Press Releases

Teachers Union Vows to Fight School Choice in Florida, Despite Judge’s Ruling

By Mary C. Tillotson | Watchdog.org | June 16, 2015

Florida’s teachers union has announced it will continue its legal battle against the state’s school choice program, even after a judge threw out its lawsuit last month.

Referring to the privately funded scholarship program as a “voucher scheme,” a news release from the Florida Education Association cited the state’s constitution and a previous school choice court decision, arguing that public money should not be used at any religious institution, such as a religious school

The U.S. Supreme Court considered a similar argument in 2011, when it decided money is not public money if it never reaches the government’s hands. Florida’s program is similar to an Arizona program, which SCOTUS reviewed in the 2011 case: Instead of public money funding the scholarships, private donors do. Donors receive tax credits according to their donations to a nonprofit, which administers the scholarships.

George Reynolds, circuit court judge, dismissed the case with prejudice, saying plaintiffs did not have legal standing to bring it.

“While we are disappointed the plaintiffs appealed the ruling, we will defend the interests of these children all the way to the Florida Supreme Court if we need to,” Howard Coker, attorney for scholarship families, said in a statement.

Coker is part of the Save Our Scholarships coalition, which includes the Black Alliance for Educational Options, the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, Alliance for School Choice, Agudath Israel of Florida, Florida Black Ministers Parental Choice Alliance and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

This year, the 14th year for the program, nearly 70,000 students are attending private schools through the scholarship program, said Patrick Gibbons, public affairs manager for Step Up for Students, the nonprofit that administers scholarships. The program has served about 400,000 students overall, he said.

Mark Pudlow, spokesman for FEA, declined to say whether the FEA wanted to rid the state of the scholarship program.

“Florida needs to follow its constitution, and that’s our goal, for the state to follow its constitution,” he said. “If someone wants to have a voucher program, they need to put it in the constitution and run it by the voters.”

The Florida School Boards Association decided last week to drop out of the suit. Remaining plantiffs include the Florida PTA, Florida NAACP, League of Women Voters of Florida, and individuals affiliated with Americans United for Separation of Church and State, according to the FEA’s release.

Florida School Board Association Opts Out of Voucher Suit

By Mel Leonor | Naples Daily News | June 11, 2015

The Florida School Board Association will no longer be part of a suit against the state’s school voucher program.

FSBA’s presence on the suit ended Wednesday evening, when its board of directors voted 21-9 in favor of untying the organization from future legal action on the case.

The decision follows a May 18 ruling by a Florida circuit judge dismissing the suit against Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship program.

The lawsuit, filed by the Florida Education Association, FSBA and others, challenged the constitutionality of the program, which funds scholarships for private school students through tax credits for corporations that support the program.

Andy Griffiths, who represents the Collier County School Board on the FSBA board of directors, said in an interview that directors were presented with three options: proceed with an appeal, proceed with the appeal but discontinue financial support towards it, or drop out of the case all together.

Griffith said he favored the second option — keep FSBA’s name on the suit, but close the checkbook — “but obviously that opinion didn’t carry the day.” Representatives of Palm Beach, Broward, Sarasota, Charlotte, Brevard, Polk and Pinellas counties also voted against completely dropping the suit.

Griffith, who also represents Monroe, Glades and Hendry counties, said that the boards he represents had increasingly objected to the use of taxpayer funds to support a suit many of their constituents don’t support.

FSBA is funded by membership dues paid by school boards in the state. These dollars come directly from taxpayers.

In Collier, both school board members Erika Donalds and Kelly Litchter have spoken in favor of it. Earlier this year, Donalds became a founding member of the Florida Coalition of School Board Members, an organization meant to parallel the work of the FSBA and that was born out of discontent with FSBA’s support of the voucher suit.

Donalds has also proposed that Collier stop its membership with FSBA because of the organization’s support of this suit.

During Tuesday’s school board meeting — in a rare instance of all-around agreement — Collier County School Board members said they didn’t support FSBA moving forward with an appeal.

“I believe that once a lawsuit has been sent back by the judge, that we should move on,” said board member Roy Terry. “I don’t believe we should pursue this lawsuit.”

The other plaintiff on the suit is the Florida Education Association, the state’s preeminent teacher’s union. Their funds largely come from fees paid by teachers from their salaries. The FEA has until next week to file an appeal.

Breaking News: Leon County Circuit Judge Throws Out Teachers Union Lawsuit Against Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

Click file to read the opinion: 15-5.18 ORDER Granting Motion To Dismiss

Judge Sides With Parents in Win For School Choice in Florida

Ruling dismisses lawsuit seeking to end scholarship program for low-income families

Tallahassee, FL – Parents of 70,000 low-income students in Florida won a major legal victory today when a judge sided with them in favor of the nation’s largest private school choice program. Leon County Circuit Judge George Reynolds ruled that the Florida teachers union, Florida School Boards Association and other plaintiffs did not have standing to proceed in a suit that seeks to dismantle the state’s 14-year-old tax credit scholarship program. Fifteen scholarship parents from around the state intervened in the case to help the defense.

“The scholarship program has always been about giving more educational options to the children who need the most help, and not an attack on public schools,” said Rev. H.K. Matthews, a civil rights icon in north Florida. “Judge Reynolds’s ruling points us towards a day, long in coming, when we can finally and fully see how public and private options complement each other, and how they, together, can better ensure the success of all of our children.”

“There was never any doubt,” said Marlene Desdunes, a public school teacher and parent of children who benefit from tax credit scholarships students in Miami. “My union had no good reason to sue. Students and parents deserve educational options and all teachers know that students learn in different ways.”

The lawsuit questioned the constitutionality of the tax credit scholarship, and argued that the program is similar to a voucher program that was struck down in 2006 by the Florida Supreme Court. But Judge Reynolds wrote that, unlike the previous voucher program, the scholarship does not involve a state appropriation. He wrote that the plaintiffs did not prove they are harmed by the scholarship and that any claim of a negative impact on public school budgets is “speculative.” His decision follows a ruling in December by Leon Circuit Judge Charles Francis, who rejected similar claims of standing in a lawsuit attempting to invalidate a new law that strengthened the Tax Credit Scholarship program.

The judge dismissed the case “with prejudice,” which means the plaintiffs, should they continue to pursue the case, will have to appeal to the First District Court of Appeal.

“Judge Reynolds followed the case in Florida and beyond,” said Doug Tuthill, president of Step Up For Students, the nonprofit that helps administer the scholarship. “It’s hard to ignore that he found that not a single public school student is harmed by this scholarship and yet, if the union succeeds, the result is that 70,000 of the state’s most vulnerable students would be removed from private schools that are working for them.”

The scholarship program is funded by corporate contributions that are donated in return for dollar-for-dollar tax credits. That key legal distinction has led the U.S. Supreme Court and state supreme courts in Arizona, New Hampshire and Alabama to dismiss similar lawsuits on similar grounds. No state court has ever ruled against a tax credit scholarship.

For more information, please visit www.floridaschoolchoice.org

About the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program

The Florida Legislature founded the Florida Tax Credit (FTC) Scholarship Program in 2001, and gave hope to low-income Florida families by giving them a voice in their children’s education, and an opportunity for a better future. This innovative program allows corporations with certain Florida tax liabilities to redirect a portion of those funds to a scholarship program approved by the Florida Department of Education (DOE) in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit.

For the 2014-2015 school year, nearly 70,000 students across Florida are attending a school chosen by their parents. More than 70 percent are minorities, and their average family income is just 5 percent above the poverty level. Data shows scholarship students were typically the ones who struggled the most in public schools, but are now making solid progress in their new schools. Studies also show that the program saves taxpayer money, in large part because the value of the scholarship ($5,272 this year) is roughly half what taxpayers spend per-pupil in public schools.

Statement from Rev. H.K. Matthews Regarding FASA’s Withdrawal From the Tax Credit Scholarship Lawsuit

School Administrators Announce Plan To Focus on Core Issues of 5,000 Member Group and Leave the Lawsuit Challenge to Remaining Groups

In response to the announcement, Rev. H.K. Matthews, a civil rights activist who marched in Selma with Dr. Martin Luther King and a long supporter of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program for low-income students, released this statement:

“Hallelujah. I tip my hat to Mr. Mixon and the board of the Florida Association of School Administrators. This scholarship helps 70,000 of the state’s most underprivileged children, and there is no reason that school principals should be working against their interests. This kind of program strengthens public education, which is why this lawsuit is such a mistake. Maybe FASA now gets that.”

Judge Sides With Parents in Win For School Choice in Florida

Ruling dismisses lawsuit seeking to end scholarship program for low-income families

The judge dismissed the case “with prejudice,” which means the plaintiffs, should they continue to pursue the case, will have to appeal to the First District Court of Appeal.

About Save Our Scholarships

The Save Our Scholarships Coalition was formed to protect the futures of Florida’s poorest students and the rights of parents to choose the best school for their child. The statewide coalition is calling on Florida’s teachers union, the Florida School Board Association and others to #DropTheSuit attacking the state’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The Save Our Scholarship Coalition includes representation from the following organizations:

The Black Alliance For Educational Options (BAEO)
The Hispanic Council For Reform and Educational Options (HCREO)
The Alliance For School Choice
Agudath Israel of Florida
The Florida Black Ministers Parental Choice Alliance
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

For more information, please visit www.saveourscholarships.com.

About the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program

For more information, please visit www.floridaschoolchoice.org

Parents, School Choice Supporters Applaud Judge’s Ruling in Favor of Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program

Tallahassee, FL – Leon Circuit Judge George Reynolds has dismissed the lawsuit against the Florida tax credit scholarship program, ruling the Florida Education Association, Florida School Boards Association and other plaintiffs did not have standing to proceed. The 13-year-old program is the largest private school choice program in the nation, serving nearly 70,000 low-income students.

Here is an initial roundup of statements from scholarship parents and other supporters.

Rev. H.K. Matthews, civil rights icon in North Florida

“The scholarship program has always been about giving more educational options to the children who need the most help, and not an attack on public schools,” said Rev. H.K. Matthews, a longtime civil rights leader in the Pensacola area. “Judge Reynolds’ ruling points us towards a day, long in coming, when we can finally and fully see how public and private options complement each other, and how they, together, can better ensure the success of all of our children.”

Bishop Victor T. Curry of Miami, chairman, Save Our Scholarships Coalition, and one of Florida’s most influential ministers

“The tremendous educational challenges that too many of our children face demand that we use every tool available to help them live up to their potential, and that we not be limited by trivial distinctions between public and private,” said Bishop Victor T. Curry of Miami, who leads New Birth Baptist Church and is chancellor of the Dr. John A. McKinney Christian Academy. “By dismissing the legal challenge to the scholarship program, Judge Reynolds affirmed that it is a valuable tool that can continue to change thousands of children’s lives for the better, and our communities and our state along with them.”

Rev. Manuel L. Sykes of St. Petersburg, former president of the local NAACP

“The days of cookie-cutter education are coming to an end, and today’s ruling by Judge Reynolds gives me hope that it will arrive sooner rather than later,” said Rev. Manuel L. Sykes, pastor of Bethel Community Baptist Church in St. Petersburg and a former president of the local NAACP. “This is a victory for our children, because we know that the more options there are, the more opportunity there is for parents to find the right fit for their child.”

Bishop C.E. Glover of Fort Lauderdale, senior pastor and CEO of Mount Bethel Ministries

“This ruling by Judge Reynolds will bring hope to thousands of South Florida parents whose once-struggling children are now thriving in schools they can only attend thanks to tax credit scholarships,” said Bishop C.E. Glover, senior pastor and CEO of Mount Bethel Ministries in Fort Lauderdale. “The lawsuit against the scholarship program has brought so much anxiety to so many families, and we hope and pray that it will soon be ended for good.”

Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin of Jacksonville, pastor of The Potter’s House International Ministries

“Today’s ruling in favor of the tax credit scholarship program is a step forward for our children and our communities,” said Bishop Vaughn McLaughlin of The Potter’s House International Ministries in Jacksonville. “When you know and live with the dire education statistics like we do, then you know how much our children need all the opportunities they can get to access the learning environments that will help them rise above and soar.”

Archbishop Thomas Wenski, of the Archdiocese of Miami

“This is a great day for some of Florida’s most vulnerable schoolchildren. Our Catholic schools are committed to helping the least among us, and we agree with Judge Reynolds that there is no reason to exclude any education option that might help reduce the scourge of generational poverty.”

Pastor Rocky Alvarez, pastor of The Potter’s House church in Orlando

“Parents don’t see a competition between public and private schools and neither do we. They simply want their child to be in a school where he or she can succeed,” said Rocky Alvarez of Orlando, pastor of The Potter’s House church and founder and president of The Potter’s House Academy. “Thanks to Judge Reynolds’ ruling, we are closer to a day when all of us can do what the parents do – focus on whether their child is learning, not where.”

Rabbi Boaz Levy of Miami, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“G-d, the ruler of the world, in his infinite wisdom decided to save this scholarship program,” said Rabbi Boaz Levy of Miami. Rabbi Levy and his wife, Shoshanit, are the parents of five children in grades 3-10 who are using the scholarships to attend Jewish day schools. “Our children are ‘A’ students and we are grateful they will remain in schools where we know they will continue to excel.”

Andrea Wiggins of Lakeland, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“I’m so relieved,” said Andrea Wiggins of Lakeland. Three of her five children attend private schools thanks to the tax credit scholarship program, while the other two attend a private school with the help of a McKay Scholarship and a Personal Learning Scholarship Account for children with special needs. “My children attend a school where they are safe and stable. That’s the foundation for them to be successful. I’m happy they will get the chance to stay.”

Marlene Desdunes of Miami, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“There was never any doubt,” says Marlene Desdunes, a public school teacher in Miami-Dade and mother of three. “My union had no good reason to sue. Students and parents deserve educational options and all teachers know that students learn in different ways.” Marlene has two daughters attending private schools thanks to the tax credit scholarship and McKay scholarship programs. Her eldest son attends a public high school.

Olivia Schaeffer of Melbourne, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“My husband and I are so happy about today’s ruling because it means the dreams we have for our children, to go further and be more successful than their parents, are still coming true,” said Olivia Schaeffer, who has three children on tax credit scholarship in Brevard County (and a fourth who uses the McKay Scholarship for students with disabilities). “The scholarships have allowed us to put them in the schools that we know work best for them, and where we know they are getting the education they need to succeed in life. We know there is still a long road ahead, but after today we feel stronger and more hopeful.”

Noraida Rivera of Jacksonville, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“I am so grateful for the scholarship, and I am so grateful that the judge ruled in favor of it today,” said Noraida Rivera, who has a son on scholarship in Jacksonville (and a daughter who uses a McKay scholarship for students with disabilities). “I know my son is on the right path in life because he is in a school that he loves and where he is learning. I don’t like to think about life without it, and I hope today’s ruling means we are closer to having no more worries.”

Linzi Morris of Riverview, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“What this program has done for my children is amazing,” says Linzi Morris of Riverview, a single mother of three students using the scholarship program to attend private schools. Morris said she was ecstatic when she learned the news and she’s glad the program would survive to help others. “More children need the help this program provides. It is good there will still be another option for future students.”

Alyson Hochstedler of Tallahassee, scholarship parent and parent intervenor in McCall v. Scott

“I am very thankful to Judge Reynolds. My son was bullied for three years in an A-rated public school and it was only through a tax credit scholarship that we were able to attend another school with no bullying where he could learn peacefully,” said Alyson Hochstedler, the mother of a scholarship student in Tallahassee. “I know this legal battle isn’t over, but today’s decision gives me more hope that the scholarship program will endure and my son will continue to get the quality education he deserves.”

Julio Fuentes, president and CEO of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options

“Today’s ruling by Judge Reynolds is a big victory for 70,000 low-income students in Florida, two thirds of whom are black or Hispanic. But as long as this lawsuit is alive, their parents will remain worried sick, afraid that their children will be pulled away from the schools they love,” said Julio Fuentes, president and CEO of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options. “The Florida Education Association and Florida School Boards Association can end that fear and anxiety right now by doing the right thing and dropping the suit. It is unconscionable for them to continue throwing disadvantaged kids under the bus in a transparent bid for turf and power.”

Jeannthe Ruiz of Miami, mother of Valentin Mendez, scholarship student at La Progresiva Presbyterian School in Miami

“Thank you to Judge Reynolds for giving us hope that the scholarship program that saved my son Valentin will continue,” said Jeannthe Ruiz of Miami, whose son attends La Progresiva Presbyterian School in Miami. “Valentin was bullied so much in public school that he gave up, but now he is learning again and dreaming of being a doctor or a businessman. We will keep hoping and praying for the scholarship because getting a good education means everything to us.”

Denisha Merriweather of Jacksonville, former tax credit scholarship student and now college graduate

“I am grateful for today’s court ruling because I know the scholarship program is changing lives for the better, and now we can be even more confident that it will continue to do so,” said Denisha Merriweather of Jacksonville, a former tax credit scholarship student who earned a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary social science last year. “Thanks to a scholarship, I went from being a likely high school dropout to the first member of my immediate family to earn a bachelor’s degree. Nearly 70,000 other students are getting similar opportunities to find success through the program, and today they and their parents can breathe a little easier.”

Hispanic CREO Super Bowl Ad Features Teen with Heartfelt Plea to Protect Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program

~Scholarship program under attack by the teachers union, school boards and others benefits nearly 70-thousand low-income, mostly minority students this school year.~

MIAMI, FLA. – A new television ad, debuting in Tallahassee during this Sunday’s broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX, features a Hispanic high school sophomore from South Florida making a plea to continue the state’s Tax Credit Scholarship program. The scholarships are the focus of a lawsuit filed by the Florida Teachers’ Union and School Boards Association. The legal challenge aims to end the 13-year old program, which would evict nearly 70-thousand Florida students from their current schools.

Valentin Mendez is the student featured in the advertisement. In the ad, he shares how he spent his early middle school years being bullied, feeling lost in a sea of faces and failing his classes.

“I tried different schools but bad things kept happening,” Valentin says in the testimonial spot that can be viewed here: http://youtu.be/kHQ4ESIHWPg. “It was a nightmare that wouldn’t end. Then my mother learned about the Tax Credit Scholarships program.”

After being awarded a scholarship, Valentin enrolled in La Progresiva, a school that was reopened in Miami in 1971 after Fidel Castro forced its closure in Cuba ten years earlier. The teen calls his new school a dream come true. He is making good grades and has aspirations on becoming a doctor or businessman.

The ad also features the teen’s mother, Jeannthe Ruiz, who speaks from the heart about the importance her family places on hard work and what a good education means to her son’s future. Jeannthe works the night shift at a gas station, while Valentin’s father is employed at a tire shop.

“These are hard-working families who want to do what’s best to ensure a promising future for their children,” said Julio Fuentes, CEO of the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (HCREO), the sponsor of the ad. “It confounds me why anyone would want to eliminate this scholarship and dash the dreams of young students, from low-income families, who are finally getting the chance to succeed in the classroom and work their way toward a better life. Isn’t that what the American Dream is all about?”

Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship was created by the Legislature as a tax credit program that provides low-income parents more opportunity to find the schools that work best for their children. Of the roughly 70,000 students receiving scholarships this year, more than 25,000 are Hispanic. The average household income for a Hispanic student on the scholarship is $23,040, or just 3.7 percent above the poverty level.

Unlike voucher programs that receive direct funding from the state treasury, no direct state budget dollars are used to support the Florida tax credit scholarships. Corporations receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits in return for contributions to the program fund the scholarships.

The typical student enrolled:

Lives near poverty: The average household income is $24,138 in a home with an average of 3.8 people. That’s only 5 percent above the federal poverty level.

Is Hispanic or black: Scholarship recipients are 38 percent Hispanic and about 30 percent black. Another 3 percent identify themselves as “multi-racial,” and about 24 percent are white.

Lives with one parent: More than half (54.2 percent) of scholarship recipients live in a single-parent home.

Has struggled academically: The scholarship attracts the lowest academic achievers from their previous public schools, a trend that a highly regarded education researcher said is “becoming stronger over time.”

Is now making solid academic gains. Research shows scholarship students are making the same annual learning gains as students of all income levels nationally.

Lives in an urban area: For example, Miami-Dade County has 18,177 scholarship students.

About Hispanic CREO

The Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options’ mission is to empower and mobilize the Hispanic community to action; ensuring all children have access to high-quality educational options.

Learn more about at hcreo.com or SaveOurScholarships.com.

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El anuncio comercial de Hispanic CREO a salir en el Super Bowl se muestra un adolescente presentando una sentida petición de Proteger Programa de Becas de Crédito Fiscal de la Florida

Programa de becas bajo ataque por el sindicato de maestros, juntas escolares y otros que beneficia a casi 70 mil estudiantes de bajos ingresos este año escolar y que en su mayoría son estudiantes que representan minorías

MIAMI, FLA. – Un nuevo anuncio de televisión, debutando en Tallahassee durante la transmisión del Super Bowl XLIX de este domingo, cuenta con un estudiante de segundo año de la escuela secundaria hispana del sur de la Florida haciendo un llamado a continuar con el programa de Becas de Crédito Fiscal del Estado. Las becas son el centro de una demanda presentada por el Sindicato de Maestros de la Florida y por la Asociación de Juntas Escolares. El desafío legal apunta a terminar el programa de 13 años, lo que desalojaría a cerca de 70 mil estudiantes de la Florida de sus escuelas actuales.

Valentín Méndez es el estudiante que aparece en el anuncio. En el anuncio, él comparte cómo pasó sus primeros años de escuela intermedia siendo intimidado, sintiéndose perdido en un mar de rostros y en su defecto a sus clases.

“Traté diferentes escuelas, pero las cosas malas seguían pasando”, dice Valentín en el lugar testimonial que se puede ver aquí: http://youtu.be/kHQ4ESIHWPg. “Fue una pesadilla que no terminaba hasta mi madre se enteró del programa de Becas de Crédito de Impuestos “.

Después de haber sido galardonado con una beca, Valentín se inscribió en La Progresiva, una escuela que fue reabierta en Miami en 1971 después de que Fidel Castro obligó su cierre en Cuba diez años antes. El adolescente llama a su nueva escuela un “sueño hecho realidad”. Él está obteniendo buenas calificaciones y tiene aspiraciones de convertirse en un médico o empresario.

El anuncio también cuenta con la madre de el adolescente, Jeannthe Ruiz, que habla desde el corazón de la importancia que significa para su familia el trabajo duro y de lo que una buena educación significa para el futuro de su hijo. Jeannthe trabaja el turno de noche en una gasolinera, mientras el padre de Valentín trabaja en una tienda de neumáticos.

“Estas son las familias trabajadoras que quieren hacer lo mejor para asegurar un futuro prometedor para sus hijos”, dijo Julio Fuentes, Presidente & CEO del Concilio Hispano para la Reforma y Opciones Educativas (HispanicCREO), el patrocinador del anuncio. “Esto me es increíble, por qué alguien querría eliminar esta beca y desaprovechar los sueños de los jóvenes estudiantes, de familias de bajos ingresos, quienes finalmente están recibiendo la oportunidad de tener éxito en el aula y quienes buscan su camino hacia una vida mejor. ¿Acaso no es esto de lo que el sueño americano se trata? ”

Becas Crédito Tributario de la Florida fue creado por la Legislatura como un programa de crédito fiscal que ofrece a los padres de bajos ingresos más oportunidad de encontrar las escuelas que funcionan mejor para sus hijos. De los aproximadamente 70.000 estudiantes que reciben becas de este año, más de 25.000 son hispanos. El ingreso familiar promedio para un estudiante hispano de la beca es de $ 23,040, o simplemente un 3,7 por ciento por encima del nivel de la pobreza.

A diferencia de los programas de bonos que reciben financiación directa de las arcas del Estado, la beca de crédito fiscal de la Florida no utiliza dólares del presupuesto estatal para apoyarse. Las corporaciones reciben dólar por dólar créditos fiscales a cambio de contribuciones al fondo el programa de becas.

El típico estudiante matriculado:

– Vive cerca de la pobreza: El ingreso familiar promedio es $ 24,138 en un hogar con un promedio de 3.8 personas. Eso es sólo el 5 por ciento por encima del nivel de pobreza federal.

– Es hispano o raza negra: Los becarios son 38 por ciento de raza hispana y el 30 por ciento raza negra. Otro 3 por ciento se identifica como “multi-racial”, y alrededor del 24 por ciento son raza blanca.

– Vive con uno solo de los padres: Más de la mitad (54,2 por ciento) de los becarios viven en un hogar monoparental.

– Ha tenido problemas académicamente: La beca atrae a los logros académicos más bajos de sus escuelas públicas anteriores, una tendencia que un investigador de la educación altamente considerado dijo es “cada vez más fuerte con el tiempo.”

– Ahora está haciendo ganancias académicas sólidas. La investigación muestra becarios están haciendo las mismas ganancias de aprendizaje anuales como los estudiantes de todos los niveles de ingresos a nivel nacional.

– Vive en una zona urbana: Por ejemplo, el Condado de Miami-Dade tiene 18.177 estudiantes becados.

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Acerca de Hispanic CREO
La misión de El Concilio Hispano para la Reforma y Opciones Educativas es la de empoderar y movilizar a la comunidad hispana a la acción; garantizar que todos los niños tengan acceso a opciones educativas de alta calidad.

Aprenda más acerca de http://www.hcreo.com o http://www.SaveOurScholarships.com.