The National Coalition for Public Education

July 14, 2004

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator:

A hearing is scheduled before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to consider a voucher proposal termed "Pell Grants for Kids." The National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE) strongly opposes the diversion of public money to private schools through vouchers, and therefore urges you to oppose this proposal.

Cost The proposed Pell Grants for Kids would cost $2.5 billion in new funds during its first year, just to provide a modest $500 voucher to low and middle-income children entering kindergarten and first grade. Programs authorized under No Child Left Behind are already under-funded by more than $9 billion. If new money is available, we recommend it be allocated to existing public school programs, rather than to an experimental voucher program. Furthermore, full implementation of the program would inevitably lead to cuts in existing programs. Proponents disingenuously claim that the annual expense of $15 billion could be achieved without cutting existing programs, because they propose to divert new Title I appropriations to these vouchers, and hold funding for the current Title I programs steady at current levels. Given the increased costs associated with inflation and population increases, services would obviously suffer severe cuts without concurrent funding increases.

Feasibility According to a fact sheet distributed by the office of Senator Lamar Alexander, parents would designate by June 1 of each year a public or private school or other academic program to be the recipient of funds, which would be transferred by the U.S. Department of Education by August 1 for use during the school year. Accordingly, local school districts would not learn until funds were in hand the total amount available, rendering appropriate budgeting, hiring, facilities management, and other planning processes impossible. Rather than enhancing local control, this voucher program would hopelessly skew the local decision-making process.

Accountability Because this program would divert public funds to private schools that are not accountable to the public, it suffers from the same accountability flaws as every voucher program. A review of news articles, especially from Florida, recounting the horrors that result from the lack of accountability in existing voucher programs should be sufficient to discourage further diversion of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. The fact that wrongdoers who defraud taxpayers may eventually be caught and brought to justice is no substitute for public accountability.

Not Like Pell Grants Although Senator Alexander asserts that his proposal is modeled after Pell Grants for higher education, that comparison ignores some vital distinctions. Pell Grants are authorized and funded to help students from low-income families attend college, because this country recognizes the benefit of providing incentives to attend college, as well as the need to provide financial assistance. Because elementary and secondary education is compulsory, no incentives are needed to encourage enrollment, and because it is provided free of charge, no financial assistance is needed to attend either. For further clarification of the difference between a voucher and a Pell Grant, please refer to the attached fact sheet.

In a fact sheet distributed regarding the proposed Pell Grant for Kids, Senator Alexander's office admits that this program is a voucher. The Senate has repeatedly rejected vouchers, which divert funds from public schools to private schools that are not accountable to the public, and do nothing to improve our public schools. The undersigned organizations strongly urge you to oppose this misguided and expensive diversion from the real problems facing our schools today, and work instead for proven reforms that will provide every child access to an excellent public school.

Sincerely,

American Association of School Administrators
American Association of University Women
American Civil Liberties Union
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers
American Humanist Association
Americans for Religious Liberty
Americans United for Separation of Church & State
Anti-Defamation League
Association of Educational Service Agencies
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Central Conference of American Rabbis
Council for Exceptional Children
Council of the Great City Schools
General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church
HUUmanists (formerly Friends of Religious Humanism)
NA'AMAT USA
National Association of Elementary School Principals
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of State Directors of Special Education
National Black Child Development Institute Inc.
National Council of Jewish Women
National Education Association
National Organization for Women
National PTA
National Rural Education Association
National School Boards Association
People For the American Way
Service Employees International Union
Union for Reform Judaism
Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations
United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries
Women of Reform Judaism

The National Coalition for Public Education is comprised of more than 50 education, civic, civil rights, and religious organizations devoted to the support of public schools. Founded in 1978, NCPE opposes the funneling of public money to private and religious schools through such mechanisms as tuition tax credits and vouchers.

Coalition Statements


	Home >> Press Room >>Coalition Statements>>The National Coalition for Public Education


		Coalition Statement The National Coalition for Public Education July 14, 2004 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions US Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator: A hearing is scheduled before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions to consider a voucher proposal termed "Pell Grants for Kids." The National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE) strongly opposes the diversion of public money to private schools through vouchers, and therefore urges you to oppose this proposal. Cost The proposed Pell Grants for Kids would cost $2.5 billion in new funds during its first year, just to provide a modest $500 voucher to low and middle-income children entering kindergarten and first grade. Programs authorized under No Child Left Behind are already under-funded by more than $9 billion. If new money is available, we recommend it be allocated to existing public school programs, rather than to an experimental voucher program. Furthermore, full implementation of the program would inevitably lead to cuts in existing programs. Proponents disingenuously claim that the annual expense of $15 billion could be achieved without cutting existing programs, because they propose to divert new Title I appropriations to these vouchers, and hold funding for the current Title I programs steady at current levels. Given the increased costs associated with inflation and population increases, services would obviously suffer severe cuts without concurrent funding increases. Feasibility According to a fact sheet distributed by the office of Senator Lamar Alexander, parents would designate by June 1 of each year a public or private school or other academic program to be the recipient of funds, which would be transferred by the U.S. Department of Education by August 1 for use during the school year. Accordingly, local school districts would not learn until funds were in hand the total amount available, rendering appropriate budgeting, hiring, facilities management, and other planning processes impossible. Rather than enhancing local control, this voucher program would hopelessly skew the local decision-making process. Accountability Because this program would divert public funds to private schools that are not accountable to the public, it suffers from the same accountability flaws as every voucher program. A review of news articles, especially from Florida, recounting the horrors that result from the lack of accountability in existing voucher programs should be sufficient to discourage further diversion of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. The fact that wrongdoers who defraud taxpayers may eventually be caught and brought to justice is no substitute for public accountability. Not Like Pell Grants Although Senator Alexander asserts that his proposal is modeled after Pell Grants for higher education, that comparison ignores some vital distinctions. Pell Grants are authorized and funded to help students from low-income families attend college, because this country recognizes the benefit of providing incentives to attend college, as well as the need to provide financial assistance. Because elementary and secondary education is compulsory, no incentives are needed to encourage enrollment, and because it is provided free of charge, no financial assistance is needed to attend either. For further clarification of the difference between a voucher and a Pell Grant, please refer to the attached fact sheet. In a fact sheet distributed regarding the proposed Pell Grant for Kids, Senator Alexander's office admits that this program is a voucher. The Senate has repeatedly rejected vouchers, which divert funds from public schools to private schools that are not accountable to the public, and do nothing to improve our public schools. The undersigned organizations strongly urge you to oppose this misguided and expensive diversion from the real problems facing our schools today, and work instead for proven reforms that will provide every child access to an excellent public school. Sincerely, American Association of School Administrators American Association of University Women American Civil Liberties Union American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) American Federation of Teachers American Humanist Association Americans for Religious Liberty Americans United for Separation of Church & State Anti-Defamation League Association of Educational Service Agencies Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Central Conference of American Rabbis Council for Exceptional Children Council of the Great City Schools General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church HUUmanists (formerly Friends of Religious Humanism) NA'AMAT USA National Association of Elementary School Principals National Association of School Psychologists National Association of State Directors of Special Education National Black Child Development Institute Inc. National Council of Jewish Women National Education Association National Organization for Women National PTA National Rural Education Association National School Boards Association People For the American Way Service Employees International Union Union for Reform Judaism Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations United Church of Christ Justice and Witness Ministries Women of Reform Judaism The National Coalition for Public Education is comprised of more than 50 education, civic, civil rights, and religious organizations devoted to the support of public schools. Founded in 1978, NCPE opposes the funneling of public money to private and religious schools through such mechanisms as tuition tax credits and vouchers. Coalition Statements