School choice supporters can seem few and far between to the average Joe, but the time has come where the movement is not only spreading to every state, but the number of supporters is multiplying. The Alliance for School Choice started a large national campaign, which has surpassed their expectations.
School Choice Group Recruits 10,000 New Supporters in Just Five Weeks
Voucher and Tax Credit Movement's First Interactive Campaign Exceeds Expectations
Last update: 1:22 p.m. EST Dec. 17, 2008
WASHINGTON, Dec 17, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- More than 10,000 people signed up to join a coalition supporting school vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs over the past five weeks, the Alliance for School Choice announced today. The Alliance, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., had anticipated reaching its goal of recruiting 10,000 new supporters by the end of January.
The new supporters are members of the School Choice Works campaign, which officially launched in mid-November. Membership in School Choice Works is free. School Choice Works is the first national interactive and social media campaign launched by the coordinated school choice movement. More information is available at www.LetParentsChoose.org.
The Alliance, which is the nation's largest organization promoting school choice, provides members with free bumper stickers, e-mail action updates, free news magazines, and information on how they can help promote education reform in their states.
"The quick and overwhelming success of this campaign is testament to the strength of support for school choice across the country," said Andrew Campanella, national campaign director for the School Choice Works project. "We look forward to continuing to recruit individuals who want to make a difference in education reform in their states."
"The fundamental focus of the Alliance is to provide support and assistance to state groups, and the School Choice Works campaign provides, in the form of grassroots supporters, additional resources to these organizations," said the Alliance's interim president, John Schilling.
More than 175,000 children participate in school choice programs. There are 18 school voucher or scholarship tax credit programs operating in 10 states and the District of Columbia.
Individuals can sign up to join the School Choice Works coalition for free at www.LetParentsChoose.org.
SOURCE: Alliance for School Choice Alliance for School Choice
Andrew Campanella, 202-280-1985
acampanella@allianceforschoolchoice.org
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Scholarship Tax Credit Fight Nation Wide
School choice comes in many shapes and sizes. Opponents scream voucher every chance they get...only because they are aware of the negative connotations associated with the word. One day, they will realize their inaccuracies in this battle and will finally allow change to occur in the school system. Only then can we finally start to see our schools improve and start going in the direction we want.
Last legislative session, Missourians struggled to pass a bill that would allow private citizens or corporations to donate money (then get a tax credit) into a scholarship fund that would then be passed onto to students. Students would apply and use the money to attend an alternate public school or a private school. This battle has swept across the country...seeing better results in other states. Unfortunately, the opponents were too strong this run around, but I will not lay down and wave the white flag of surrender.
Camden County, New Jersey, is trying to pass legislation that would allow the same type of program. The parents are fighting hard to get access to better education for their children!
This was posted in Excellent Education for Everyone:
by JOSEPH GIDJUNIS The Courier-Post
The chants from the protesters echoed crisply off the City Hall facade Tuesday afternoon.
“What do we want?” shouted Angel Cordero, a city activist.
“Scholarships,” replied the crowd.
“When do we want them?” Cordero repeated.
“Now.”
About 50 city residents and students from Camden rallied at noon to encourage Sen. Dana Redd, D-Camden, to support state legislation offering scholarships to low-income students in the city to attend a nonpublic school. The crowd delivered more than 7,000 signatures from Camden County residents backing the bill.
The legislation, the Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act, creates a pilot program for five years in eight New Jersey cities allowing private corporations to make contributions to a scholarship fund. The companies receive tax credits in return for their donations.
Cordero, a local activist and organizer of the rally, had the supporters pushing for changes in education.
“This bill will immediately start saving Camden children,” Cordero said during a brief speech to the crowd. “Our children’s lives depend on it.”
The bill was approved by the New Jersey Senate’s Economic Growth Committee in May, and a vote has been scheduled next week in the larger Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, where Redd serves, Cordero said. If the committee approves the bill, it then needs approval by both legislative chambers and Gov. Jon S. Corzine.
If approved, the bill would cost up to $360 million in tax credits by providing more than 18,000 scholarships to students in Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Lakewood, Newark, Orange, Paterson and Trenton, according to a fiscal note analysis conducted on the legislation. The state could save about $17 million by providing less money to these school districts because they’re serving fewer students, the note said.
“There is bipartisan support for the bill. We’re continuing to build coalitions to build additional support in the Legislature,” said Sen. Thomas Kean, R-Westfield, a primary sponsor of the bill. “I believe this is an important priority for the state. I think the benefit for the state will be positive.”
Of course, there is the opposition claims it will steal money from the public schools. That tired argument is unfounded and inaccurate. It is time everyone know the truth.
Last legislative session, Missourians struggled to pass a bill that would allow private citizens or corporations to donate money (then get a tax credit) into a scholarship fund that would then be passed onto to students. Students would apply and use the money to attend an alternate public school or a private school. This battle has swept across the country...seeing better results in other states. Unfortunately, the opponents were too strong this run around, but I will not lay down and wave the white flag of surrender.
Camden County, New Jersey, is trying to pass legislation that would allow the same type of program. The parents are fighting hard to get access to better education for their children!
This was posted in Excellent Education for Everyone:
by JOSEPH GIDJUNIS The Courier-Post
The chants from the protesters echoed crisply off the City Hall facade Tuesday afternoon.
“What do we want?” shouted Angel Cordero, a city activist.
“Scholarships,” replied the crowd.
“When do we want them?” Cordero repeated.
“Now.”
About 50 city residents and students from Camden rallied at noon to encourage Sen. Dana Redd, D-Camden, to support state legislation offering scholarships to low-income students in the city to attend a nonpublic school. The crowd delivered more than 7,000 signatures from Camden County residents backing the bill.
The legislation, the Urban Enterprise Zone Jobs Scholarship Act, creates a pilot program for five years in eight New Jersey cities allowing private corporations to make contributions to a scholarship fund. The companies receive tax credits in return for their donations.
Cordero, a local activist and organizer of the rally, had the supporters pushing for changes in education.
“This bill will immediately start saving Camden children,” Cordero said during a brief speech to the crowd. “Our children’s lives depend on it.”
The bill was approved by the New Jersey Senate’s Economic Growth Committee in May, and a vote has been scheduled next week in the larger Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, where Redd serves, Cordero said. If the committee approves the bill, it then needs approval by both legislative chambers and Gov. Jon S. Corzine.
If approved, the bill would cost up to $360 million in tax credits by providing more than 18,000 scholarships to students in Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Lakewood, Newark, Orange, Paterson and Trenton, according to a fiscal note analysis conducted on the legislation. The state could save about $17 million by providing less money to these school districts because they’re serving fewer students, the note said.
“There is bipartisan support for the bill. We’re continuing to build coalitions to build additional support in the Legislature,” said Sen. Thomas Kean, R-Westfield, a primary sponsor of the bill. “I believe this is an important priority for the state. I think the benefit for the state will be positive.”
Of course, there is the opposition claims it will steal money from the public schools. That tired argument is unfounded and inaccurate. It is time everyone know the truth.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Holiday Wishes?
Often this time of year, I wonder what to get my family for Christmas. On going phone calls with family members on what to get mom and dad and brothers and sisters keep me busy. This time of year it is easy to get swept up into the gift giving, and even though we always give back to the community, I still get pangs of guilt. I have had a great life and sure to have a great Christmas.
This morning, as I was contemplating what to get my sister and her children, I wondered about the kids who can't even get an education from the country that claims every child should get a good education and that every special needs child should get a free and appropriate public education. This is not always happening and it is a shame! My sister's children attend private schools and my brother's kids go to a great public school. However, there are so many kids who attend failing schools and are stuck there. Why should they be left in the dirt? Why should they be forced to attend failing schools just because of where they live? Shouldn't we strive to make all the schools excellent and get back to what our public education program was based on?
Here is my solution: allow parents to choose the schools their kids go to...public or private. We should encourage schools to thrive not encourage them to continue failing. If we keep giving money to the schools that continually fail, isn't that praising failure? If those kids decided to go elsewhere, the failing schools who have to improve! That is a natural law of competition.
Stores compete for the best product, and I decide where to shop, which is especially for this time of year. Shouldn't something as important as education be granted more freedoms?
This morning, as I was contemplating what to get my sister and her children, I wondered about the kids who can't even get an education from the country that claims every child should get a good education and that every special needs child should get a free and appropriate public education. This is not always happening and it is a shame! My sister's children attend private schools and my brother's kids go to a great public school. However, there are so many kids who attend failing schools and are stuck there. Why should they be left in the dirt? Why should they be forced to attend failing schools just because of where they live? Shouldn't we strive to make all the schools excellent and get back to what our public education program was based on?
Here is my solution: allow parents to choose the schools their kids go to...public or private. We should encourage schools to thrive not encourage them to continue failing. If we keep giving money to the schools that continually fail, isn't that praising failure? If those kids decided to go elsewhere, the failing schools who have to improve! That is a natural law of competition.
Stores compete for the best product, and I decide where to shop, which is especially for this time of year. Shouldn't something as important as education be granted more freedoms?
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