Are federal school vouchers coming to Colorado? How will this federal voucher scheme work?
A4PEP Webinar
Wednesday, March 18 | 6:30 p.m. MDT
Colorado Governor Jared Polis opted the state into the federal tax credit voucher, even though no other Democratic Governor has done so. Polis insists this bill is not a voucher. However the Congressional report clearly states “these scholarships may also be referred to as vouchers.”
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This new voucher bill allows taxpayers to receive a $1700 tax credit on their 2027 tax return if they allocate $1700 in owed federal tax money to a scholarship granting organization (SGO). The SGO then has the sole authority to give scholarships to students who apply to attend a private or religious school or for tutoring and after school expenses.
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Join our next A4PEP webinar on March 18, at 6:30 p.m. MDT to hear Josh Cowen
Cowen explore how a network of wealthy donors, political strategists, and advocacy organizations built a nationwide campaign to privatize public education.
What We’ll Explore
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What are vouchers? How did they start?
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Who are the billionaires and organizations driving voucher expansion?
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What role have Christian Nationalists played in this movement?
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Why did they become popular in so many states, even though they were defeated by voters in every ballot measure?
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What impact have voucher programs had in states where they operate?
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What is the federal tax credit voucher?
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How are scholarship granting organizations involved in the federal voucher?
Learn what this bill might mean for Colorado students, their families, and the public schools that serve over 85% of the student population. You can also support Colorado legislators who are working to pass legislation that will provide guardrails to prevent discrimination if this program becomes effective in the state next year.
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Featured Panelist:
Josh Cowen is Professor at Michigan State University and author of The Privateers: How Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers. He is a nationally recognized expert and writer on topics related to school choice, teachers and teaching, policy analysis, and education politics. He has studied school vouchers, school accountability, charter schools, and parental decision-making as part of major research teams in Louisiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. His writing on school vouchers, culture wars, and other current events has appeared in major media outlets ranging from Slate to Time Magazine. He speaks and testifies across the country on the dangers of school privatization and is regularly quoted in state and national feature reporting.