Vic’s Election Notes on Education #41– October 26, 2016

In his last message to voters, Vic Smith, the director of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education wrote...

Glenda Ritz is trying to correct a wrong done to public school parents five years ago as she runs for State Superintendent for Public Instruction.

For five years now, since the passage of the Tony Bennett/Mitch Daniels 2011 voucher law, home school parents and private school parents have been able to claim a $1000 Indiana income tax deduction for textbooks and supplies. Public school parents were not included in this deduction for textbooks.

This is not fair to public school parents.

Public school parents should have an equitable right to deduct textbook costs just the same as home school and private school parents do. Glenda Ritz wants to see that they do, and she has put that goal in her campaign platform.

Jennifer McCormick, Glenda Ritz’s opponent in the race for State Superintendent, is opposed to correcting this inequity. At the August 27th ICPE membership meeting in Indianapolis, she said that she did not support the Ritz proposal saying that it would cost too much. She apparently sees neither the inequity in this policy that Glenda Ritz sees nor the depth of the public-private controversy embedded in this issue.

I stand with Glenda Ritz. Giving a tax break to home school and private school parents but not to public school parents is just wrong.

This policy which has been in effect since 2011 sends a powerful and demeaning message to public school parents. It should be reversed.

I urge you to support Glenda Ritz for State Superintendent on November 8th.

Click HERE to read the rest of Vic's letter on the blog of the Northeast Indiana Friends of Public Education.

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