School privatization could create two disparate U.S. education systems
A new analysis finds that school vouchers — which President Trump backed with an executive order this week— could decimate the country’s public schools, increase discrimination, widen the income gap, and ensure that the United States has two different education systems with vastly disparate resources.
School vouchers, referred to as “school choice” by supporters, divert taxpayer funds from public schools to private, often religious, schools and home schooling. President Trump signed three executive orders on education this week, including one to promote school vouchers nationwide.
“School choice offers anything but,” said First Focus on Children Director of Education Lily Klam. “Instead of investing in the nation’s public schools — which educate 90% of our children — school vouchers skim taxpayer dollars for wealthy students, who often already attend private schools. This is not a choice, it’s a cheat.”
School Vouchers and the Growing Threat to Public Education, a new analysis by First Focus on Children, finds that despite expanding from zero to 13 states since 2021, school vouchers enjoy very little public support. Voters reject voucher schemes over and over, but conservative billionaires funnel millions of dollars into getting them passed.
Research now shows that vouchers do not improve academic achievement, the brief notes. In addition, voucher schemes increase racial and economic segregation, reinforce discrimination against disabled and LGBTQ+ students, and take their greatest toll on rural schools and communities.
Read School Vouchers and the Growing Threat to Public Education.