“The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is troubled by what we heard tonight from President Trump in his State of the Union address. By pitching a tax break to support private and religious school scholarships — so-called “Education Freedom Scholarships” — the President is supporting an agenda that deprioritizes a cornerstone of our democracy — public schools.

It’s true that our public education system is long overdue for a deep renovation. Our schools have changed little from a century ago, and student performance lags behind other developed nations. Additionally, our public system continues to be plagued by deep inequities. Black students are more likely to face harsh discipline policies than their white peers for the same infractions and are less likely to have access to high-quality public schools, including access to AP courses, and experienced teachers.

Investing in private schools is not the solution to these problems. Every young person in our nation deserves to have access to a high-quality public school in their neighborhood, and the reality is that most Americans are committed to investing in our public schools, and believe in increased funding for our public school system.

Our nation was founded on the belief that education is a public good. Only when all students have access to a high-quality public education will we have true “education freedom.” Our success as a nation is dependent upon all of our young people thriving. We have work to do to improve our schools, but it is work worth doing.

Selling out on a public institution that is a cornerstone of our democracy is a shortsighted publicity grab. The bold, courageous move is to radically transform and invest in a system most Americans want to make better — not abandon it.

Let’s put our money where our future is.”