How Unspent School Voucher Funds Hurt Public Education

Class is in session: Dr. Nancy Carlsson Paige, Matt Damon’s mom, discusses the ways school vouchers impact Democracy and public education with the hosts of Busted Pencils

The contentious issue of school vouchers is the focus of a discussion on this Busted Pencils episode between hosts Dr. Tim Slekar and Dr. Johnny Lupinacci and their guest, Dr. Nancy Carlsson Paige, educator and mother of actor Matt Damon. A startling report from Arizona shows $360 million allocated for voucher programs remains unspent. Slekar and Lupinacci say the money is intended to provide parents with choice in education. But instead, it is raising questions about its impact on public schools and Democratic values. 

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LISTEN to the entire podcast here:

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Arizona’s voucher system, known as the “Empowerment Scholarship Account,” allows parents to divert public funds into private and religious education. 

“The privatization of education, bolstered by such programs, weakens public schools and undermines democracy by stripping away guarantees of equity and inclusion that public institutions strive to provide,” Carlsson Paige explains. “The more voucher schools are funded, the weaker public education becomes. The loss of vital public funds could have supported underfunded schools. These trends pose a broader threat to the principle of equal education for all.”

The hosts bring up the consequences of voucher programs and point out the lack of evidence supporting an improvement in educational outcomes. 

“These programs are often marketed under the idea of choice,” Carlsson Paige says. “But instead cater to a privatization movement that neglects the diverse needs of communities, particularly those who rely on public education to foster democratic participation and critical thinking.”

The discussion ends with a call to action for communities: remain engaged with your local public schools and resist a push toward privatization. 

“This issue is not just about education but about the kind of democracy we wish to preserve for future generations,” Carlsson Paige says.