Friend – Private school voucher bills are on the rise across the country, and AU is mobilizing with our allies to ensure that public funds are used for public schools, not diverted to private, often religious schools.

I’m writing to invite you to two important webinars hosted by AU on March 2nd and 3rd, exploring the danger of private school voucher programs and the resources available to you to oppose these bills. I hope you can join us at one – or both! – to learn more about this growing threat to public schools and church-state separation.

When Communities Come Together: Supporting Public Schools

When: Tuesday, March 2nd, 3:00 – 4:00 pm ET

This webinar will highlight the history and importance of prioritizing funding for public education from the perspective of faith leaders, and provide you with the tools you need to oppose private school voucher programs.

Click here to learn more and RSVP for this webinar on Tuesday, March 2nd.

Featured Presenters:

• Elise Helgesen Aguilar (Moderator) – Federal Policy Counsel, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
• Rev. Charles Johnson – Founder and Executive Director, Pastors for Texas Children
• Rev. Jennifer Hawks – Associate General Counsel, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC)
• Rabbi Robert Barr – Founder, Congregation Beth Adam, Loveland, Ohio
• Suhag Shukla, Esq. – Executive Director, Hindu American Foundation

When Public Dollars Fund Discrimination: How Private School Voucher Programs Harm the Students They’re Meant to Serve

When: Wednesday, March 3rd, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET

Despite receiving public funds, private voucher schools often discriminate against students and deprive students who are most in need of critical rights and protections. In this webinar, we will discuss the dangers of private school voucher programs and the resources you can use to oppose voucher legislation in your state.

Click here to learn more and RSVP for this webinar on Wednesday, March 3rd.

Featured Presenters:

• Jennifer Berkshire (Moderator) – Freelance Journalist and Author of A Wolf at the Schoolhouse Door: The Dismantling of Public Education and the Future of School
• Titilayo Tinubu Ali – Senior Director of Research and Policy, Southern Education Foundation
• Myrna R. Mandlawitz – Legislative Consultant, Council of Administrators of Special Education
• Aaron Ridings – Director of Public Policy, GLSEN
• Elise Helgesen Aguilar – Federal Policy Counsel, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

If you want to watch but can’t make it, you’re in luck: Recordings of both webinars will be made available shortly after they conclude. Keep an eye out for those, and take a look at other free AU webinars, at https://www.au.org/au-speaks!

Forward Together,

Sarah Gillooly
VP of State Outreach and Engagement