The Ministry of Education announces support for tax credit for school choice: NPR

State Secretary for Education, Betsy DeVos, and Republican lawmakers announced a tax credit project intended for donations to private scholarships and scholarships. other school choice initiatives.

"A good education should not be determined by luck, nor by address, nor by the income of the family," DeVos said at a press conference.

She appeared alongside Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala.

According to DeVos, states could choose whether they wish to participate in the initiative or not. (Many states already have programs in the books that provide tax breaks to residents who donate to scholarship programs.)

It seems unlikely that the new legislation will reach the House of Representatives, now controlled by the Democrats.

DeVos has long been a strong supporter of school choices, including charter schools and vouchers to help families pay for private schools. Previously, she was head of the American Federation for Children, which advocates the choice of school.

In his State of the Union address at the beginning of the year, President Trump said: "The time has come to make the choice of school for American children . " This was his only mention of education in addition to a passing reference to "overcrowded schools".

Teachers across the country went on strike over the last year and many worried about the growth of charter schools. In Los Angeles, where teachers picketed for six days in January, strikers grew tired of competing with charter schools for students and funding.

It's also a problem in West Virginia, where teachers went on strike in mid-February to protest a bill that would have paved the way for chartered schools and vouchers. private school in the state.

On Thursday, teachers in Oakland, California, began their sixth day of strike. they are asking for more restrictions on charter schools, among other things.