Congressman Maxwell Frost Brings Orange County School Board Member Stephanie Vanos to Testify at Oversight Hearing on the Future of Education

Congressman Maxwell Frost Brings Orange County School Board Member Stephanie Vanos to Testify at Oversight Hearing on the Future of Education

As public schools grapple with attacks on funding, Frost and House Democrats are fighting to strengthen public education and address longstanding disinvestment in public schools

WATCH THE HEARING HERE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost (FL-10), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs, welcomed Orange County School Board Member Stephanie Vanos who he invited to testify as the minority witness during an Oversight subcommittee hearing on education titled "Opening Doors to Opportunity: The Promise of Expanded School Choice and Alternatives to Four-Year College Degrees."

The hearing, called by Congressional Republicans, intended to promote private schools at the expense of public schools.

This hearing comes as Florida public school funding continues to be redirected away from the majority of Florida students and into the state's voucher programs that offer little oversight and accountability. The expansion of these programs are shortchanging public school students, resulting in massive budget cuts and alarming drops in math and reading scores.

In his opening remarks, Rep. Frost says

"?In America, every student's school should set them up for success in life and a plan after graduation, whether it's four-year college, trade school, apprenticeship, or going straight into the workforce so that a student can survive in the 21st century in our country. But in the richest country in the world, every child should be able to unleash their potential and flourish. It's a promise that we're failing to keep.

"?Their so-called solution of using government taxpayer money to subsidize private schools drains resources from the vast majority of students, 90% of whom attend public school.

"Republicans call this school choice, but it's not a choice for families because it is the charter school or private school that ultimately gets to decide which students they take and which students they keep.

"When a child's education is nurtured, they can flourish in whatever career they choose. I think of my own story as someone who attended and benefitted from Florida public schools. I attended a very underfunded public arts school. As a kid, I often got in trouble, I was a bit of a trouble maker. But it was my teachers who invested in me and set me on a path I followed all the way to the United States Congress."

In her opening remarks, School Board Member Stephanie Vanos said:

"?Public school families love public school choices, but these choices cannot be sustained with current funding constraints, much less grow to meet the evolving needs of our students. Our communities understand this, which is why parents and stakeholders are so frustrated and concerned when they see public tax dollars in Florida to the tune of $3.9 billion being diverted away from our public schools into a shadow system of unregulated, unaccountable, and untransparent private schools.

"?90% of American families choose public schools. Let's fund their choice. Let's invest in schools that are transparent and accountable to the public. Let's invest in options that can serve all of our children and we'll prepare them for whatever their future holds."

###