Thread by @georgiayouthco

HAPPENING NOW: #SB233 is on the floor in the Georgia State Senate.
Follow along for updates!

#SB233 would give $6000 in public dollars for any student to attend private or homeschool, purchase curriculum, hire a tutor or pay tuition at a community college, among other "qualified education expenses."

Up to half the money provided for a K-12 education could be rolled over each year and at graduation used to go to a Georgia college or university. K-12 funding should not become anybody's college savings account.

Students rather see this money invested where 90% of Georgian Students attend, so all of us can succeed. Our communities want investment in our schools for every child to succeed, not just families who can afford private schools.

Sen. Dolezal, students do not want "options for schools." Students want easily accessible, fully funded schools. Vouchers are just a cover-up for the lack of adequately funded public schools we have! #SB233 #CrossoverDay

Senator Lucas raises the right point, this bill would represent the largest and most expensive voucher in Georgia’s history and drain millions of dollars from public schools. Meanwhile, Senator Dolezal would have you believe that this bill is exactly like every voucher before it.

"If we want to solve the issues around our education system, what we need to focus on is how to tackle poverty and how to tackle literacy," We agree, Sen Esteves! #sb233

Thank you, Senator @jasonesteves, for being a champion for Georgia's students!

"When we look at the issues we have in Georgia, it’s pretty straightforward... #SB233 does nothing to address the issues we have with poverty. In fact, it would make it worse." #gapol #FundOurFuture

"Our lowest performing schools are in the communities that are amongst our poorest in this state. When I get asked, how do we solve issues around poverty and education? The solution is not hard. It takes dedicating resources." - Sen @jasonesteves #gapol #FundOurFuture

"When I look specifically at #SB233, the vast majority of people who would benefit are folks who would have sent their kids to private school in the first place."

Senator @jasonesteves is right on the money when it comes to Georgia's largest and most expensive voucher. #gapol

"With #SB233, we are defunding our state education system and sending that money to private schools, private schools who are not accountable to anyone but the folks who attend them." - Sen @JasonEsteves

Vouchers represent an attack on our freedom to learn. It's that simple.

Thank you, Sen @JasonEsteves, for saying the quiet parts out loud today on #SB233.

"I’ve heard the argument about school choice. In the neighborhoods we’re talking about, there is no school choice. How do we expect students living in poverty to afford private school?" #gapol

"I urge you to vote against this voucher program and to focus on what really matters: literacy, poverty, and getting leaders & teachers of high quality into every single classroom, urban or rural, so that every child gets a quality education."

We agree, Sen @JasonEsteves! #SB233

"When we’re talking about our kids, we don’t need winners and losers, we need to make sure we’re all winning." - Sen @jasonesteves

If we’re serious about every child’s future, let’s get serious about doing what works. That means fully funding our public schools. #gapol

Thank you, Sen @ElenaParent, for reminding your colleagues in the Georgia Senate that Georgia is one of six states that provides no specific funding to support students in poverty despite having one of the highest overall rates of child poverty in the nation. #SB233

"We are failing our students and failing our constitutional requirement to provide every student with a quality education."

Say it louder, Senator @ElenaParent! If Georgia Republicans want to support students like us, then why do they insist on defunding our future? #gapol

"If supporting Georgia's children is not our main priority, what are any of us doing in this room?" - Senator @ElenaParent

We will make sure young Georgians know that our future is on the ballot every year. When politicians threaten our freedom to learn, we will vote them out.

"As a state, we’ve come to #SB233 without making kindergarten mandatory and underfunding pre-k so that children are still on the lottery."

Thank you, Sen @DerekForGeorgia, for advocating for what students deserve: funding the things that would make our schools great. #gapol

"If we are truly going to be serious about education, I encourage my colleagues to look at a map and see how many private schools exist outside Metro Atlanta... We say we are here for rural Georgia, but #SB233 does nothing to support rural children." - Sen @DerekForGeorgia 👏🏿👏🏼👏🏾

"Instead of looking at how to make cuts, we ought to be looking at how to make investments in Georgia's children." We would listen to this sermon from Senator @DerekForGeorgia any day. #SB233 #gapol

"We are toying with a foundational piece of success in America by undermining universal education." - @SenNanOrrock

Attacking public schools is a threat to our society & our democracy. Public schools prepare young people like us for a future of promise, possibility, & belonging.

"Stand up for public schools. Stand up for the students who need us and send a message that we believe in public education and that public school dollars should go to public schools."

Thank you @SenNanOrrock for always using your power to advocate for Georgia's students. #SB233

"We’ve been underfunding public schools in Georgia for nearly two decades. We cannot afford to fund two school systems, one public and one private on the taxpayer’s dime."

Sen @Freddie_Sims & the @GASenateDems Minority Report on the crisis of public education funding. #SB233 📣

"Vouchers violate federal anti-discrimination laws and they serve the few at the expense of everyone else." - Sen @Freddie_Sims

Vouchers may specifically attack public education, but make no mistake that vouchers are an attack on disability, racial, and immigrant justice too.

"Vouchers are basically useless to rural students where private schools cannot or will not educate. Public schools are the best option for my rural communities." - Sen @Freddie_Sims

As students from rural, urban, & suburban Georgia, we demand public dollars for public schools.

Today Republicans voted on party lines to drain millions of dollars from public schools by passing the largest voucher program in Georgia.

Retweet if you're ready to advocate for a state where 1.7 million Georgia students like us can attend a fully funded public school instead!

This bill will now head to the State House, where we urge lawmakers to vote against defunding the poorest schools in our state to prop up wealthy elites.