Monthly Archives: May 2011

State Budget: Proposed Impact on School Vouchers

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The two-year state budget process is moving forward, and it is taking school vouchers forward with it.

Today, the Ohio Senate proposed the creation of a Special Education Scholarship, much to the delight of the many families who have been sharing their stories with legislators for the past several months and years. The Senate also maintained the school voucher expansions proposed in the Ohio House and Senate.

Senate’s Special Education Scholarship proposal:

  • For many years, parents of students with special needs have been asking for the same opportunities that students with autism already enjoy with the Autism Scholarship.
  • The Autism Scholarship is a proven program that is making a difference for students. This scholarship expands eligibility beyond just one type of disability.
  • A special education scholarship would allow any student with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to receive a voucher worth approximately 80% of their public school funding.
  • The program is capped at 5% of the students in the state with special needs which would provide just more than 13,000 scholarship opportunities statewide.

House of Representatives’ proposed expansions (proposed in April):

  • Increase the Cleveland voucher amount to parity with the EdChoice Scholarship. Cleveland vouchers are now worth $1,100-$1,900 less than EdChoice, just because they’re in a different city. The House proposal addresses this historical inequity.
  • Allow high school students to apply for a Cleveland voucher to address another historical inequity in the Cleveland voucher versus the EdChoice voucher – the inability of students of high school age to access a Cleveland voucher. The House proposal would allow Cleveland students in any grade to apply for a voucher.

Governor Kasich’s proposed expansions (proposed in March):

  • Expand eligibility for the EdChoice Scholarship by adding a 2nd definition of low-rated schools based on performance index score. This change is estimated to increase EdChoice eligibility by more than 60% from 85,000 to 140,000 students.
  • Quadruple the number of EdChoice Scholarships available to eliminate the current waiting list for families
  • Add a summer EdChoice application window to allow newly-eligible families to apply for the upcoming school year.

All of these proposals build on each other and would mean major increases in voucher eligibility for Ohio families. If all these changes pass, eligibility would nearly quadruple from 120,000 to 440,000 and the number of vouchers available in capped programs would increase from 20,000 to almost 80,000 spots.

Voucher Program Current Capacity Proposed Capacity Current Eligibility Proposed Eligibility
EdChoice Scholarship 14,000 60,000 85,000 140,000*
Special Education/Autism n/a 13,000 15,000 260,000
Cleveland voucher 6,000 6,000 26,000 40,000
Total: 20,000 79,000 121,000 440,000

* estimated

The state budget is required to be finalized by June 30, after the House and Senate hammer out the differences between their versions in June.

 

Senate Proposal Creates Special Education Scholarship Program

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The Ohio Senate’s budget proposal released today includes language that creates a special education scholarship program. A special needs voucher program has been discussed in the Statehouse for many years, and now with this action by the Senate, we are one step closer to making this a reality for Ohio families who have children with special needs.

The creation of a special education scholarship program would empower families of children with special needs to find the best learning environment for their child’s unique educational needs. These families would finally be able to access the same educational opportunities that students with autism have for the past eight years.

Scholarship amounts would be based on the student’s disability and associated educational needs. A portion of the money that would have been used to fund the child’s public education will follow the child to the private school. It is estimated that approximately 260,000 students with special needs would be eligible to receive a scholarship. The special needs scholarship program would allow up to five percent of the students with special needs, approximately 13,000 students statewide, to access the private educational providers of their choice.

Stay tuned as the Senate’s final budget will be determined next week.

“I Wish I Had a Choice” Barb’s Story

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While 20,000 students in Ohio are using a state voucher to attend the private school of their choice, many students are shut out because they do not meet the narrow eligibility guidelines of the current voucher programs. In this ongoing series, we share stories from just a few of the families who wish that they, too, had a choice.

I was very excited when I learned that my daughter was able to get an EdChoice Scholarship because the middle school she was enrolled in was failing.  I enrolled her in a private, Christian school, which she loves. It was a night-and-day difference from her previous school. She came home telling me about all the things she was learning that she hadn’t learned in public school. She also noticed the positive attitudes of students and staff. Rather than loud, rowdy students pushing their way through hallways, the students in her new school were quieter, more orderly, and full of joy.

I am so grateful to have the EdChoice scholarship for my oldest daughter, but I am very disappointed that my other children are not able to access that same opportunity because they are enrolled in a school that is not failing. Although their school is not in the lowest 5% of the state’s schools, it still is not the environment that I would choose for them or an environment that I feel is helping them reach their highest potential. I wish all my children could go to a private Christian school for free, not just one of my kids.  I hold onto that hope, wishing I had a choice.

When it rains it pours: House proposes new Tax Credit Scholarship

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We have exciting news from the Statehouse: Representatives Brenner (R) and Patmon (D) have introduced House Bill 242, scholarship tax credit legislation in the Ohio House today. The new program would give dollar-for-dollar tax credits to people and businesses that donate to nonprofit scholarship-granting organizations.

The bill is similar to legislation filed in the Senate by Senator Jordan (Senate Bill 88), but it uses a lower income threshold of 1.5 times reduced price lunch income guidelines ($61,000 for a family of 4). Both public school and private school students would be eligible to apply. The K-8 scholarship amount would be $4,250 and the high school max would be $7,000.

The bill came out of the gates with bipartisan support. Four Democrats have joined 16 Republicans as sponsor or cosponsor of HB 242. Here is a full list of the legislators that are signed on to support the tax credit scholarship proposal so far:

Sponsors: Representatives Brenner, Patmon

Cosponsors: Representatives Driehaus, Barnes, Butler, Maag, Newbold, Henne, Yuko, Young, Sears, Wachtmann, McClain, Huffman, Boose, Adams, J., Beck, Uecker, Stebelton, Blessing

Please take time to send these legislators thank you notes and encourage their support. Also, please take this opportunity to contact your local representatives and let them know that you hope they will vote “YES” on HB 242. You can find your legislators’ contact information at www.schoolchoiceadvocates.org.

This bill joins with several other major proposed expansions of school choice that are pending in the legislature (see here and here).

 

“I Wish I Had a Choice” Angela’s Story

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While 20,000 students in Ohio are using a state voucher to attend the private school of their choice, many students are shut out because they do not meet the narrow eligibility guidelines of the current voucher programs. In this ongoing series, we share stories from just a few of the families who wish that they, too, had a choice.

As a parent, I always see beyond my children’s disability to their potential.  I expect their educators to do the same.  Giving up on our most vulnerable is never an option.  It is my children’s hopes, goals and dreams that will motivate them to live a long, healthy life.  It is my responsibility to ensure they obtain the tools they need to help them reach these goals to the very best of their abilities.  Furthermore, I know that doing whatever necessary today to maintain their health and to keep them out of harm’s way will secure the promise of their tomorrows.

Our district’s attitude towards my children’s education is best summed up by the words of one of their own principals.  This is what he said to me after I confronted him about my concerns regarding the safety of the buildings as they relate to my children; concerns which, as I said, were shared by several of their own staff members:  “Ms. Dawson, I don’t know quite how to say this, but it doesn’t seem to matter what kind of accommodations we make for your kids, their outcome will still be the same and I’m sure you’ve thought about that.”  In other words, the district believes that it’s a waste of their time and energy to provide an education that my children will not be able to use since they are going to die anyway.

The education provided by this district is inadequate and the environment is both emotionally and physically toxic.  I believe that placing my children in the hands of individuals who believe that they are a waste of time, space and energy is neglectful and irresponsible and it’s simply not an option.  If any of their healthcare providers behaved as their educators have I would have run out the door and never looked back.  It simply isn’t right that I am not afforded that option when it comes to their education.  I shouldn’t have to fight this hard to protect my children from these horrors and it certainly should not cost us 4 years of our life.

It is clearly time to hold our districts accountable for their role in our children’s futures.  Giving parents a freedom to choose what’s best for their children is the first step to bringing that accountability. I’m thankful today that many of you are finally listening to the desperate cries of our exceptional children and their families.  And I’m hopeful that all of you will support this much-needed bill and the special education scholarship.

“I Wish I Had a Choice” Wallisha’s Story

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While 20,000 students in Ohio are using a state voucher to attend the private school of their choice, many students are shut out because they do not meet the narrow eligibility guidelines of the current voucher programs. In this ongoing series, we share stories from just a few of the families who wish that they, too, had a choice.

Like all parents, the quality of my child’s education is of utmost importance to me.  It is the duty of parents and politicians alike to place the education of the children of this state in its proper place as a priority and to find ways to achieve that goal that are cost effective for families as well as government.

When parents are given a choice of sending their children to an excellent school as opposed to an average or inadequate school, the choice is clear and obvious.  When government is given the choice of propelling its future generations’ education and potential for productivity forward through innovative programs such as the PACT Scholarship, as opposed to the status quo, the choice should be equally clear and obvious.  If the cost of such innovation is less to the family and to the state and will save hundreds of thousands of dollars as opposed to business as usual, then the choice should be clear and obvious.

Our children are our biggest investment and setting them up to succeed with a better quality of education today means that the workforce and business leaders of tomorrow will be better prepared to lead our communities, cities, state and country.  The fact that unused scholarship money can be applied towards a college education at an Ohio college, university, or post high school institution is a built-in incentive for students who would be less inclined to pursue higher learning for financial reasons.  It would also serve as proof positive that our school systems are truly invested in their future.

Parents Testify in Support of School Choice

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Parents and students from across Ohio offered testimony on Wednesday to the Senate Finance Committee in support of school choice expansion proposals in the state.

Below are excerpts from some of their testimony:

Testimony in support of creating a Special Needs Scholarship Program

“As a parent who knows first-hand the challenges of navigating the current educational options in our system, I can tell you that the creation of a Special Education Scholarship will open the doors for parents to finally have real options when it comes to the educational services for their children with Special Needs. Special Education is a service, not a location and I am just asking to have the opportunity to choose a better quality of service for my son. So many students have been excluded from choice for so long; please include the Special Education Scholarship in this bill.”
- Tera Myers, parent of a special needs student

“As a parent, I always see beyond my children’s disability to their potential and I expect their educators to do the same. It is clearly time to hold our districts accountable for their role in our children’s futures.  Giving parents a freedom to choose what’s best for their children is the first step to bringing that accountability.  I’m hopeful that all of you will support the creation of this much-needed scholarship.”
- Angela Dawson, parent of special needs students

“My mom and I should be able to choose what is best for me.  We should be able to decide which school is safe for my health and which school is better to help me learn and prepare me for college.  I want to be happy in school. You have the power to help make my dreams come true and make my life a little happier and easier.”
- Douglas Dawson, special needs student

“Please give my mom the right to choose what is best for my education so that I’ll have a long, happy and successful life.”
- Christian Dawson, special needs student

Testimony in support of proposals to expand existing school choice programs

“Thank you so much for the expansions to the EdChoice voucher that you are considering. I know it will help many families as it has helped mine. The EdChoice Scholarship means a lot to me and my family.”
- Boateng Ampomah, parent of EdChoice Scholarship recipients

“I want to share my support for the improvements made to the Cleveland voucher and the expansions to the EdChoice Scholarship. I use a Cleveland Voucher and it has been a wonderful gift. I believe that everyone should be able to have the opportunity to receive a voucher and to make a choice in where their children attend school. I hope you will support these voucher expansions because many children are suffering in the schools that they are in, and can and should be able to have a better education like my children receive.”
- Melissa West, parent of Cleveland Scholarship recipients

“I truly value the EdChoice Scholarship because it makes going to college a tangible goal for my children to achieve.  I urge you to support the expansions to EdChoice and any other eligibility expansions to let vouchers help more families.”
- Stacy Jeter, parent of EdChoice Scholarship recipients

SCO thanks all of our ambassadors for speaking out in support of these important proposals.

“I Wish I Had a Choice” Heather’s story

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While 20,000 students in Ohio are using a state voucher to attend the private school of their choice, many students are shut out because they do not meet the narrow eligibility guidelines of the current voucher programs. In this ongoing series, we share stories from just a few of the families who wish that they, too, had a choice.

All is not what it seems when it comes to “affording” private schools. People equate having children in private schools with having the means to pay tuition. I currently have my own children in Catholic school, but, NO, my husband and I actually don’t have any means to do it. We are making huge sacrifices to pay and receiving help from our church and community because we have seen with our older children how lost they were in public school and we want something different for our younger kids.

In 2006, we had to file for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy to save our house, because I was constantly off of work due to illness and surgeries. In 2007, I suffered a near fatal injury to one of my lungs. I became disabled and have not been able to work since January 2009. I am currently awaiting a hearing with the Social Security Administration for benefits.

My daughter had JUST been enrolled and we had already signed our tuition contract right before I exhausted my FMLA time at my employer. Once she completed kindergarten, we faced the very difficult decision of whether to keep her in or not. We knew that she was better attended to by the private school staff since enrollment was lower, and she is being taught core values of our faith as well. We opted to keep her there and suffer the sacrifices.

My husband works 1 full-time job and 2 part-time jobs. We get 90 percent of our food from local food pantries. We have faced shut off on our utilities numerous times and there is no end in sight until I get my day in court with Social Security. How do I choose though, to pull my daughter out of a phenomenal school where she is learning SO much more than a public school student of the same age? At 6, she already can do fractions, double digit addition and subtraction, can read chapter books, and knows all her punctuations and how to use them. Just because my husband and I don’t have high-paying jobs doesn’t mean we don’t want the best for our children’s education.

While some feel that only public school students should be able to able to direct their child’s education funds to the school of their choice, I would say that private school students should have the same opportunity. After all, aren’t we paying the same taxes as our neighbors? I speak for thousands of others when I convey how much help families need, even if their children are already enrolled in private school.

Debunking the Myths

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In an article last week in the Cleveland Plain Dealer (“Voucher supporters celebrate with students at St. Martin de Porres High School“), a top notch high school in Cleveland celebrated their “academic signing” day with students who have been accepted into colleges and universities across the country.

The article highlighted the success of Shawnetta Stephens and Greg Brooks who plan to attend Georgetown University and Youngstown State University, respectively. Congratulations to all the staff and students for their outstanding achievements!

But as the article notes, not everyone was happy about the role vouchers play in creating these opportunities:

Piet van Lier, senior researcher with Policy Matters Ohio, a liberal-leaning think tank, is far less enthusiastic about the impact of vouchers. He noted there is no evidence that voucher students overall do better academically, and studies indicate many of them would have gone to private schools even without the state subsidy.

 

If their numbers increase, the state will be taking on more financial responsibility for private-school students while cutting funds for public schools, he said. “Vouchers are not solving the problems of public education, and there’s no evidence that they’re even doing what they’re supposed to do,” van Lier said.

Mr. Van Lier has been a staunch opponent of school vouchers, and he certainly should garner points for persistence. Many have asked us how we respond to these criticisms Maybe you face some of the same arguments or have some of the same questions yourself.

Here is how we respond.

Argument 1: “He noted there is no evidence that voucher students overall do better academically.”

Answer: A recent analysis shows that test scores of voucher recipients tend to be slightly better or the same, but usually not dramatically better. In ten high quality studies, no group of voucher recipients did worse than their public school counterparts, and in 9 of the studies voucher recipients performed better than expected. Beyond some moderate improvements on standardized assessments, we know for sure that graduation rates soar for voucher recipients. Most people would agree that a high school diploma has a dramatic impact on students’ life outcomes, much more than standardized test scores.

Study of DC Voucher recipient graduation rates: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/pubs/20104018/pdf/20104018.pdf

Studies of small academic gains in voucher recipients: www.edchoice.org/Research/Gold-Standard-Studies.aspx

Argument 2: “Studies indicate many [voucher recipients] would have gone to private schools even without the state subsidy.”

Answer: While some students, undoubtedly, would have gone to a private school without the state subsidy, there are a few important things to note here.

#1 – “Many” is not “all” and vouchers help a LOT of students who would have had no chance at a private school education otherwise.

#2 – In general with public policy, it is impossible to design a program only for families who aren’t going to send their child to private school anyway. How would you know who was eligible? Would you ask people only to apply if they weren’t already planning to attend private school? The Cleveland voucher is only given to low-income families who, common sense would indicate, are least likely to be able to afford private school on their own.

#3 – Vouchers are about letting families direct a portion of the tax dollars that are already allocated to their children’s education. Families who would have gone to private school without a state subsidy often make tremendous sacrifices and put their family’s financial health on the line. Vouchers allow them to access some of the money that is already set aside to educate their child.

Mr. Van Lier would rather that NO children get vouchers. This doesn’t seem like a good alternative.

Argument 3: “If [voucher] numbers increase, the state will be taking on more financial responsibility for private-school students while cutting funds for public schools.”

Answer: This is an interesting argument and could be at the core of the divide between school choice advocates and opponents. The state’s responsibility, under our current laws, is to fund the education of the children in the state. Allowing students to leave a struggling public school for a private school does not increase the state’s funding responsibility. It still funds the education of the student. After all, the public school is only entitled to the money when the student attends the school.

As one parent testified at a hearing last week: “If the cost of innovation is less to the family and to the state and will save millions of dollars as opposed to business as usual, then the choice should be clear and obvious.” The focus of education funding in Ohio could shift toward student-centered funding, rather than system-centered funding, which would allow schools (regardless of what type they are) that are doing the best job and have the most kids to get more funding for the great work they are doing.

Argument 4: “Vouchers are not solving the problems of public education, and there’s no evidence that they’re even doing what they’re supposed to do”

Answer: There actually are studies to show that vouchers help improve the public schools around them. But vouchers are not a silver bullet to solve all the problems of public education – that’s for sure. It’s just one piece of the puzzle. They are intended to allow parents to choose the best educational setting for their child, and they are doing just that.

Studies that shows how vouchers affect private schools positively:

While persistence is admirable, it doesn’t make you right. Parents and students across the nation have benefitted in tangible ways from school choice. We should absolutely continue to give Ohio families a wide array of educational options.

“I Wish I Had a Choice” Tera’s Story

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While 20,000 students in Ohio are using a state voucher to attend the private school of their choice, many students are shut out because they do not meet the narrow eligibility guidelines of the current voucher programs. In this ongoing series, we share stories from just a few of the families who wish that they, too, had a choice.

As a parent that knows first hand the challenges of navigating the current educational options in our system I can tell you that a Special Education Scholarship will open the doors for parents to finally have real options when it comes to the educational services for their children with Special needs.

My son, Sam, is 16 years old and has Down syndrome. I’m a strong believer in public schools but my past experiences in my home district have been very frustrating. As a parent, I know my son better than anyone. Our discussions were exhausting and not parent friendly or student centered. For example, I was informed that providing services for my son was an inconvenience to the district. When we were at our public school I found many willing teachers and therapists but a lack of shared vision for our sons future by the administration and therefore a breakdown in progress. Also, even when there were appropriate services available for the children, I found that the district seemed to operate a “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy – if a parent didn’t know exactly what program or service to ask for, the school didn’t offer it. This is very unfortunate for the uninformed parent or the parent with little experience in navigating the special education maze.

The Special Education Scholarship would allow me to send Sam to programs where the educators are willing and ready to partner with the family to fully embrace the needs of these special learners. It would create a better environment for our entire family. It would also greatly lessen the financial, emotional, and mental strain of families with students with special needs.  I am also working with a group of parents and professionals in our county to develop new services for students who learn and have needs like my son. The Special Education Scholarship would allow us to provide these services to even more students in our community.

All learners are special, we just need to have the courage to find that which makes them unique and build on it. Special Education is a service, not a location and I am just asking to have the opportunity to choose a better quality of service for my son.