Public dollars should fund public education, and should not be diverted to non-public schools.

Currently in the United States, there is an ongoing effort to fundamentally alter the way our public school system is managed and to reallocate public dollars earmarked for public education. These efforts are referred to as the “corporate reform” of our public schools because well-funded corporations lead this coordinated effort to alter how America’s children are educated. The corporate reform of public schools is also considered an effort to “privatize” the public school system as policy makers seek to shift public funds into the private sector.

To date, Georgia has enacted a private school tax credit scholarship program that diverts $100 million a year to private schools; special education vouchers; and a number of provisions allowing the formation of charter schools at the local and state level. Bills to create Education Savings Accounts (ESA) have repeatedly been introduced in the Georgia legislature but have failed to become law yet.

Public dollars should fund public schools, which are open to all students and provide accountability to stakeholders. Vouchers, tax credits, and special dispensation for charter schools all reduce our ability to fully and equitably educate Georgia’s 1.8 million students.