AFT on Indiana Voucher Study

WASHINGTON— Statement by American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on the R. Joseph Waddington/Mark Berends study, “Impact of the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program: Achievement Effects for Students in Upper Elementary and Middle School.”

"For any so-called education reform, the key question to ask is—who does it help and who does it hurt. Indiana diverted millions of dollars for years from public schools to private school vouchers, resulting in negative or negligible results for student outcomes. That funding could have been invested in public education programs that actually are helping students improve and succeed, such as community schooling with wraparound services, before- and after-school enrichment programs, quality professional development for teachers and smaller class sizes—the very programs Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wants to defund in the federal education budget.

“Think about the benefits for Gary, Ind., students, for example, if that funding, along with the social capital and cheerleading done for vouchers by DeVos, then-Gov. Mike Pence and others, would have been directed to those students.

“The American public does not support DeVos' cuts or her privatization agenda. This latest study of vouchers should be yet another red flag to DeVos that she is going down the wrong path and it will hurt all students in the end."