For 10 years, I worked on Capitol Hill as a top education adviser for a progressive member of Congress and a liberal U.S. senator. I fought for stronger public schools, greater educational equity and increased investment tied to more robust accountability for the students and schools that need it most.
I remain deeply committed to those goals.
That is why I believe Gov. Mikie Sherrill should take a serious, good-faith look at joining the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program.
This new initiative operates very simply. A taxpayer donates to an approved nonprofit called a scholarship granting organization. In turn, the taxpayer receives a federal credit — for example, a dollar-for-dollar reduction in taxes owed, like the child tax credit — for as much as $1,700. The donations are awarded by the scholarship group to students and families for educational expenses.
Though we are a well-off state, our students, families, teachers and public schools would benefit greatly if Sherrill exercises her authority to enroll.
The biggest political obstacle is that some are calling this a private school-choice program. Many voters, especially Democrats, hear this and understandably worry about privatization, discrimination, lack of accountability and the diversion of resources from public schools.
Those concerns deserve consideration. New Jersey has tried to pass school voucher policies, including through tax subsidies. Though those proposals had at least nominal bipartisan support, they never made it through the process, for many good reasons.
Limited state role
Like most voucher programs, the new federal tax credit provides for a limited state role in ensuring program quality. While there are protections against malfeasance, gross mismanagement and conflicts of interest, the state must accept all programs that meet these basic criteria and cannot impose additional conditions such as accountability measures.
Funds could also go to students who attend religious schools, which get some state and local funding for needs including transportation and textbooks. Those institutions have weaker civil rights protections, especially for students with disabilities.
Still, this is a program worth joining. And calling it a private-school choice or voucher program is a gross mischaracterization.
True, the tax credit can subsidize nonpublic tuitions. It also also can support public school services, including high-impact tutoring and after-school and summer programs. Scholarship funds can be used for educational therapies — such as speech‑language, occupational and behavioral — that many families struggle to afford or that districts provide only at minimal levels. School districts may even benefit directly.
As renowned Georgetown University education economist Marguerite Roza recently observed, “Given that 90% of the kids in our country, and their families, have attended public schools, these (scholarship granting organizations) could have … broader appeal to the average taxpayer.”
Viewed through that lens, the program is not a public education alternative. It is a potential tool for expanding opportunity within the public system.
High achievers slipping
New Jersey K-12 students are some of the highest-achieving in the country, and one might assume they have less of a need for this program than their peers in less well-off states. New data, though, show troubling trends that run counter to that belief.
Student achievement in recent years has, on average, declined, according to a national education scorecard released last month by Harvard and Stanford universities At the same time, several formerly low-achieving states, implementing smart policies, have surged ahead.
Beneath the state averages lies a hard truth: Many low-income students and students of color are not served well and, for the most part, never have been. It is notable that while the Harvard/Stanford scorecard identified high-poverty schools whose students are defying the odds – including those in Newark – relatively few of those were in New Jersey.
Moreover, many districts, even those with mid-level family incomes, could use financial help. While the proposed fiscal 2027 state budget provides a record $12.4 billion in K-12 aid, aid cuts are possible in 29% of districts. Districts across the economic spectrum, meanwhile, are under financial pressure from rising health care costs and the loss of federal funds.
This should not be an either-or debate.
It is likely that some of this funding would support private-school vouchers. Those who lack enthusiasm for such a step should not overlook the benefits for public schools. We can boost both.
Sherrill has an opportunity to show that New Jersey remains committed to strong public schools and embrace innovative ways to support students.
Twenty-nine states — some run by Sherrill’s fellow Democrats — have opted into the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Program, according to the Teach Coalition, which advocates for the program. New Jersey, should it decline, could see its taxpayer dollars flow out of state as parents seek scholarship granting organizations.
New Jersey has long been a leader in education. To remain one, we must be willing to evolve — and to put students first.
