IEA president urges Gov. JB Pritzker to reject federal voucher plan

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Education Association President Karl Goeke joined Illinois Federation of Teachers President Stacy Davis Gates, and many other union presidents and educators across the country, in a letter urging Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic governors to reject a federal voucher plan.

Students, parents, and educators are counting on Pritzker and other governors to protect public education.

"As it stands now, more than 60 percent of public schools are underfunded in Illinois. The federal plan, much like Illinois' recently lapsed "Invest in Kids" program, takes tax dollars away from public schools and gives that money to private schools. In Illinois, it drained up to $75 million in state money from schools that educate 90 percent of our students. Our public schools are engines of opportunity, community focal points, and places where every child is welcome to grow and thrive," Goeke said.

In Illinois, we learned that vouchers:

• Benefit more white students than students of color;
• Fund schools that are not subject to the same testing standards as those in public schools
• Do not hold private school teachers to the same professional standards as those in public schools;
• Fail to show how many students actually switched from public schools to private schools, or whether public money funded students who had been in private schools all along;
  Sent public money to private schools, which can and DO discriminate based on physical or emotional special needs, gender identity issues, moral values and religion.

IEA knows from its own bipartisan polling that 69 percent of residents in Illinois support increasing funding to public schools in Illinois and that 85 percent believe ALL students are entitled to a public education.

"Public money should stay in public schools. We've already walked this path in Illinois and we learned that vouchers are a scheme and a scam. Education is the great equalizer for the youth in our state. We owe our children - no matter where they live, the color of their skin, how much money their parents earn - the best we can possibly give them. Vouchers do the exact opposite. We've already learned this lesson. Let's not repeat it," Goeke said.

Davis Gates agreed, saying this is a test and Pritzker should strive to earn an "A."

"Democratic governors are being handed a test right now. Will you stand up for public school students or will you help Donald Trump normalize a voucher scheme that Illinois has already rejected? The Democratic Party platform opposes vouchers, our governors should, too," said Davis Gates. "The Illinois General Assembly already said no to vouchers because they funded discrimination and diverted $315 million from our state's General Revenue Fund to fund private schools. Now Trump is repackaging the same failed experiment as a federal tax credit, and Democratic governors across the country are being asked to give it a stamp of approval. Every governor who opts in colludes with Donald Trump at the expense of their own public schools. Illinois should not be one of them. The Governor owes our students $6 billion from Pre-K to PhD. Illinois should be making good on what it owes our students, not considering a program that will take even more resources away from them."

Goeke said the governor's rejection can send a powerful statement to all Illinois students and families by saying "no."

"This is a moment to lead, once again, like you have on the statewide ban on book bans, free universal mental health screenings and expanded pre-school, and prove to our students and their families that you have their backs. Be like the governors of Wisconsin, Kentucky, Minnesota and Arizona and reject vouchers," he said.

Proponents contend that this is "free money" for states. That's not true. While the tax credit is federally funded, participation carries real and predictable fiscal risks for states and local school districts. Because public education funding is tied to enrollment, if vouchers incentivize some students to leave public schools, that will mean losing vital funding while leaving behind fixed costs - threatening key programs and school personnel needed to adequately support our students.

Vouchers are unpopular with voters across political parties and threaten the stability of the state budget and the strength of public schools. They harm the vast majority of students who continue to rely on public education. Those harms are particularly acute in rural areas, where public schools serve outsized roles as employers, community focal points, healthcare providers to children and adults, shelters in emergencies, and a major source of pride. The future shouldn't be gambled on promises made by an unpredictable and unreliable administration. Rejecting the Trump administration's voucher program preserves state and local budget predictability and protects the future of public education for Illinois's students, families, and communities.

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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state's largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.