"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til it's gone..."

Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell

Hi Reader,

Last weekend, I went to Indiana to visit my grandmother. Yes Indiana, home of the Hoosiers, Wonder Bread, The Indy 500, and America's most robust and destructive private school voucher program.

In a nutshell, private school vouchers are state funded scholarships that help families pay for private school tuition instead of sending their child to a public school. About 30% of states have private school voucher programs.

The idea is to give parents more choice in where their child is educated, especially if their local public school is underperforming. But in practice, vouchers do not provide enough money to cover tuition for low income families. They tend to act as a "rebate program" for families that would have gone to private school anyway. Popular with republican lawmakers, many lawmakers push school voucher programs as a way to privatize K-12 schools.

Critics argue that vouchers divert funds from public schools, while supporters say they empower families and promote competition. You can read more about the pros and cons of voucher programs here.​

So what's going on with Indiana's Schools?

Indiana is known for having one of the most lenient voucher programs. Most families making under $200k in Indiana qualify. In Monroe County, where my grandmother lives, the voucher recipients doubled from 2021 to 2024.

Education budgets are extremely tight, so losing any amount of students or funding can add up to big budget issues. Even if there are fewer students, schools still take a lot of money to run.

They also impact the diversity of the school. This impact is seen very clearly in Indiana schools, which in many counties have essentially segregated again.

Voucher programs often lead to increased segregation, as families with more resources (time, transportation, money to cover any tuition gap) are more able to take advantage of the program. This can leave behind students from lower-income families—disproportionately Black, Latino, and Indigenous children—in underfunded, less diverse public schools.

Long Story Short: Voucher programs like Indiana’s may promise school choice, but in reality, they deepen inequality. They drain public school budgets, benefit families who could already afford private school, and make our schools less diverse by leaving behind the students who need the most support.

What's New?

🗞️ On TV: Last week I appeared on QC Life to share tips for kids starting kindergarten in the fall. I was so honored to be asked back on the show. I got an extra long interview because one of the guests had to cancel last minute. It was very cool to see behind the scenes how the adjusted for this in real time.

✏️ Ready?: Looking at schools for kindergarten? Wondering if your kiddo is academically ready for school? You'll walk away from the Get Ready for Kindergarten Workshop with a plan to support your child. Tix and details here.​

Things I Love

🍊 Citrus: One of my favorite ways to change up my seasonal decor with with little rugs around the house. I just got this hooked citrus rug for inside the front door. So cute!

🐦‍⬛ Science out the window: Want an easy way to teacher your child about science? Use a window bird feeder like this. They can view the birds and watch their behavior and discuss they food they eat. Then, use the free Merlin App to identify bird sounds on walks and learn more about birds in your area.

👗 Sunny Days: Nordstrom is having a huge spring sale. They've got a ton of sundresses under $50 I snapped up this one and this one.

Joyful: Last night after returning home from Indiana, the cats were so excited to see us. Jet (who is usually Mike's cat) laid on my pillow all night. It was very sweet, and a reminder of how loved we are. Just a reminder joy is free, and can take you by surprise 🩷

What's one thing that brought you joy recently? Respond to this email to share!