www.upcatholic.org
THE U.P. CATHOLIC
February 4, 2022
5
How to put more money for education into the hands of parents who need it
W
hile COVID-19 has been a disruptive force in seemingly all parts of our lives, of particular concern is how it has impacted student learning. Most would agree that too many kids have fallen behind, whether it was due to inadequate access to remote learning or a lack of available options to improve their education experience. For some kids - like those in poverty or with special needs - the pandemic only exacerbated existing challenges in obtaining a quality education. But what if parents could take direct, tangible action to put their kids on a path to success? And what if those parents - and you - could make that possibility a reality? Efforts are underway to collect petition signatures to place a proposal before the Legislature to allow for parents to obtain scholarships for their children that could be put toward virtually any education resource. Scholarships would be available through any state-approved scholarship-granting nonprofit organization, which could include Catholic school foundations and other private organizations qual- ified to accept and distribute funds. The uses for the scholarships are numerous: Online classes, Wi-Fi, laptops, tuition, tutoring, transportation, textbooks - if it has something to do with education, it counts. The scholarships would especially benefit students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, students in foster care, and special needs students. But the program is broad enough to include students whose families make up to $98,000 a year for a family of four. It is estimated that more than 1 million Mich- igan students could benefit from these scholar- ships, and 90% of those students go to public schools, according to the group sponsoring the petition, Let MI Kids Learn. The scholarships would be available to nonpub- lic and homeschool students as well, with the cap at $7,830 per student. For Catholic or homeschool students, imagine how far $7,830 per student could go. It could provide for a math or science tutor, or for expens- es associated with career technical education. It could also take care of Catholic school tuition bills. But who would pay for these scholarships? Where would the money come from? The answer is simple: any Michigan taxpay- er - whether an individual or a business - could donate to a scholarship granting organization, and in exchange, the donor would receive a credit against their income or corporate taxes, incentiv- izing donors to give to these accounts. More than 20 states already allow for these edu- cation scholarships. States with such programs have seen their school budget costs decrease, and studies across the country have demonstrated the positive fiscal and academic impact of these programs on all students. With the scholarship money in hand, parents would be in the driver's seat for determining how best to advance their children's education. That principle is grounded in Catholic teaching, which holds that parents have both the right and re- sponsibility to act as the first educators of their children. The bishops of Michigan's seven Catholic dio- ceses - who help to guide the Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) -- support this statewide peti- tion-gathering effort because it would give par- ents more options and would provide low-income families with choice in their children's education. That is why MCC is contacting parishes and Catholic schools to provide information about how people can become involved, including how to sign petitions and how to be petition circula- tors. If enough valid signatures are collected within a six-month timeframe, the petition would go to the state Legislature for consideration. The Legislature in 2021 already approved sim- ilar legislation to set up education savings ac- counts, but the bills were vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. This time, the petition proposal could be ap- proved by the Legislature and become law with- out needing the Governor's signature. And since the current Legislature has already approved similar legislation, it is hoped they would give the petition prompt approval. But that is only if the petition comes before the Legislature, which is up to you and other Michi- ganders who want to see more education resourc- es for parents and students. MCC will continue to update parishes and schools regarding this petition drive. Individuals can also obtain petition forms and other informa- tion at letmikidslearn.com. The Word from Lansing is a regular column for Catholic news outlets and is written by Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC) President and CEO Paul A. Long. Michigan Catholic Conference is the official public policy voice of the Catholic Church in this state.
THE WORD FROM LANSING Paul A. Long
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO COLLECT PETITION SIGNATURES TO PLACE A PROPOSAL BEFORE THE LEGISLATURE TO ALLOW FOR PARENTS TO OBTAIN SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THEIR CHILDREN THAT COULD BE PUT TOWARD VIRTUALLY ANY EDUCATION RESOURCE.
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