Education Reform Supporters Blast ISTA over Voucher Lawsuit; Institute for Justice to Intervene on Behalf of Hoosier Families

NOTE: The following statement is in response to the lawsuit filed today by the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) regarding the constitutionality of the Indiana School Scholarships Act – House Enrolled Act 1003. This is a joint statement from School Choice Indiana and the organization’s partner groups including: The Indiana Non-Public Education Association, Indiana Catholic Conference, The Foundation For Educational Choice, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, the American Federation for Children, and Agudath Israel.

INDIANAPOLIS--()--We are extremely disappointed that the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) has filed suit challenging a voucher law that has been hailed around the country for its ability to usher in a new era of education access and opportunity for Hoosier families. We believe that the ISTA is overreaching on this matter and that House Enrolled Act 1003 – the School Scholarships Act –will ultimately be upheld by the courts.

We are pleased that the Institute for Justice will be filing to intervene on behalf of parents in Indiana. Leading litigators with the Institute have defended school choice laws around the country and their review here is that the Indiana constitution and state case law allow for public aid to go to students. We believe strongly that the courts will affirm this to be true and that parents across Indiana will be free to choose the best school to meet their child’s unique educational needs.

The ISTA’s lawsuit is another unfortunate example of the group putting the desires of adults ahead of the interests of kids. They are attempting to use the courts to dictate public policy. We roundly reject the idea of a preliminary injunction to stop kids from going to the schools that best fit their needs.

But, we are encouraged to see tremendous interest from parents who want to take advantage of the new law. Schools across the state are currently applying to participate in the program and interested families should contact the school of their choice to inquire about voucher eligibility and how to go about completing the student application for the upcoming school year.

About School Choice Indiana: School Choice Indiana, Inc. is a non-partisan, statewide organization dedicated to the principle that providing parents with real choices in the education of their children will improve educational outcomes and improve the quality of education, both in private and public schools.

Contacts

School Choice Indiana, Inc.
Lindsey Brown, 215-837-3680
lbrown@schoolchoiceindiana.org

Release Summary

School Choice Indiana issues a statement regarding the lawsuit filed by the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA).

Contacts

School Choice Indiana, Inc.
Lindsey Brown, 215-837-3680
lbrown@schoolchoiceindiana.org