JOINT NEA/AFT RESOLUTION ON TUITION TAX CREDITS

The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association jointly reject and oppose efforts to direct public funds to non-public independent and church-run schools by means of tuition tax credits paid to parents of students attending non-public schools. The attempts to enact tuition tax credits schemes constitute an effort to undermine the financial support structure of the public schools of our nation. Such proposals are bad economic policy, improper public policy, harmful educational policy and violate the spirit and the letter of the United States Constitution.

Tuition Tax Credits and similar measures have been defeated by the voters in statewide referenda every time they have come to a vote since 1967, most recently having been rejected by the overwhelming margin of 88 percent of the voters in the District of Columbia in 1981.

At a time of economic crisis when the Congress is reducing funding for many federal programs, among them programs of importance to the well being of many needy Americans, AFT and NEA believe there can be no justification for efforts to create a new government expenditure to serve the needs of a minority of citizens including many who do not need such a new government subsidy, one that will run into billions of dollars annually.

Tuition Tax Credits, if enacted, would do more than damage the funding base of our nation's public schools. They would also divide Americans on the basis of wealth, creating a class education system by encouraging those who can afford to do so to separate their children from the rest of the nation's young people by sending them to costly private schools.

We favor the right of individuals to choose non-public educational alternatives for their children from the many religious and independent schools that exist in America. However, the individual right to choose a private al­ternative to any public service- including public education-should not carry with it the obligation for all taxpayers to foot the bill.

Public opinion surveys have repeatedly shown that the majority of Americans do not believe the government should adopt a new subsidy for the non-public schools such as tuition tax credits. As part of the efforts of the National Coalition for Public Education, both AFT and NEA are spearheading a petition drive to bring the message home to Members of Congress that most Americans oppose tuition tax credits.

Members of both AFT and NEA will carry this message to all of our fellow citizens in the months ahead. We urge all Americans to examine this costly and ill-advised scheme and reject it.

We will continue to make opposition to tuition tax credits a key issue in our decisions about political endorsements.

We will make our opposition to tuition tax credits crystal clear to every candidate seeking election to the nation's legislative and executive offices. We will work cooperatively with all groups and organizations who believe with us that America's public schools are the foundation of our nation's strength and liberty and the hope for our future and are willing to act with us-legislatively, politically and through public relations to defeat tuition tax credit proposals.

Accordingly the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association this date jointly announce our united effort to defeat tuition tax credits proposals in the current and in all future Congresses of the United States. (1982 resolution reaffirmed by 1983 convention)