School Choice Victory in Arizona! |
Maricopa County, AZ – On Wednesday, June 13, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Bethany Hicks ruled that Arizona’s school choice programs for special needs and foster children were constitutional.
In a statement released by Hispanic CREO, Vice President Maite Arce, declared “This is a victory for children in Arizona. The court has affirmed their right to receive a good education and be successful in school.”
The Institute for Justice (IJ) and its Arizona chapter represented six families who intervened in the lawsuit to defend the new scholarship programs for disabled and foster children. IJ, the nation’s leading legal advocate for school choice, is also defending Arizona’s corporate and individual tax credit scholarships. The Institute helped win a victory in the U.S. Supreme Court for school choice in Cleveland, and successfully defended vouchers in Milwaukee and tax credits in Illinois. Press ReleaseCREO field organizer, Christina Caro agrees that this is an encouraging development: “IJ’s victory in Arizona is positive news for Hispanic CREO. It will open doors and help us spread our message throughout the community, empowering parents to take advantage of all the programs available to their children.”
Hispanic CREO Organizers Get Support from Important Political Figures
Phoenix – June proved to be a busy month for CREO fieldorganizers. Not only did they make a visit to the state capitol but they were invited to join the House of Representatives on the House floor.
Arizona State Rep. Ben Miranda (D) introduced Hispanic CREO field organizers Christina Caro and Liliana Hutcheson to House members and shared details of CREO programs and events currently underway in Arizona.
This welcome by Arizona Legislators clearly shows that inroads have been made and CREO and Legislators are all working toward one common goal – a better education for our children.On May 25th, Caro and Hutcheson attended the 11th Annual Sandra Day O’Connor awards ceremony. The annual event hosted by the Arizona Foundation for Women benefits the foundation’s philanthropy, research, education, and advocacy programs.
Prior to the ceremony both women attended a VIP reception where they had the privilege of meeting First Lady Laura Bush and Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. First Lady Laura Bush was among this year’s award recipients and Justice O’Connor was the inspiration behind the event.
“I was extremely honored to have been able to attend this event” stated Hutcheson.
Reaching Out in Florida |
Miami, FL – Hispanic CREO and Step Up for Students have joined forces with CONLAMIC and the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to raise awareness of the Florida Corporate Tax Credit Scholarships (FL- CTC) among Hispanic families.
Through faith-based organizations, grassroots efforts, and media outreach, Hispanic parents and students will receive information and guidance needed to apply for the more than 7,000 scholarships still available. Currently, only 22 percent of students who receive these scholarships are Hispanic.The FL-CTC scholarship program provides K-12 education scholarships for qualifying low-income students currently enrolled in a public school that doesn't meet their needs. The scholarships give low-income parents the opportunity to choose the best school for their child.
Although the 2007 Legislative Session ended with no change to the current program, strides were made in making Florida legislators more aware of the need for this program. During the next legislative session, CREO will be working closely with our Florida affiliates and allies in pushing for an increase in the scholarship amount and total number of scholarships awarded to needy families.
CREO Ready to Mobilize and Educate in Ohio |
Columbus, OH – Hispanic CREO’s parent organizers are known for their amazing ability to educate and mobilize community members in large numbers to take action and raise their voices for change.
In Arizona, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas, CREO’s strong grassroots efforts have educated and informed thousands of Hispanic parents about their parental rights and available educational options. Now, with the support of our allies School Choice Ohio, the Alliance for School Choice, and the Black Alliance for Educational Options, CREO will be soon be a “force of change” in Ohio.Hispanic CREO's Rocio Diaz, Associate Director of Parental Outreach, who led the legislative charge in Texas, is working closely with affiliates to mobilize, motivate, and educate Hispanic parents in Ohio to become advocates for their children’s education.
CREO Works Overtime in Colorado |
Denver, CO – CREO's activity in Colorado is running full speed ahead, even during the summer months! Through media interviews and workshops, as well as hosting and participating in community events and sports tournaments, CREO field organizers are out in force working to educate and inform parents about educational options available to their children.
In addition, CREO continues to provide “An Education Resource Guide for Parents.” Hispanic CREO and the Latin American Research and Service Agency (LARASA) have teamed up for the second year to provide this comprehensive education resource guide for parents in the Denver metro area.
The guide provides important information to parents including how to register children in school, the rights and responsibilities of parents, the rights of immigrants to enroll in public school, and most importantly lists the school choice options available to parents and their children.
*To request a copy of the guide please call 1-800-875-8860.
Utah Voucher Debate |
Salt Lake City, UT – Parents who supported school vouchers in Utah experienced a setback on June 8, when the Utah Supreme Court ruled that vouchers would be subject to a November 6 referendum. Their future will depend on the vote of Utah residents.The decision by the Supreme Court clarified an issue surrounding two voucher laws passed during the 2007 Legislative session. Only one law is directly targeted by the referendum; however the second is not intended to stand alone. Therefore if the first is defeated by voters both laws will be struck down. Utah leaders are interested in how regular voters perceive the voucher issue and are preparing for a record voter turnout in November.
Utah’s universal voucher program is the first of its kind in the country giving vouchers to all students interested regardless of income. Typically, vouchers are provided through very targeted programs. National advocates on both sides of the issue are watching the debate closely and only time will tell how this vote will affect similar issues across the country.
Georgetown Study Says Families Are Pleased with D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program |
Washington D.C. – A study released May 16 by Georgetown University shows parents of students in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) are satisfied overall with their school choice experiences. Parents cited changes in their children’s attitudes about learning as the main source of their satisfaction.
The D.C. School Choice Incentive Act was signed into law by President Bush in January 2004 and amended in 2006. This landmark piece of legislation included $14 million in funding for the OSP. The OSP is the first federally-funded K-12 scholarship program in the country and is designed to provide approximately 1,700 low-income D.C. children with tuition scholarships worth up to $7,500 to cover the costs of tuition for participating K–12 non-public schools in the District.
Parents interviewed for the Georgetown University study also reported being more active, better informed, and having greater involvement in their child’s education since enrolling in OSP. In addition, 90 percent of parents interviewed intended to seek renewal of their child’s scholarship for the next school year.
This study is welcome news as Hispanic CREO works to support its allies in the reauthorization of the D.C. voucher program.
For access to the full report, visit: http://www.washingtonscholarshipfund.org/
Join CAER Now! |
Washington D.C. – Hispanic CREO has recently joined forces with a group of national and regional partner organizations to form CAER, the Coalition for Access to Educational Resources.
CAER is dedicated to ensuring children and families have access to the educational opportunities they are entitled to by law. CAER’s mission is to serve as an informal, grassroots network to aid in the exchange of information and best practices to support education advocacy efforts on behalf of families and students.
Add your voice to this strong affiliate of dedicated organizations working for change for our children. Visit the CAER website at http://www.coalitionforaccess.com/ and sign up today!
Sign El Grito! |
Every hour that passes in America, more Hispanics are signing El Grito to guarantee that all parents have the freedom to choose the best school for their children. Please visit www.justicebychoice.org
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HISPANIC COUNCIL FOR REFORM AND EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS 2600 Virginia Avenue NW, Suite 408 Washington, D.C. 20037 (202) 625-6766 Fax (202) 625-6767 |
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