The United States Supreme Court, it was announced today, will be hearing an appeal of a U. S. Court of Appeals decision that declared an Arizona school choice program unconstitutional. Agudath Israel of America welcomed the news.
The Supreme Court declared in 2002 that school voucher programs are constitutional, and a number of states and localities have instituted such programs, providing qualifying parents with government vouchers to use for their children’s education. Another popular way of helping encourage school choice has been the enactment in several states of tax credit programs, which permit taxpayers to receive a tax credit for funds they donate to organizations that furnish scholarships to needy students. One such initiative, the Arizona School Tuition Organization Tax Credit Program, was challenged by the American Civil Liberties Union and ruled unconstitutional by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Jewish Federation in Phoenix has established a Day School Scholarship Fund to which contributing corporations receive tax credits under Arizona’s program. The program has provided scholarship money to hundreds of students attending one of the seven Jewish schools in the Greater Phoenix area.
Agudath Israel has long been a strong supporter of school choice. Its attorneys have filed numerous “friend of the court” briefs in support of choice programs – including in the case where the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of school vouchers.
Says Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, the organization’s executive vice president and author of several briefs on the subject: “We are hopeful that the highest court in the land will once again affirm the rights of parents to decide where their children are educated, and we intend to present our views to the Justices for their consideration.”
(YWN Desk – NYC)
5 Responses
This ruling is probably one of the most important decisions for our community.
The (Anti)American, Criminal Liberties Union has no problem with Al Sharpton preaching inside of churches to vote for Obama and other liberals.
But they can’t stand the idea that Americans might use their freedom of choice to send their children to religious institutions instead of the leftist, radical feminist, run public schools, where the kids can be brainwashed into becomming mindless followers, of the Gaytheist, religion.
#2
You are a raving lunatic, totally out o0f touch with reality.
#2 Look who’s talking.
Yours is a typical mindless knee jerk robotic response by one who can’t handle the truth.
Sorry; I meant to address my last post, to #3 Moose(anti613, especially when it comes to loshon hara and motzoi shem Ra) anbd his maniacal typical liberal leftwing, ranting.