Joel Klein's op-ed "Nikole Hannah-Jones vs. Randi Weingarten" (Oct. 5) is an excellent response to the teachers union's unwillingness to take responsibility for the low-performing and unaccountable school Nikole Hannah-Jones described in her recent New York Times piece.
Mr. Klein rightly points out that Ms. Hannah-Jones ignored the availability of high-performing charter schools as an option for New York City families who are unhappy with their neighborhood schools. I would add that private and parochial schools are another great option for struggling families who need better educational environments and resources for their children.
Tuition-based schools will be much easier for low-income families to access when the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027, giving parents the power to leave schools that aren't working, like the one Ms. Hannah-Jones's daughter attended. Families could also use FSTC scholarships to pay for intensive tutoring, SAT prep classes and other supplemental educational services.
Under the FSTC, individual taxpayers will be able to contribute up to $1,700 a year ($3,400 for married couples filing jointly) to an eligible scholarship-granting organization and then claim a dollar-for-dollar tax credit to reduce the amount they owe the Internal Revenue Service. In other words, starting next year, instead of sending $1,700 to the IRS, you can direct it to a scholarship for a deserving child and invest in that child's future.
After her daughter's public-school experience, Ms. Hannah-Jones might agree that supplemental educational services would be useful to many public-school students. In fact, without addressing it directly, both Ms. Hannah-Jones and Mr. Klein prove the wisdom of Gov. Kathy Hochul's indication that she will opt in and allow the tax credit to benefit New York children.
Darla M. Romfo
President and CEO
Children's Scholarship Fund
New York
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