Washington D.C., Jan 27, 2020 / 17:00 pm
Political leaders have come out in support of School Choice Week, as the Supreme Court considers a crucial case on the right of parents to public assistance if they choose religious schools.
National School Choice Week is Jan. 26 through Feb. 1. "School choice" is a policy to provide families, particularly low-income families, the option of using public funds such as tax credits, public scholarships or vouchers, to help pay for the cost of sending their children to private schools or charter schools.
The U.S. bishops' conference has promoted school choice over the years, in line with Church teaching that parents are the primary educators of their children.
The chair of the U.S. bishops' education committee, Bishop Michael Barber, S.J. of Oakland, outlined the conference's stances on school choice in a March, 2019 letter to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) and Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), Education Freedom Scholarships.