Network for Public Education Releases Report on the Expansion of Privatized Alternatives to Public Schools

This week, the Network for Public Education released a new report titled “Public Schooling in America: Measuring Each State’s Commitment to Democratically Governed Schools.” This new resource examines the expansion of privatized alternatives to public school systems across the nation, ranking all states and the District of Columbia by their resistance to the privatization of public education through school choice programs like charter schools and voucher programs. According to the report, states’ resistance to privatization has diminished since 2018, jeopardizing the civil rights of student. The report utilizes anecdotal evidence and data to explain the damaging effects of voucher and charter programs such as education savings accounts and tuition tax-credit scholarship programs on students’ rights. To exemplify this point, the report details the case of an Arizona mother who qualifies for $40,000 a year in school vouchers and has a child with disabilities. Unfortunately, schools in the area refuse to accommodate her child due to the associated expenses unless she relinquishes rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The analysis also uncovered a lack of safeguards within state voucher programs for students with LGBTQ+ and religious status. 

Read more here.