of the national income guidelines for the Free and Reduced Price lunch program.
Drafting Effective School Choice Legislation
The market needs stability/certainty to thrive.
• Make sure that a child‘s qualification for the program lasts for the length of their schooling.
• Avoid creating “pilot programs” or program sunsets.
Drafting Effective School Choice Legislation
Require administrative, financial and academic accountability.
•As stewards of public funds, legislators should rightly require financial and administrative accountability for participating schools.
•Academic accountability is best achieved by providing clear and consistent information about the academic performance of participating students to both parents and policymakers.
•Educational achievement (Testing)
•Educational attainment (Continuation, Graduation, College Acceptance and Attendance, etc.)
Drafting Effective School Choice Legislation
The program should make it easy for families and schools to participate.
•Application and eligibility demonstration should be simple for parents and public financing mechanics should be simple for schools.
•Vouchers are the best financing mechanism for both schools and parents. Tax credits should be refundable and assignable.
How to Lobby the Legislature
Contact Them.
Legislators are often like the Maytag repairman.
• If they get a dozen calls or letters on an issue it’s like a revolt. You have more clout than you know.
• There are some exceptions, but on most issues legislators get almost no contacts from real people.
How to Lobby the Legislature
Contact Them.
The more personal the contact the better.
• Legislators get pretty good at ignoring pre-printed postcards and form letters.
• Individual letters, personal calls or visits carry much more weight.
How to Lobby the Legislature
The Legislative Hotline Number is Not 911.
Don’t call only when you’re in trouble.
Establish a personal relationship.• Invite your legislator on a tour.• Show up at office hours• Show up at the legislator’s events • Volunteer to work with your legislator
How to Lobby the Legislature
The Facts Beat Money or Drinks.
• Establish credibility through your existing relationship.
• Present your case in a well-summarized factual way.
• Never lie. Credibility is hard to gain but very easy to lose.
How to Lobby the Legislature
The Facts Beat Money or Drinks.
• Anticipate problems and responses. Show that you understand the choice your lawmaker faces.
• Look for ways to develop solutions not to identify problems. (Be a problem solver not another problem.)
How to Lobby the Legislature
Don’t Threaten. Be Polite.
• “I will never vote for you again.” or “I will organize a campaign against you.” are not things that will make lawmakers eager to work with you in the future.
• If you burn bridges, don’t expect to use them in the future. Despite today’s disagreement you will want or need to work together on another issue tomorrow.
How to Lobby the Legislature
Help Legislators to Succeed and to Look Good.
•Make it in your legislator’s self-interest to work with you.
•Use things like ribbon cuttings, check presentations, newsletters, organization meetings, etc. as a way to give recognition to lawmakers working with you.
How to Lobby the Legislature
You Must be Present to Win.
•Labor and Environmental groups often beat business groups at the state capitol because business folks view politics as a dirty business to be avoided, labor and environmentalists see it as a way to achieve their goals.
•You are able to see impacts of legislation that legislators might miss. If you are involved and engaged you can head off bad changes before they happen.
How to Lobby the Legislature
You Must be Present to Win.
•The most effective presence you can have at the Capitol is to have one of your folks elected to office. There is no substitute for being the “person in the room’ when decisions are being made.
How to Lobby the Legislature
Say Thank You.
• The two rarest words in politics are “thank you.”
• Legislators are human. If they hear “thank you” from you when they do something right, they are more likely to listen to the criticism from you when they do something wrong.