For Immediate Release:
December 5, 2011
Christian Estevez, Chair,
Education Committee – 973-418-7012
Daniel Santo Pietro, Chair,
Public Policy Committee – 732-496-9628
The Latino Action Network [LAN]
today announced its opposition to the Opportunity Scholarship Act because it
would drain money away from public education and give it to corporate interests
so it could be doled out to private schools.
“The Opportunity Scholarship
Act is a big gimmick that benefits corporate interests that would do nothing to
help poor children stuck in failing school districts,” said Christian Estevez,
Executive Vice President of the Latino Action Network and Chair of the
Education Committee. “Not one penny of corporate money would fund the
scholarships established by this misguided legislation. The state would take
money from our public schools and hand it to the corporations, who would then
claim corporate philanthropy with our tax dollars.”
Estevez concluded: “This is an
educational gimmick of the worst sort. This legislation does nothing to address
the core issues of housing and educational segregation. We pledge to work with
legislators to address the real issues that hurt so many children of low and
moderate-income families.”
Below is the official policy
statement of the Latino Action Network with regards to the Opportunity
Scholarship Act:
