1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

I live in Texas. I have children in Texas public schools. I strongly oppose Educational Savings Accounts (ESAs) and urge you to focus on supporting public schools. ESAs (vouchers) directly hurt students with disabilities who receive Special Education services in Public Schools in the State of Texas. Diverting $1 Billion of my PUBLIC taxpayer money to private schools who do not even acknowledge IDEA, do not follow IEPs and only provide services when they are negotiated, compromised and then charged back to parents at exorbitant rates well above typical tuition rates it is theft of services and money to the most vulnerable population in Texas.  14% of the 5.5 million public school students in Texas receive special education services. That’s 760,000 students at a minimum.  These ESAs are completely inaccessible to at least 90% of our disabled students, and that is before they have a chance at any lottery or know if a private school will accept, serve, or retain them. There’s no accountability. Not of services, not of the $1 Billion of public taxpayer money this legislature wants to pour into private schools and not of impact or outcomes of our disabled students.  Even if we say ALL of the ESAs go to disabled kids receiving special education services, that still leaves a minimum of 700,000 students receiving special education services in underfunded understaffed Public Schools that this state put in this situation. This causes direct harm to these students with disabilities, the most vulnerable individuals in society, and it’s at the hands of those who are supposed to represent us.  This is unacceptable. I want this legislature to take accountability, listen to the parent voice (and students), and have the courage to do the right thing: Say No to ESA/Vouchers and Fund our Public Schools properly.  Thank you.