OPINION: President Trump’s school choice proposal leaves students with disabilities behind
An expert on special education in charter schools weighs in on the proposed Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act
In his 2020 State of the Union address, President Donald J. Trump promoted the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act as a means to “rescue” students “trapped in failing government schools.” His proposal, however, runs the risk of infringing on the civil liberties of students with disabilities.
Under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), all public schools — traditional and charter — are required to provide a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Private and religious schools, on the other hand, have no such obligation. They can, and do, simply turn away prospective students with disabilities.
The proposed Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, which would create a $5 billion annual federal tax credit for businesses and individuals who donate to state scholarship-granting organizations, claims to expand educational options by granting students money that can be used to attend a school of their family’s choice, including private and religious schools.
The “choice,” provided by tax credit voucher programs, however, often does not exist for students with disabilities. As the National Council on Disability (NCD) has pointed out, many existing state voucher programs actually require families to give up their rights CONTINUE READING: OPINION: Education Freedom Scholarships ignore kids with disabilities
