As I was saying…..vouchers were all but extinct until Moms got involved. Moms of students with disabilities counted to 3. They were not going to allow their children to receive substandard education or suffer in public schools (allegedly).
It seems as if those who gave and/or sustained life (Moms), kept on giving and brought vouchers back to life. Their relentless advocacy got the bills through the legislative process.
The talking points were changed from “let the market” to “let the Mommies”. Voucher eligibility changed from all students to only students with disabilities. Who can say no to kids with disabilities? When cameras are on anyway.
More irony – the “champions” of this bill went all-in on parents’ rights. It was the central theme of the campaign. They shouted from the rooftops that parents had a right to choose – a school. They shouted parents were helpless to the schools that had repeatedly failed to provide the education their children were entitled to under the law.
When students with disabilities entered the picture, the shouts were louder and the the laws became specific, Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
When all was said these champions looked the other way while moms traded in their children’s education rights for a private school education. After all, it is a parent’s right to waive their children’s’ rights, right?
To be Continued