National Republicans are poised to take up a platform next week that includes “universal school choice.” Supporters see the goal as the culmination of decades advocating for parents’ autonomy to pick their children’s schools. Opponents, including Democrats and teachers unions, denounce it as a thinly veiled blueprint for gutting public education. While the term “universal school choice” can mean different things to different people, education experts believe the GOP platform favors the type of approach adopted in West Virginia and Ohio, which offer taxpayer-funded vouchers, or scholarships, to every child for use in any public or private school.
