Dear John,

Public education, accessible and available to all children regardless of their abilities, disabilities, race, religion, or ability to pay, is a public good. Ensuring that all citizens have the opportunity to be educated through the 12th grade and beyond is necessary to produce a functioning civil society.

But Republicans across the country are intent on dismantling the public schools, sending already limited resources to private schools that are selective, unaccountable, and even with vouchers may be too expensive for many families.

Wiping out the separation of church and state, private, voucher-funded schools are allowed to teach religious beliefs, including creationism, fetal personhood, and intolerance of other beliefs. Using taxpayer money for religious indoctrinations is a violation of the First Amendment.

Voucher-funded schools may present anti-scientific viewpoints in science classes and history from a white Christian perspective that does not encourage tolerance or reflect our broader society. Parents who want to raise their children in these beliefs have no right to drain resources from public schools that are already underfunded.

Private schools can choose to educate only some students. They are not required to protect the rights of children with disabilities as outlined in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. They can discriminate on the basis of a child’s learning differences, or on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic status.

Tell your state lawmakers: Protect public education and ensure that public funds go to schools that are accessible to every child, regardless of their background or circumstances.

Efforts to eviscerate the public schools are advancing in Texas, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is pouring tens of millions of dollars into campaigns to defeat Republicans who oppose vouchers. Democrats are not the only ones opposing Abbott’s plans; Republicans in rural areas depend on public schools to serve more isolated communities that would not be profitable enough for private schools.

Georgia’s voucher plan is poised to strip $140 million from the public school system. As any teacher can tell you, the public schools are already underfunded without the drain of vouchers.

And South Carolina Republicans plan to transfer $90 million away from public schools and into a new “educational scholarship trust fund,” all to be used for private school vouchers. Removing income caps, the new law will put the public schools’ money in the hands of wealthy parents who can already afford to send their children to private school.

With vouchers, taxpayers will often be stuck subsidizing tuition for rich kids at private schools that cost too much for working families, even with vouchers. As a result, the education system will be divided between the rich and everyone else, with elite, exclusive schools funded with public monies, and public schools that lack basic funding for infrastructure or paying for quality teachers.

Tell your lawmakers: Don’t divert school funds away from the children and communities who most need them. Support public school funding now!

Thank you for fighting for high quality, well funded public schools!

Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action