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Catholic Schools Legislation
Day…
Each year,
a representation of Catholic school educators, parents and students gathers
at the state capitol to celebrate Legislation Day, which is part of our
activities in honor of the national celebration of Catholic Schools Week. This event takes place annually during the last week of January. The
Catholic school delegations, along with those from other private schools, each take a
day so that private school students maintain a visible presence throughout the Legislative
session. If you, as a parent, teacher or alumnus of a Catholic school, have
never participated in this gathering in Santa Fe, we encourage you to join
us.
Attending
a Legislation Day
provides a unique opportunity to introduce students to their constitutional rights
of representation and the electoral process, as well as to view first-hand
the inner workings and deliberations of the Legislature. Each of our schools is
encouraged to
participate with a contingent of students, parents and faculty for one day. To begin
preparing for the visit, teachers and parents must discuss with their students the
electoral process, the issues that are important to Catholic schools, and who their
individual representatives are. They may even wish to write letters to their legislators,
inviting them to visit their schools and schedule personal meetings. Students must be in uniform when they visit the State Capitol.
School
Choice: Defining the Problem
For the past century, our nation has been
committed to spending a significant amount of money to make education accessible to all
citizens. In New Mexico, tax-payer funding of elementary and secondary public schools has
topped $1 billion for the past several years; this does not include the income from federal sources. At the college level, freedom of choice has
created a competitive climate where schools must strive for academic excellence, be
financially responsible, and create an atmosphere dedicated to learning to
attract and retain students and meet students' educational needs. Competition among colleges
has produced an observable and beneficial effect. In addition, government loans and
grants are available, financed by tax-payers, so that students can attend the public and
private schools of their choice.
At the elementary and secondary
levels, no such competition has been allowed. Citizens are taxed to support a public
school system that they have little opportunity to govern or influence.
A
Solution
Approximately 25% of America's
school-age children attend private schools. However, private schools have not been
eligible to receive any of the tax-payer funding that supports public schools.
Restricting tax-payer funding to public schools severely limits the alternatives for many
families, because they base choices on economic limitations. True freedom of
choice means that parents could choose between all available options —
whether
public or private — without being penalized financially. The
majority of private schools in the United States are religiously affiliated, accounting
for more than 80% of private school enrollment. Clearly, many parents who choose private
schools do so because of their fundamental values and beliefs. It is not only
government-sponsored schools that are capable of producing educated and responsible
citizens. Therefore, our current system penalizes parents for choosing a religious
school that embodies their beliefs.
If our nation truly values
and protects freedom, then surely the most basic freedom should be the right of parents to
choose an educational system for their children. Legislation that would allow for a tax
credit/rebate would better support those families who choose private schools.
Allowing
public education funds to follow the student — regardless of the school they
attend — would increase competition in the educational arena, improve the way
schools operate and ensure that tax dollars were being spent responsibly. In the
interest of providing the best possible education for all of America’s school-age
children, the resulting competition would improve the educational standards and financial
accountability of schools in general.
A
Response
The New Mexico Federation
of Catholic School Families was formally created in 1995 to organize parents and
educators from Catholic schools so they may have a greater voice in issues that affect
private education. The NMFCSF works to promote equity in educational opportunities for all
of New Mexico's children, provide information about policies and legislation that affect
Catholic schools and their constituents, and mobilize Catholic school parents and teachers
to communicate with their legislators and other public officials regarding these issues. One parent and one educator
are appointed by each Catholic school in New Mexico to serve on
the Core Team, which coordinates statewide efforts. At the local level, parents and
educators work together to disseminate information and organize grassroots responses to
legislation and policies that affect their schools.
The NMFCSF is currently
advocating for three key issues that affect private schools: tax credits for
parental choice in education; professional development funds for teachers; and funding for
technology.
Dispelling
Myths
Myth 1: Private schools cater to the elite.
Facts:
Because public schools hold an economic
monopoly over education-dedicated tax dollars, most American students are forced into that
system. Private schools charge tuition because they do not participate in the level of
tax-payer funding that public schools enjoy. As a result, families who cannot afford to
pay both tuition and taxes are held captive to an educational system chosen
for them,
not by them. Private schools do provide money each year for tuition assistance and
scholarships, and religious schools have a long history of serving the poor. Research
shows that academic achievement is not only higher in religious schools but
also is less
strongly related to socio-economic level and ethnic background. Disadvantaged students at
Catholic high schools have higher achievement levels and lower drop-out rates than those
in public schools. When parents of all income levels are given a choice of where their
children will attend school, powerful forces of education reform will be unleashed. Such a
system would provide more equity for lower-income families to choose private education
alternatives for their children.
Myth 2: Competition from private schools
hurts public schools.
Facts:
Parents are the primary educators of their children. For many
families, the choice of an academic institution is strongly influenced by their
fundamental values and beliefs. Restricting tax-payer funding to public schools severely
limits alternatives. True educational reform will only be effective when parents are
free to choose between all available options, which means public and private
schools, without being penalized financially. Legislation that would allow for a tax
credit/rebate would better represent those families who choose private schools. Allowing
public educational funds to follow the student — regardless of the school they
attend — would increase competition in the educational arena and improve the way all
schools operate.
Myth 3: Public funding would cause private
schools to lose their autonomy.
Facts:
The
educational reforms supported by the New Mexico Federation permit funds to
be given to families, not educational institutions. Although this funding
may ultimately reach a private school, it would be for services rendered,
like any other business transaction. This arrangement would not violate the
"anti-establishment" clause of the U.S. Constitution, nor the anti-donation
clause of the New Mexico State Constitution. When the funds are allocated to the
student, schools are more accountable to meet the educational needs of their
students or risk losing them and their funding. The purpose of tax rebates/credits for
school choice is to allow parents the freedom to choose between all available educational
alternatives without penalizing them financially because they choose a private school. The
purpose of technology funding is to make the tools of technology available to all students
in New Mexico, not just those who attend public schools. These reforms represent a more
fair and equitable disposition of tax-payer money and set the stage for a healthy
partnership between public and private schools in meeting the educational needs of all
school-age children.
Each year, private schools save
tax-payers more than $80 million dollars in what it would cost to educate these
students in public schools. Parents of students attending private schools should derive
some benefit from the taxes they pay to support a public school system they do not use.
Myth 4: Private schools are hostile toward
public schools.
Facts:
Private schools are partners with public schools in
meeting the educational needs of our school-age children. Catholic schools are unique in
that their mission is the fulfillment of the educational ministry of the Catholic Church. Many faculty members and administrators working for the public school system were
themselves educated in Catholic schools, and many now send their children to Catholic or
other private schools. Administrators and faculty frequently navigate back and forth
between the job pools of private and public schools, and students transfer between both
systems as their families relocate or other situations arise. Catholic schools hold no
malice toward public schools, nor are they threatened by them. Catholic schools are unique
in their educational ministry. To carry out its mission, each school endeavors to create a
community atmosphere animated by the Gospel and a spirit of freedom, respect and charity.
Myth 5: Private schools do not require the
same academic standards of their faculties that public schools do.
Facts:
In an accredited private school, faculty members hold at least a
bachelor's degree and meet the standards set forth by an approved accrediting agency. The
Catholic schools in New Mexico are accredited by either the North Central Association or
the state, and faculty members are licensed by the State Department of Education.
Coupled with rewards for years of experience, incentives are built into the salary structure to encourage faculty to advance their
education. For each step attained toward
earning the next higher level of degree, an adjustment is made in the salary. Still, most
private schools cannot afford to pay as much in salaries as can the tax-payer-funded
public schools.
Faculty at Catholic
schools in New Mexico are required to meet all standards set forth by the State Department
of Education and to maintain competence in the teaching field by participating in all
appropriate in-services, faculty meetings, institutes, and professional meetings; through
college coursework; and through professional publications.
Myth 6: No other states support technology
funding or vouchers, so why should New Mexico?
Facts:
Tax rebates/credits for school choice or public funding of
technology for private school students are not issues unique to New Mexico. These issues
have been at the forefront of public debate for a number of years, and several states have
programs already in place, including: Arizona, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and Texas. By
advocating for these issues, New Mexico joins a strong trend across the nation to
return control of educational alternatives to its rightful source —parents. These
programs represent powerful steps toward eroding the financial monopoly that public
schools have enjoyed over education.
The mission of the New Mexico
Federation of Catholic School Families is to advocate for fairness and equity in
educational opportunities for all of New Mexico's children. Other states are
leading the way in these educational alternatives; New Mexico's state legislators have an
obligation to represent the needs of all their constituents and enact legislation
that promotes parental freedom in making educational choices for their children.
What can I do?
Parents and faculty are urged to support the efforts of the New Mexico
Federation by discussing these issues with their legislators and by taking a proactive
approach in elections, weighing the importance of these issues before casting their votes. Your tax dollars are involved. If you do not know how your
representatives vote in Santa Fe, your interests will not be represented!! Contact
a Catholic school in your area or the NMFCSF main office in Albuquerque at 831-8173 (cso@archdiocesesantafe.org ) to find out how you
can help. We can also tell you how to contact your representatives.
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