 |
| A scholarship student stands outside the courthouse in Baton Rouge on the first day of the trial. |
We brought you news late last week of a judge's decision to rule against the funding mechanism for the statewide Louisiana voucher program. Since the ruling was handed down Friday afternoon, a number of supporters of educational choice have spoken out against the ruling, reinforced their support for kids, and pledge to fight on.
Take a look below for just a few of the responses.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” said Tirany Howard,
whose three children are receiving scholarships through the Student
Scholarships for Educational Excellence program. “For once, I felt
like as a society we’re moving forward, putting kids first, but it’s still
about money.”
“We will do
everything possible to make sure the children who are benefitting from this
important scholarship program – and the thousands of children who are seeking
to enter the program—will continue to have this option. They’ve made far too
much progress to go back.”
"Today's
ruling is wrongheaded and a travesty for parents across Louisiana who want
nothing more than for their children to have an equal opportunity at receiving
a great education," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal
said in a statement. "That opportunity is a chance that every child
deserves and we will continue the fight to give it to them."
“But children shouldn't be victims
of funding formulas or arguments about how many get a place on a lifeboat when
the educational Titanic is sinking. About 72 percent of the state's public
schools are rated C, D or F, according to the Louisiana Department of
Education. For those who earn a diploma and enter college, 34 percent of
college freshman in 2010 needed remediation.”
Robert
Enlow, writing in the
Huffington Post
“There
are clear precedents that allow this program, and many others like it that
already exist, to be funded through this means,” said
Bill
Maurer, an attorney with the Institute for Justice. “Simply put, the trial court’s ruling is
inconsistent with Louisiana precedents, with the state’s laws and with its
Constitution.”
“As a
result, the program now is just a starting point. It is one more tool that some
parents have to improve their choices for their children...Just months
into the new school year, though, there is a troubling sign that the vouchers
could be in trouble.”
Houma
Today editorial in support
of the voucher program
- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG
No comments:
Post a Comment