Context
Give Students the Resources They Need for Success
Every student deserves neighborhood public schools that give them a sense of belonging, the opportunity to thrive, and prepare them with the real-world skills they need to follow their dreams.
But vouchers take scarce funding away from our neighborhood public schools—where 90% of students go—and give it to private schools that are unaccountable to taxpayers.
There is no reliable evidence that voucher programs improve overall student success, and some programs have even been shown to have a negative effect for students receiving a voucher.
Vouchers continue to discriminate against students with disabilities, strip away students’ human and civil rights, and exacerbate racial segregation.
This guide is designed to help you spread the word about the harmful effect of vouchers on public schools.
Speak Out Against Vouchers
Key Talking Points About Vouchers in General
Key Talking Points About the National Voucher Program
- The federal voucher program will drain revenue from federal coffers, and we’ve already seen Title I and IDEA grants on the chopping block.
- State and local budgets will be forced to either let some kids fall through the cracks or make up the loss of federal funding with higher state or property taxes.
- States will also be responsible for funding the oversight of voucher recipients. If states like Florida and Arizona are any indication, the levels of waste, fraud, and abuse will be extremely troubling and extremely expensive to root out.
- The Treasury Department will not allow meaningful input from our leaders or families, which means opting into the program is ceding control of educating our students to outside forces.
- Voucher programs often leave behind low-income families and students with disabilities, as well as students from rural communities. It's partly why so many voters—liberal and conservative—vote against voucher programs whenever they have the opportunity.
- We take pride in the accountability and quality of our public school system; the voucher program could fuel a “Race to the Bottom” that puts students at a disadvantage in tomorrow’s economy.
- Avoids surprise costs from the voucher program and incentives for privatization.
- Avoids strains on the federal budget that will lead to further underfunding of Title I and IDEA.
- Avoids enrollment declines that can spiral into strains on state and local budgets.
- Avoids fiscal losses tomorrow by declining the Trump administration’s promises of indirect benefits today.
- XX% of school-aged children attend {State}’s public schools (see map below).
- No matter what you call them, all voucher programs take funding from public schools and give it to private schools.
- Our public schools are community centers. From elementary school science fairs and middle school band concerts to high school football games, our public schools are where our neighbors gather, our community thrives, and our future is shaped.
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Sample Campaign Copy
Instagram: Vouchers take scarce funding away from already underfunded public schools. Our elected officials should focus on funding our public schools – where 90% of kids go – not take money away from them. Tap the link in our bio to take action. [Add Graphic from Gallery Below]
Facebook: If our elected leaders want to help every student thrive, they will focus on undoing the damage from decades of underfunding our public schools, ending the educator shortage crisis, hiring enough trained staff to care for students’ physical and mental health, and preventing gun violence in our schools and communities. nea.org/say-no-vouchers
Bluesky/Threads/Other: Politicians who push vouchers siphon scarce funding from the 90% of students attending public schools to give a handout to well-off families whose kids already attend private schools. Tell your lawmakers to vote NO on vouchers. nea.org/say-no-vouchers
- TYPE: Share a Link Goal
- LINK: https://www.nea.org/say-no-vouchers
- SCRIPT: Hi <Member Name>, this is <Organizer Name> with <Affiliate Name>. We’re raising our voice to stop federal vouchers. Will you join us? Reply STOP to quit.
- IF YES: Great! You can add your name and message here: <Link>
- IF NO: I understand, <Member Name>. Thanks for your time!
- OTHER INFORMATION: Make sure to equip your organizers with FAQs and other commonly needed responses.
Subject Line: Say NO to vouchers!
Body:
[First name],
No matter how you look at it, vouchers take public funds and give them to private schools instead of public schools, where 90% of students go.
The U.S. Treasury Department just released rules about how it will implement the nation’s first federal voucher program, and it’s bad news for students.
They are looking for your input.
Governors that decide to participate will be welcoming a near-universal voucher program into their state, with zero flexibility to add guardrails or accountability.
Vouchers will explode. The program is estimated to cost as much as $50 billion—that’s five times more than all state voucher programs COMBINED—and more than both federal funding for IDEA and Title I.
Is that how we want to spend public funds—giving it to parents who are already send their children to private school, instead of helping all students access quality programs that give them the opportunities they need to learn and grow?
What’s worse, the program could lead to public school closures, as states and districts try to close the gap when federal funding goes down because of enrollment losses.
We must reject vouchers in all their forms, including the federal voucher program.
Upcoming Actions
Vouchers Undermine Public Schools
Quick Shares
Share These Links
Say "No" To Federal Vouchers
Repeal National Voucher Legislation
6 Reasons to Reject Federal Vouchers
Explainer: Vouchers
A Subsidy For the Few: Vouchers Leaving Public Schools, Students Behind
The Racist Beginnings of School Vouchers
Protect Public Schools
