BREAKING NEWS: Participation in Indiana’s Voucher Program to More Than Double this School Year

More than 8,000 students have been awarded vouchers under Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program, a voucher program signed into law last year by Governor Mitch Daniels.

The highly-accountable Choice Scholarship Program is a scholarship program designed for children from low- and middle-income families to attend the school of their parents’ choice.  The program, which was capped in its first year at 7,500 students, is capped at 15,000 students this school year.  Beginning in the 2013-14 school year, the enrollment cap is removed.

After Governor Daniels signed the voucher program into law in 2011, nearly 4,000 children participated in the program during the 2011-12 school year, the largest first-year enrollment ever in a voucher program. 

With more than 8,000 students participating in the program next year—paired with the statewide expansion of Louisiana’s voucher program—the number of students participating in private school choice programs is expected to dramatically rise over the 2011 figure of more than 210,000 students.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MSG

Court Fight Over Successful Voucher Program Continues in Indiana

Indiana’s Choice Scholarship Program, the voucher program signed into law by Governor Daniels earlier this year, helps almost 4,000 low- and middle-income students go to the school of their parents’ choice.  The broadest voucher program in the nation, the program allows families to choose the best educational options for their children.

But opponents and special interests—those who are more interested in the status quo than maximizing positive outcomes for children—are fighting a legal battle to get Indiana’s voucher program repealed, despite numerous challenges across the country in recent years that have upheld the constitutionality of school choice programs.

Yesterday, a Marion County judge heard arguments from both sides on the constitutionality of the program and will issue a ruling in 30 days. Lasting more than two hours, opponents of the program (including the Indiana State Teachers Association) argued that the program is unconstitutional, and if a ruling by a Marion County judge earlier this year is any indication, they’re wrong.

That’s also the opinion held by Attorney General Greg Zoeller, who says the Choice Scholarship Program is putting education choice in the hands of parents.

On Eve of Education Speech, Indiana Leaders Pledge Support to Kids, Not Systems

As Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett prepares for his second State of Education address tomorrow night, we wanted to give you a preview of what he'll be discussing based upon some recent local news reports across the Hoosier State.

Today we've linked to one that is of particular note, in part because it gives us insight into not only Bennett's vision for the state's educational future, but also shines a light on the man behind it all—Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

In addition to the short interview clip with Daniels, the report wraps up with words that make clear that the governor is in this fight for the right reasons (emphasis ours):

Next year the cap on vouchers goes up to 15000. Daniels says he doesn't know if applications will reach that number either. In fact, he says he doesn't care. He says his goal was always simply to give parents a choice, and what he'd really love would be for the public schools to improve so much that parents wouldn't want to use the vouchers anymore.

That's right—despite what opponents may say, he's not in this to hurt public schools, but he's also realistic about the fact that many kids today aren't getting what they need from them. That's the kind of attitude we'd love to see among more of our leaders across the country.

Click here to watch the full story.

- American Federation for Children | Alliance for School Choice, MAG