Public education is a cornerstone of American life; it is essential to our democracy and our success as a nation. Ninety percent of America’s children attend public schools. AU works to protect public education by ensuring (1) that public funds go to public schools, and (2) that those public schools remain inclusive and do not promote religion or force anyone to take part in religious activities.
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What you should know about the issues
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What you can do today to protect public schools
Millions of parents and their children rely on public education. That’s why public funds must go to public schools and not be diverted to private school vouchers which pay for the education of students in private, predominantly religious schools. Private school vouchers are rooted in racism. White Christian Nationalists first created vouchers to allow white families to evade public school integration orders in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education.
Often, vouchers go to families that are already sending their kids to private schools. Private school vouchers don’t give any choice to most families who can’t afford private school tuition even with a voucher. Students in voucher programs also lose the civil rights protections they would have in public schools. For example, private schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers often deny admission to, or expel, LGBTQ+ students and students with LGBTQ+ family members. And they often claim that religious freedom gives them this right.
The separation of church and state ensures that families, not politicians, decide if, when and how to engage with religion. When public schools sponsor devotional practices or introduce religion into science classes, they are favoring one religion over others and excluding students of minority faiths and the nonreligious.
Christian Nationalist groups and extremists like Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, and lawmakers in the Texas State Legislature are trying to use public schools to push a narrow version of one particular faith, and that undermines equality for people of color, women, LGBTQ+ people, religious minorities, the nonreligious, and even Christians with different interpretations of their faith. Using public schools to impose religion on children threatens the religious freedom of families with diverse beliefs, including Jews, Muslims, and LGBTQ+ individuals. Americans United and our allies are actively fighting these threats in court.
The separation of church and state ensures that all people—whether they are religious or not—are treated the same. It also guarantees that everyone has equal access to public schools and government services—full civil rights regardless of who they are or what they believe.
Americans United is dedicated to safeguarding this constitutional promise. We fight in the courts, legislatures and public square to maintain a public education system that remains inclusive and secular, welcoming the diverse beliefs of every student.
Our nation promises everyone the freedom to believe as they want, but our laws cannot allow anyone to use their religious beliefs to harm others.
That’s why Americans United brings together people of all religions and none to fight in the courts, legislatures, and the public square for freedom without favor and equality without exception.
When you join the Action Network, you will be notified of actions you can take in your community to protect church-state separation. These actions can include legislative and legal advocacy, outreach opportunities, invitations to attend special meetings, briefings, and training sessions. AU also provides virtual opportunities to hone your skills as an advocate.
You’ll receive 6-12 messages per year. Just look for [AU-AN] in the subject line and take the actions that are right for you!
