"The opportunity to learn - the necessary resources, the curriculum opportunities, the quality teachers - that affluent students have, is what determines what people can do in life."
- Linda Darling-Hammond, Professor of Education at Stanford University
Below are the key organizations to watch and listen to in the fight against vouchers and state-funded tax-credit programs.
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
www.au.org/issues/religious-school-vouchers/
Below are organizations and studies documenting the harmful effects of vouchers on our nation's students and public school system:
"To build our public education system back up to its former world-class status, we must invest dollars there, not in programs, such as vouchers, that have proven to be ineffective for thousands of children and communities across our nation."
- Tina Dove, National Opportunity to Learn Campaign Director
Report: Test, Punish and Push Out: How zero-tolerance and high-stakes testing funnel youth into the school-to-prison pipeline
Advancement Project
“Schools that rely on security guards and metal detectors to create safety may end up creating an environment that is so repressive that it is no longer conducive to learning.”
- Pedro Noguera, Executive Director, Metropolitan Center for Urban Education
From our Opportunity to Learn Campaign, the School-to-Prison Pipeline Toolkit includes an overview, talking points, key data and resources – everything you'll need to advocate for a fair and substantive opportunity to learn for all children.
Why do schools in high-poverty neighborhoods have fewer textbooks, foreign language offerings, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses, and smaller libraries than schools in middle-class neighborhoods? Why do wealthier kids have teachers and principals with more credentials, experience and talent? And more importantly, how do we make change happen so all students can proceed from the same starting line?
