Why I Oppose Vouchers

I oppose vouchers for several reasons. 

First, vouchers drain public dollars into private schools with no transparency. Private schools receiving voucher funds are not required to admit all students, are not required to serve students with disabilities, are not accountable to taxpayers, do not follow state curriculum or assessment standards and do not report outcomes publicly. Public schools must serve every child. Voucher schools can, and do, exclude.

Second, vouchers weaken rural communities. In rural Texas, the public school is often the largest employer, the center of community life, and an anchor for families. Vouchers pull funding from these schools without offering real alternatives.

Third, vouchers do not improve outcomes. Research from multiple states shows voucher programs do not improve academic achievement and often harm it. If the goal is better outcomes, we should invest in what evidence shows works.

Fourth, vouchers accelerate privatization and inequity.

Finally, we simply cannot afford to fund two separate systems. We already underfund the system we have. Creating a parallel, privatized system would raise costs, reduce services, harm taxpayers, and leave students behind.

We need to strengthen our public schools, not strip them. We can strengthen our schools by investing in success, not segregation. We should fund innovations based on research, student needs, and real learning outcomes.  At the very least, we need to invest in a rich curriculum, teacher development, student wellness, special education, community schools, and more diverse learning experience for students. These types of investments are proven to help all children be successful, not just a privileged few.

➡️ Read more about my position on Texas education issues: https://www.victorsampson.org/issues-and-positions

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