A recent open letter from leaders of several teachers' unions urges Democratic governors to reject participation in a new federal tax-credit scholarship program, claiming it threatens public education. But that argument misses the core purpose of the law and sets up a false zero-sum game.
This law does not normalize vouchers, as the letter suggests. Instead, it normalizes a more fundamental principle: empowering parents to make educational choices for their children, whether they attend private or public schools. That should not be controversial. Parents know their children best.
For too long, education debates have focused on institutions rather than children. We talk about systems, sectors, funding streams, and political platforms. But families experience education one child at a time. A mother helping her son learn to read isn't thinking about political categories. A father seeking a safer school for his daughter isn't trying to weaken public education. A public school parent getting after-school tutoring for a child in reading just wants improvement—and ironically, that may strengthen public education by boosting outcomes that reflect well on the school.
Parents are simply trying to make the best decisions for the children they love. This law does not legitimize a scheme to benefit private interests, as the letter claims. It benefits children. And the good news: it will be available to help 90% of all children, including those in public schools. This is not a vision that leaves some behind or treats opportunity as a privilege for a few. It recognizes that children in every kind of school may need support, and that families meeting income thresholds should have access to resources to help them flourish.
My organization has seen for over 25 years what happens when families are trusted. A scholarship may look modest on paper, but to a parent, it represents the difference between being able and not being able to provide what their child needs.
The union leaders' letter warns that more educational options will weaken public education. But supporting parents is not an attack on public schools. We should not buy into the argument that honoring public education requires denying families other options when those options are best for their children, or denying public school parents access to additional resources that could benefit their children. We can say both things clearly: Public schools matter, and parents matter. Strong schools matter, and so does the freedom to choose the right school or educational resources.
The question before governors is not whether they stand with public or private schools. It is whether they stand with families—or whether they will watch donor money leave their states to help children in other states whose governors have opted in.
Our country has always placed great faith in ordinary people making important decisions for themselves and those they love. Education is one of the most important of those decisions. When we trust parents, we are not abandoning public schools. We are honoring the people most responsible for their children's well-being, which is good for all of society.
This approach aligns with broader efforts to expand educational freedom, such as the Trump administration's launch of savings accounts for children, which similarly empowers families. Meanwhile, national report cards show educational stagnation, underscoring the need for innovative solutions. We look forward to helping all children—in public schools, private schools, and every community where parents are working to build a better future. That is not privatization or abandonment. It is faith in families, one of the best hopes for strengthening American education.
Darla M. Romfo is President and CEO of the Children's Scholarship Fund, a national scholarship-granting organization providing the families of more than 38,000 children with K-12 scholarships in the 2025-26 school year.
