At the Federal Relations Luncheon on Thursday, Josh Cowen, a professor of education policy at Michigan State University and author of The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers delivered a compelling session on the dangers of school vouchers, describing them as a direct threat to states’ budgets, education funding and public schools.
Despite being marketed under various names—tax credits, education savings accounts and more—Cowen underscored that vouchers ultimately divert public funds to private institutions. He pointed to historical examples, such as Chile's failed voucher system, as cautionary tales of the lasting damage these policies can inflict on educational systems.
“We have to call this what it is,” Cowen told a New Orleans convention center ballroom with more than 80 public school leaders, “a billionaire-backed, full-frontal assault on public education and the very idea of the public good.”
The expansion of school voucher programs, Cowen noted, is not an organic movement led by parents, but rather a calculated initiative driven by well-funded organizations. He cited research showing that the majority of students receiving vouchers were already enrolled in private schools, particularly those from higher-income backgrounds, which contradicts the claim that these programs primarily help disadvantaged children.
Furthermore, Cowen highlighted the detrimental impact on students who transfer from public to private schools using vouchers, noting that research has shown these students often experience significant academic declines—on par with the disruptions caused by natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina or the COVID-19 pandemic. “Vouchers are not a solution to any real or imagined crisis in education,” he stated.
In response to an attendee’s question on how to counteract the push for vouchers in conservative communities with few private school options, Cowen emphasized that states cannot afford to sustain two parallel education systems. He urged superintendents and education leaders to communicate to legislators that supporting vouchers is a vote against their own districts and communities.
“Say it. Name it. Attack it. Stand up for what works and what’s right,” Cowen asserted.
A call to action was also raised by Sasha Pudelski, a member of the AASA public policy staff, encouraging attendees to reach out to members of Congress using an easy-to-use template handed out at the end of the luncheon.
“I cannot stress enough how important the voice of superintendents are to members of Congress and to the legislative community,” Cowen concluded “They may not do exactly what you tell them to, but they do listen to you. Your voice really matters.”
(Amiela Arcellana is a reporter with Conference Daily Online and AASA’s marketing coordinator.)
