Letters: Readers defend EITC funding

THE CHILDREN'S Scholarship Fund of Philadelphia (CSFP) receives donations from businesses that are using Educational Improvement Tax Credit programs. I am a parent whose children have benefited from these scholarship programs. I have witnessed the difference in the quality of education they are receiving.

Your editorial stated that there is no proof that there are any measurable benefits from these type of scholarship programs. However, the National Center for Education Statistics study reports that students attending private and parochial schools have significantly higher standardized test scores, more challenging curriculum and graduation requirements, and more college graduates than their public-school peers. The advantages are even more pronounced for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. CSFP children graduate from high school prepared and on time at rates of above 96 percent, compared with the public-school rate of less than 60 percent.

The CSFP does benefit low-income students by providing a real educational choice, but there are no free rides given. Every scholarship award is need-based and requires a parental contribution toward tuition. The "overly generous" income requirements indicated by your editorial do not line up with the real guidelines in place at CSFP. A family making $74,000 to $108,000 annually requires eight people in the household in order to receive a 25 percent scholarship of up to $2,350 per year. Too generous?

The money allotted to these programs does not make or break our already woefully underfunded public-school system. However, the money does make a world of difference to the thousands of students who have used these scholarships for better educational opportunities. There are many issues with the Philadelphia public-school system that won't be fixed in time for these children to benefit.

I've been given a choice whereby I don't have to gamble with my children's futures, waiting in hope for someone to fix the system. You want more oversight and reporting guidelines? Then push for more oversight. But to suggest that the state is blindly giving money away ignores the real benefits that thousands of families have experienced through these scholarship programs.

A.J. Toland

Philadelphia

I will call her Phil. Phil is from Nigeria and I met her two years ago. Her mother understood very little English and she was having some serious difficulty with Phil. Every day Phil was being called to the office because of the daily fights.

Phil was not very attractive and her hair was not like the other girls': a recipe for bullying. Phil's mother walked through the doors of our school looking for assistance. We could not help her. We cannot afford to assist children with tuition; we are already working at a deficit. We don't receive any assistance. All we could do is recommend her to three EITC tax programs, one of which is the Children's Scholarship. A few months after her mother filled out the scholarship form, with our assistance, Phil received a scholarship.

That day her mother burst through the door screaming, "God is good! I kiss you, I kiss you." My tears flowed.

Phil is doing well. She has not been in one fight and she is an A and B student.

Now, you tell me: Where would Phil be if she had not received that scholarship?

The editorial was one-sided and seemed to be politically motivated. Please do not take such a special program and taint it.

Marilynn Miles

Director, Greater Hope Ministries

Philadelphia

Without these programs, I would not have had the opportunity to send my daughter to a parochial school, where she received a quality education. I'm blessed to say that my son is now a recipient and is receiving a quality education.

Instead of criticizing these "educational" programs, you should direct your attention to the Philadelphia public-school system and the charter schools in our area. If the public schools were being operated effectively and funded properly, and its officials were fiscally responsible, there would be no need for such programs. The alternative, charter schools operate on a lottery basis, which means that our children have to be lucky to get accepted or know someone who can get them in.

This is the sad truth about our school system. The only reason why our children are being afforded better opportunities today is because of the generosity of the supporters of these programs. I am utterly grateful for all they've done thus far. I'm sure that every recipient would share the same sentiment.

These programs don't deserve this type of scrutiny. They are providing our children with brighter futures and vast opportunities. They should be praised!

Jessica Pagan

Philadelphia

I have been a principal for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for many, many years. I have watched thousands of children come and go through the Catholic school system. Many of those children would not have had the opportunity to complete their education with us without the help of the Children's Scholarship Fund. Many of these families have multiple children, which increases the cost of their yearly tuition. Parents often had to make a decision to remove one of three children and place him or her in the public-school system; however, with the help of the Children's Scholarship Fund, they were able to keep their children together.

We hope that this type of assistance continues in the future.

Sister Trudy Helder

Christ the King School

Philadelphia

On the other hand ...

I have one more question for the editor who asked: "Who gets the credit for this?"

What took you so long?

The Education Improvement Tax Credit Act and its companion, the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Act, have indeed been around for more than a decade. And only now that one of their chief architects, Anthony Hardy Williams, is running for mayor do these laws get your scrutiny?

So, unnamed corporations get up to 90 percent in tax write-offs, while dozens of statewide scholarship organizations collect a fee to funnel millions of our tax dollars to private and sectarian schools of all faiths.

And they do it with no accountability, unlike public schools that are forced to impose high-stakes standardized tests to justify funding.

Now that you have finally asked the right questions about this "backdoor voucher" program that circumvents our state Constitution, a little investigative reporting is in order, don't you agree?

Gloria C. Endres

Philadelphia