AUTHOR: Mary Dupuis, AAUW State College Public Policy Co-Chair
Carline Crevecoeur, AAUW State College Education Committee member
EMAIL: (Submitter) Connie Schroeder, connieschroeder@gmail.com
PHONE: (814) 360-4810
AGENCY: AAUW State College
ARTICLE:
The impact of vouchers on public schools is under discussion today. The top concern is taking funds away from public schools and giving them to non-public schools. AAUW State College is sponsoring a public program on this topic to give all community members an opportunity to learn more about it. We are interested in the funding issues because they affect all tax payers and we are interested in accountability.
The program will be held on Thursday, September 26, from 6:30 to 8 pm, in-person, at the College Township Municipal Building, 1481 East College Avenue, State College. For those unable to attend in-person, the program will also be held via Zoom. All attendees are asked to register in advance of the program, no later than September 24. They may register online at bit.ly/SchoolVouchersRegistration or, by visiting the AAUW State College website, aauwstatecollege.org, at Coming Events.
In general, school voucher programs lack accountability and benefit private schools. There is much more to consider as this topic is explored. In a June 2024 report - bit.ly/SchoolVouchers-Accountability - issued by the Keystone Research Center, the primary findings about voucher programs in Pennsylvania were as follows:
· Pennsylvania’s existing voucher programs fund private and religious schools that are
expensive, discriminatory, and exclusive
· Students do not benefit equally from voucher programs
· Students in rural communities do not have access
· Private schools receiving vouchers discriminate
· Vouchers subsidize elite and expensive schools
· Who qualifies for vouchers and which schools will accept particular students is at issue
Program speakers include Susan Spicka, Executive Director, Education Voters PA, and Sandra Miller, Advocacy Director, Education Voters PA and Public Policy Chair of AAUW Pennsylvania. AAUW State College member Carline Crevecoeur will serve as program moderator and lead the Q&A session.
Our main goal should be to improve our public education system, rather than dismantling it in favor of privatization plans that fail to support many children. For further information or questions, contact education@aauwstatecollege.org.
Submitted by Mary Dupuis, AAUW State College Public Policy Co-Chair, and
Carline Crevecoeur, AAUW State College Education Committee
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