Cleveland Voucher Program is Ruled Unconstitutional

NEA applauds ruling

The NEA on Monday (December 20, 1999) applauded the ruling by a federal district judge in Ohio that the Cleveland voucher program is unconstitutional.

"This is a great victory for America's children – 90% of whom are served in public schools," said Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association.

"It's time those of us who want to improve public schools to focus on the things that work – like smaller class size, more individualized attention for students, and maintaining high standards for academics and discipline," Chase said. "Vouchers do nothing to advance those goals."

"Judge Oliver has issued a comprehensive and well-reasoned decision, that should have persuasive impact with other courts that consider the issue," said NEA General Counsel Bob Chanin, who is lead attorney in the case.

"This is, moreover, the latest in an unbroken string of federal court decisions holding that voucher programs of this type violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution," Chanin continued, noting that "the same position was taken by the United States Supreme Court in 1973, by the United States district court in Wisconsin in 1995, and by the United States Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit earlier this year."

Within the past year, the Maine and Vermont Supreme Courts have also found voucher programs unconstitutional under both the federal and state constitutions.