Aaron Baer is urging voters to weigh school choice when they choose governors and legislators on Nov. 3. In a Nov. 1 article, he argues that public schools are failing many children and that the problem reaches beyond ideology in the classroom.
Baer cites National Assessment of Educational Progress data showing that 31 percent of fourth graders performed at or above the proficiency standard in reading. That leaves nearly 70 percent below that mark. He also points to national declines over the past five years in civics, U.S. history, and math.
The article says the Trump administration created the Federal School Choice Tax Credit this year to support private contributions for K-12 scholarships. Starting in January, the credit is set to convert taxpayer dollars given to scholarship-granting organizations into vouchers worth up to $3,400 per household. The U.S. Treasury estimates that 95 percent of households will meet the income limit for participation.
Baer says state leaders will help decide whether families can benefit from the credit. As of Oct. 26, 16 governors had not yet taken a position on it. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “I’m not going to leave money on the table when it could help our kids.”
The stakes are practical for parents and children. When reading, math, civics, and history scores fall, families need more than excuses. They need leaders willing to give parents real options and let education dollars serve children, not systems.
