LGBTQ People, Non-Christians Victimized by School 'Reforms' | Opinion

Despite the failure of Republicans to produce the red wave that many expected, they have seen increasing success in education "reforms" which may project a bad year for public schools and students.

Over the past year, pushes to expand private school vouchers across the country have found success from Maine to Arizona and many places in between. States like Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma have pledged to follow suit in 2023 with bills that intentionally push the boundaries of state/church separation and Christianity in public schools.

How is this possible you ask?

In June 2022, the Supreme Court's ruling in Carson v. Makin required the state of Maine to fund religious education at private religious schools as part of its tuition assistance program. This marked the first time that the court has explicitly required taxpayers to support a specifically religious activity—religious instruction. Republicans are champing at the bit to push private religious school voucher programs in other states and will push the Supreme Court to broaden what religious activities can be paid for with public funds.

School Reforms or Hate Mongering?
Members of the "Moms For Liberty" group attend a campaign event for Jacqueline Rosario in Vero Beach, Florida, on Oct. 16, 2022. Rosario's candidacy for re-election to the local school board is supported by the... GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images

School vouchers only benefit private religious schools. Everyone else pays the price, especially students, public schools, already-marginalized people, never mind American's right to religious freedom.

Vouchers Hurt Students

Vouchers are just a tool to funnel money to religious institutions and the programs are bad for student outcomes. Repeated studies of vouchers across the country show that they result in worse test scores for students—and Louisiana, Indiana, and Ohio students who used vouchers had worse academic outcomes. Most voucher programs lack accountability measures, and many also lack proper oversight mechanisms to ensure that private schools and program administrators meet even the minimal standards that do exist. Many voucher schools are permitted to take taxpayer money without implementing any requirements for teacher qualifications, testing, or achievement.

Vouchers Hurt Public Schools

Vouchers increase costs by requiring taxpayers to fund two school systems, one public and one private. Vouchers take scarce funding from public schools, which serve 90 percent of students, and give it to private schools, which are not accountable to taxpayers. Because of this, public schools have less funding, leading to larger class sizes and fewer resources, such as textbooks, school nurses and counselors, lab equipment, music and athletic programs, and after-school programs.

Vouchers do not give parents educational choices. Private schools can limit enrollment, maintain exclusive admissions policies, and charge tuition and fees far above the amount provided by the voucher.

Vouchers Hurt Already-Marginalized Students

Unlike public schools, private and religious schools discriminate in admissions based on gender, religion, sexual orientation, ability, behavioral history, prior academic achievement, standardized test scores, interviews with applicants and parents, and income.

Many private voucher schools impose a religious litmus test on students and their families. Private schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers often deny admission to, or expel, LGBTQ students and students with LGBTQ family members. Religious schools also teach anti-LGBTQ curricula.

Despite receiving government funds through vouchers, private voucher schools do not provide the same rights and protections to students as public schools, such as those in Titles VI of the Civil Rights Act, Title IX, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Every Student Succeeds Act. And students who attend private schools using vouchers are stripped of the First Amendment, due process, and other constitutional and statutory rights guaranteed to them in public schools.

Vouchers Are a Threat to Religious Freedom

Religious freedom is best protected by keeping it separate from government dollars and government control. Private school vouchers violate the fundamental principle of religious freedom because they pay for religious education with taxpayer funds. In addition, tax dollars should not be used to favor one religion over another. Vouchers overwhelmingly provide funding to Christian private schools. Some schools discriminate against students based on their religious beliefs, hurting those who practice non-Christian religions and people who are non-religious.

Vouchers also threaten the autonomy of religious schools by opening them up to government audits, control, and interference. Taxpayer funds should not be used to prevent the free exercise of religion. Private schools more freely exercise their religious beliefs when it is not entangled with the state. When religious organizations become dependent on government funds, there is a danger they will compromise their views to sustain the receipt of public funds.

Kevin Bolling is the executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. He has served in that position since 2017.

The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer

Kevin Bolling


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