Messages and data for public school advocates against vouchers Ohio has five voucher programs, which provide public tuition subsidies at private K-12 schools. During the 2022-23 school year, the two most expensive, EdChoice and EdChoice Expansion, extracted from state coffers a combined total of $353.7 million, money that could have been spent to
How economic security helps kids get to school and slows the school-to-prison pipeline In Ohio’s schools, kids learn to read, write, play an instrument, or dance. They learn history and the skills they need to thrive beyond the classroom. But too many Ohio kids miss too much school, limiting their
A Note from our Budget Researcher We say that the budget is a moral document, but what does that mean for Ohioans? There’s no better example of the budget as a moral document in Ohio than our public library system. Growing up, one of my favorite places in the whole
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Implementing a Black Women Best framework Public policy can stack the deck against groups of people based on their race, gender, or other aspects of their identities. When those identities intersect, policy failures can overlap, compounding their effects. For example, systems that especially harm women and especially harm Black people
Ohio’s students deserve a world-class education, including safe and well-resourced schools that are staffed with teachers who are well trained and fairly paid. Providing that education is our shared responsibility, and we all share its benefits as well: Every family does better when the next generation is prepared for the
The pandemic took a toll on Americans from all walks of life, especially schoolchildren and educators. Throughout the pandemic, parents, children and teachers navigated school closures, hybrid learning and constantly evolving safety protocols. Coming out of the pandemic, Ohio’s schools are still recovering from learning loss, struggling to recruit and
This piece was corrected on June 20, 2023. The Senate budget leaves in place a provision that would increase pay for care workers. Tanisha Pruitt, PhD | Bree Easterling Juneteenth, often celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the day the last enslaved Black Americans were released from slavery. This joyous moment
Regardless of race, neighborhood, or how much money is in their parents’ bank account, every child should be able to attend an excellent school that has everything they need to learn and grow. Every dollar spent on vouchers makes this vision less achievable. Vouchers take public money and give it
Chair Brenner, Vice Chair O’Brien, Ranking Member Ingram and members of the Primary and Secondary Education Committee of the Ohio Senate: I represent Policy Matters Ohio, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization that is building a more vibrant, equitable, sustainable and inclusive Ohio. Thank you for the opportunity to testify. As
Every day educators prepare lesson plans, gather resources, build relationships with and nurture Ohio’s kids, so our collective future is brighter and better than the present. But coming out of the pandemic and because of continuing attacks on educators from the statehouse, teachers across Ohio are exhausted, mentally, physically, and
The moral case for funding K-12 education
Education is a fundamental right and a cornerstone of a just and equitable society. In Ohio, as elsewhere, the quality of education profoundly impacts the opportunities available to students, shaping their futures and the broader community’s well-being. Adequate school funding is not merely a fiscal issue but a moral imperative,