House Education Committee Holds Hearing on School Choice

On Tuesday, the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on  Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing, "Education Without Limits: Exploring the Benefits of School Choice." Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Kiley (R-CA) lamented, "The 'Nation's Report Card' paints an alarming picture: math and reading scores continue to decline despite a steady increase in overall spending." He presented school choice as an opportunity to improve the education system for all children and focused on charter schools as a public choice option and private school vouchers. Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) expressed her support for public school choice options and opposition to vouchers because "Public schools serve the needs of every child, regardless of background or income. That's why we need to protect public education and, importantly, funding for public education, from "voucher scams" that funnel taxpayer dollars into private institutions. Witnesses largely focused on private school vouchers, and the question-and-answer session proved contentious and divisive along party lines. CEC has a position statement against private school vouchers because rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act are not enforceable in the private school setting.

To view that position statement, go here.

To view the hearing, go here.

To take action in opposition to private school vouchers, go here.