{"id":2096470,"date":"2023-11-10T14:47:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-10T19:47:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-democrats-kill-states-only-school-choice-program\/"},"modified":"2023-11-10T14:51:23","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T19:51:23","slug":"illinois-democrats-kill-states-only-school-choice-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-democrats-kill-states-only-school-choice-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Illinois Democrats end sole school choice program."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fillinois-democrats-kill-states-only-school-choice-program%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2096470&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Illinois \u200cDemocrats Let School Choice Program Expire, Leaving Thousands of Students Without Options<\/h2>\n<p>Illinois Democrats have made a\u200d controversial\u2063 decision\u2062 by allowing the state&#8217;s only school choice \u200cprogram to\u2063 expire. The Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program, which provided opportunities for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/20-attorneys-general-push-back-on-bidens-plans-to-advance-deeply-flawed-critical-race-theory-1619-project\/\" title=\"20 Attorneys General Push Back On Biden\u2019s Plans To Advance \u2018Deeply Flawed\u2019 Critical Race Theory, 1619 Project\">lower-income students<\/a> to attend private schools, will come to an end at the conclusion of the current school year.<\/p>\n<p>The program, which awarded \u2063an\u2064 income \u200ctax credit to taxpayers who donated \u200dto\u200b scholarship funds, benefited around 9,700 students in Illinois last year. These students, with an\u200b average family income of $45,000, were given the chance to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hunter-biden-files-lawsuits-against-giuliani-irs\/\" title=\"Hunter Biden sues Giuliani and IRS.\">access quality education<\/a> through private schools.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u200b efforts\u2064 from Republicans and some Chicago-area Democrats to renew a modified \u2062version of the program, \u2064the majority of Democrats in the state House did not support the proposal. Speaker Emanuel &#8220;Chris&#8221; Welch,\u2062 a Democrat, chose not \u2062to bring the bill to \u2062the floor.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of the program, including a group of Illinois House Democrats, argued that school vouchers perpetuate educational inequities and criticized private schools for being run by\u2063 religious groups and allegedly discriminating against students based on factors like gender identity.<\/p>\n<p>While these debates \u200ctook place\u200b in the legislative chambers, hundreds of parents and supporters rallied outside the House, demanding the preservation of the scholarship program.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1699717291626000&#038;usg=AOvVaw1PNINDjAvjSn1X4OOpYkXN\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Right outside the House Chamber!<\/p>\n<p>SAVE MY SCHOLARSHIP<br \/>KIDS OVER POLITICS <br \/>CALL THE BILL <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ChrisWelch_JD?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@ChrisWelch_JD<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hUZsBb8ZKD\">pic.twitter.com\/hUZsBb8ZKD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Illinois Freedom Caucus \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@ILFreedomCaucus) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ILFreedomCaucus\/status\/1722680484663017488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">November 9, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Despite this setback,\u200b Republican House minority\u2062 leader Tony McCombie has vowed to continue the fight for the reauthorization of the school choice program in the future. \u2063McCombie believes that improvements can be \u2064made\u2063 to make the \u200bprogram more effective and accessible to a greater number of students.<\/p>\n<p>One of the main opponents of the Invest in Kids program has been teachers unions. The \u2062president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers celebrated \u2064the program&#8217;s expiration, \u200cclaiming that it\u2063 diverts\u2062 public funds from public schools. \u200bUnion President Dan Montgomery also criticized the alleged discriminatory policies of many private schools.<\/p>\n<p>While Illinois has chosen to end its school choice program,\u200b other states like Florida\u2063 and Arizona have expanded their\u2063 programs, providing more options for students \u2062seeking alternative education. The school choice debate \u200bcontinues to be a hot topic across the nation.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does \u2062the expiration of the \u200dInvest in Kids program\u200c in Illinois affect students with \u200bdisabilities?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nder, \u2064sexual orientation, and disability.<\/p>\n<p>However,\u2063 supporters of the program believe that it is a vital option for families who cannot afford to send \u200dtheir children to private schools. They argue\u2062 that school choice promotes competition and drives \u200beducational\u200c improvement. By giving parents the\u200c ability to choose the best educational\u200d environment\u200b for their children,\u2064 they can escape failing public schools and provide\u2064 a better future for their kids.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the \u2062Invest in Kids\u200b program has\u2063 been\u200d beneficial not only for\u200d students but also for \u200btaxpayers. \u2063The tax credit given\u2062 to donors \u2062who contribute \u200bto scholarship funds helps lower \u2064the \u2063burden on the state&#8217;s public education system. It allows \u2062the private sector to get involved in providing educational opportunities to\u2063 those\u200d who\u2063 need\u200b it \u200cmost, without putting additional strain \u2063on\u200b the government&#8217;s resources.<\/p>\n<p>By allowing the program \u200bto \u2064expire, Illinois Democrats\u2063 are effectively limiting\u2062 the options \u200cavailable to thousands of students and families. They are denying \u2063them \u2064the opportunity to \u200dreceive quality\u200d education tailored to their individual needs. This <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/illinois-democrats-kill-states-only-school-choice-program\/\" title=\"Illinois Democrats end sole school choice program.\">decision disproportionately\u2062 affects lower-income \u200bfamilies<\/a> who may not have\u200c the means\u200d to move to a \u200dbetter school\u200b district or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-education-lesson-from-covid-lockdowns-school-choice-is-imperative-for-every-child\/\" title=\"The Education Lesson from COVID Lockdowns: School Choice Is Imperative for Every Child\">afford private school tuition<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It is disheartening \u200bto\u200b see politics play a role in denying\u2062 students a chance\u2064 at a better education. By prioritizing ideological concerns over the \u2064well-being and future of these children, Illinois \u2063Democrats have let partisan interests\u200b triumph over common sense and the \u200bpursuit of equal opportunities.<\/p>\n<p>There is\u200c no doubt that educational inequities\u2063 exist in our country, but completely eliminating programs like the Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program is not\u2063 the answer. Instead,\u200d we should be\u2063 working towards a more comprehensive and inclusive education system that addresses these disparities without disregarding the needs and choices of individual families.<\/p>\n<p>This decision by Illinois \u200cDemocrats\u2063 raises concerns about the future of school choice programs across the \u200dcountry. \u2063If a state that\u200c prides itself on progressive values and opportunities for all can let a \u200cprogram like this expire,\u200d what does it say about\u2062 the \u2062commitment to providing \u2063equal access to quality education nationwide?<\/p>\n<p>It is time for lawmakers to put aside partisan differences and prioritize the well-being and future of students. They \u2063must recognize \u200dthat school\u2064 choice is not a threat to \u200cpublic education \u2064but \u2062rather a\u200c complement to it. By expanding options and opportunities, we can\u200c create a stronger\u2063 and more inclusive\u200c educational system\u2063 that\u2063 benefits all students, \u200cregardless of their\u200c background or income \u2063level.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c expiration of the Invest in Kids program in\u200b Illinois is a disheartening setback for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-kentucky-gov-attended-private-school-despite-claiming-to-be-a-proud-product-of-public-education\/\" title=\"Report: Kentucky Gov. Attended Private School Despite Claiming To Be A \u2018Proud Product Of Public Education\u2019\">school choice advocates<\/a>. It is now more\u2063 important than ever for citizens to voice their support for \u2064educational opportunities\u200b and demand that\u200c lawmakers prioritize\u2063 the \u2064needs of students. Every child deserves \u2064a\u200c chance to succeed, and it\u2062 is \u200dour\u200b duty as a society to ensure that they \u2064are not left \u2063behind\u2064 due \u200bto political maneuvering \u200cand ideological differences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Illinois Democrats allowed the state\u2019s only school choice program to expire this week. The Invest in Kids tax credit scholarship program will sunset at the end of the current school year after Illinois legislators ended the fall legislative session on Thursday without taking action to renew it. The $75 million program awards an income tax<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":2096471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2096470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2096470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2096470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2096471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2096470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2096470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2096470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}