Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education hearing highlights school choice

Today the U.S. House Education & the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing emphasizing the power and importance of school choice. The hearing, “Helping Students Succeed Through the Power of School Choice,” featured testimony from Michael Williams, former Texas Education Commissioner, Kevin Kubacki, executive director of the Neighborhood Charter Network of Indianapolis, Almo Carter, a D.C. Public Schools parent, and Nina Cherry, a Florida school choice parent.
“As we conclude a successful National School Choice Week celebration with over 20,000 events nationwide, this hearing was an opportunity to continue the conversation about the importance of school choice for families,” said John Schilling, Chief Operating Officer for the American Federation for Children. “Millions of parents across the country have made their voices heard and policymakers continue to respond by expanding educational options for America’s children. We thank Chairman Rokita for holding this hearing and look forward to working with Congress and the new Administration to empower parents with greater choice in education.”
Earlier this year, AFC conducted its third annual National School Choice Poll, which showed consistent and strong support for school choice. Sixty-eight percent of likely voters indicated they support the concept of school choice. Support is even greater among African-American, Hispanic, and Millennial voters. Full results from our 2017 poll can be found here: http://bit.ly/2jnw9k0.
In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Todd Rokita said, “No one on this committee would ever leave their child trapped in a failing school. No one. Yet, some would deny other parents the right to do what’s best for their children. If we are serious about improving K-12 education, we have to demand better,” as he emphasized the importance of educational options.
Nina Cherry, whose children participate in the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program, was able to send her children to a quality school when her family struggled financially thanks to school choice. Read her full testimony here: http://bit.ly/2l0DC8s.
The full hearing can be viewed here: http://bit.ly/2kXGILs.