Hundreds of union, parent, education and civil rights advocates are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to keep New York out of a new federal private-school voucher program, arguing it would redirect public resources without requiring participating schools to accept all students.
The coalition rallied in Manhattan on Wednesday and asked the governor to opt out of the program, which supporters described as a tax-credit approach to expanding school choice and opponents characterized as a threat to public-school funding.
New York State United Teachers organized the event with labor and civil rights groups. The union said about 90% of New York children attend public schools and argued that state policy should continue to prioritize those systems.
Opponents raise funding and accountability concerns
NYSUT President Melinda Person said the federal voucher proposal arrives as schools also face possible reductions to Title I and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act funding, which support students in poverty and students with disabilities.
Person rejected the idea that the program would provide cost-free federal support to New York, saying its expansion could coincide with cuts to existing education programs.
NAACP New York State Conference President L. Joy Williams said the plan would move away from the state's recent investments in public education. She urged Hochul to continue funding schools that serve all students rather than join the federal program.
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said private schools receiving public support could still select which students to admit. Opponents said that creates equity and accountability concerns because participating schools may not face the same enrollment obligations as public districts.
Anthony Reid, president of the Metro New York chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, said public tax dollars should remain with public schools. New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento argued that when students leave a district under a voucher system, schools can lose resources for staff and programs even as fixed operating costs remain.
The coalition cited recent polling in which more than 60% of New York voters said tax dollars would be better spent improving public schools, compared with 8% who supported using the money for private-school vouchers. The release linked to the polling but did not include its sample size, field dates or margin of error.
State lawmakers ask Hochul to stay out
State Sen. Shelley Mayer, chair of the Senate Education Committee, said lawmakers must ensure public schools can meet the needs of every child. She said New York has also provided support to nonpublic-school students when districts cannot meet a need, but argued that new resources should not undermine schools required to enroll every student.
State Sen. John Liu, chair of the Senate's New York City Education Committee, pointed to the state's full funding of Foundation Aid and said entering the federal voucher program could work against that investment.
Assembly Education Committee Chair Michael Benedetto said state policy should focus taxpayer money on strengthening the public schools serving local communities.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said voucher programs in other states have shifted growing amounts of public money to private schools without comparable public accountability. The release asserted those programs have not improved student outcomes but did not provide the underlying studies in the source material.
The decision rests with Hochul because the federal structure allows states to opt into or reject participation. The coalition asked her administration to decline before New York tax policy or education funding is tied to the program.
NYSUT represents more than 700,000 members working in education, health care and human services and is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
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