SEARCH
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION National On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of teachers and public employees in the Janus v. AFSCME case. The Court ruled that public employees, including public school teachers and staff, who do not choose to join a union may not be forced by the union or the state to nonetheless […]
Sunday marked a major milestone for a city with one of the most radical education reform transformations in the country. For the first since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in 2005, almost all New Orleans schools are under the jurisdiction of the city’s school board. The Orleans Parish School Board (OBSP) officially unified the 38 parish […]
This week, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ruled that it is unconstitutional for a state or public-sector union to force non-consenting employees to pay union agency fees. Why is this important to those of us who support school choice? A Little History Mark Janus is a state employee in Illinois who refused to join AFSCME, […]
Oklahoma helps more than an estimated 2,500 families afford private school through its tax-credit scholarship and voucher programs, but do kids in this fairly rural state actually have nearby private school options to choose from? Which communities have private schools, and which don’t? And how quickly can families in the Sooner State transport their children […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Colorado SB 18-083 was postponed indefinitely in Colorado’s House Education Committee. The bill, which would have created an income tax credit for private school tuition as well as for the funding of a private school scholarship, previously passed the Senate. Florida The Florida Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal […]
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for education in Puerto Rico. On April 30, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced a $589 million congressional package to aid Puerto Rico’s Department of Education following the destruction of Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Then, thousands of protestors—including a large contingent of teachers—demonstrated in May Day […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION California A proposed education savings account in the Golden State, SB 1344, failed in committee. It was granted reconsideration April 4. Colorado Colorado’s HB 18-083, an income tax credit for private school tuition as well as for the funding of private school scholarships, passed the Senate. The credit amount is […]
LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION California California’s proposed tax-credit scholarship, AB 2480, saw amendments and was re-referred to the Standing Committee on Revenue and Taxation. The state’s proposed education savings account, SB 1344, was referred to various committees and is set for a hearing. Connecticut Connecticut introduced HB 5340, an act to study the creation of education savings […]
South Carolina already has a tax-credit scholarship and individual tax credit for families of students with special needs, and existing South Carolina private schools seem open to participating in a general education savings account (ESA) program, another form of flexible private school choice. But where exactly are South Carolina private schools located? Which communities have […]
As we wade into the 2018 legislative sessions, it’s important to remember a key takeaway from 2017: online schools are a valuable, important and sometimes the only school choice option for many families in rural America. Last July, Andy Smarick, with the American Enterprise Institute, reminded us: “Don’t forget rural schools.” He noted a recent […]