Changing course from previous years, the recently released draft platform of the Democratic Party did not contain explicit language opposing publicly funded school vouchers.

In response, Tanya Clay House, People For the American Way Director of Public Policy, issued the following statement.

“Democrats should use the party platform to make clear their opposition to school voucher schemes that undermine the goal of strengthening public schools and providing quality educational opportunity to all children. In the past, Democrats have held the line against Republican-led efforts to weaken public education through school vouchers, and that stance should be made explicit in this document.

“Again and again we’ve seen that vouchers don’t help kids learn. Instead, they divert important resources from reforms that have been proven to work: smaller class sizes, improved teacher training, and improved school-community partnerships. The platform makes clear that accountability should be a core principle in funding public school reforms, and vouchers violate that principle.

“I have every confidence the Democratic Party will continue its opposition to school vouchers. I urge them to use the party platform to make it clear.”

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