When voters choose, vouchers lose

WASHINGTON — Voters in Nebraska, Kentucky, and Colorado have decisively rejected ballot measures that would have allowed politicians to siphon taxpayer funds from public to private schools. Across the board—parents, caregivers, educators, and community members from both Republican and Democratic backgrounds, as well as voters in urban, suburban and rural communities alike—all stood firm against vouchers. 

“Parents, educators, and community members agree that our students deserve well-funded neighborhood public schools that enable them to thrive. The decisive defeat of vouchers on the ballot across multiple states speaks loudly and clearly: the public knows vouchers harm students and does not want them in any form.” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “Vouchers weaken public education and limit opportunities for students. They siphon crucial funding from public schools—serving 90 percent of students—and redirect it to private institutions with no accountability.” 

“If we’re serious about doing what’s right for every student’s future, let's do what works,” she added. “Support public schools so that every student has inviting classrooms, modern technology, and textbooks; offer competitive pay and benefits to recruit and retain well-trained, diverse educators and support staff; reduce class sizes so that our students get the one-on-one attention they deserve.” 

In Nebraska, a diverse coalition of parents, educators, students, and community members from all regions of the state engaged with the public at state fairs, concerts, and farmers’ markets to gather enough signatures not just once —but twice —to place the repeal of the state’s first school voucher law on the ballot. Ultimately, Nebraska voters had the final say and voted against the measure. 

In Kentucky and Colorado, pro-voucher advocates asked voters to amend their state constitutions to open the door to school vouchers. Voters in Kentucky rejected an attempt to change the constitution by voting no on Amendment 2, maintaining that public money should not be funneled to private schools. In Colorado, voters similarly turned down Amendment 80, which would have opened the door to taking money from public schools to fund private schools, when public schools need that funding to hire more educators and support staff, increase pay and reduce class size. 

“Pro-voucher advocates like Betsy DeVos will continue to push their extreme agenda, but the truth is vouchers hurt marginalized and rural students the most, where public schools are vital to the community,” added Pringle. “Fortunately, parents and educators see through the political games and are focused on our students’ success.” 

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  The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing more than 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at nea.org.