Mother urges Congress to back federal school-choice tax scholarship for students with disabilities

A mother of Samuel, a student with Down syndrome, urged Congress during public comment to pass a federal “choice tax scholarship” so parents can direct education for children with disabilities, saying local schools had offered “babysitting” rather than instruction.

The commentor, who did not give her name, said her son required an individualized education program (IEP) and that the district where he first enrolled provided a classroom “with coloring books and crayons and a jungle gym” rather than an appropriate curriculum. “They planned on babysitting him and Samuel did not need a babysitter, he needed an education,” she said.

The mother said choosing a different school allowed Samuel to access “appropriate curriculum, college classes, and a career,” and that the change led to appearances advocating for school choice, including speaking at the 2020 Republican National Convention. She credited Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio and Sen. Ted Cruz with supporting the effort: “Samuel is here today with his friends, representative Jim Jordan who stood beside us in the state of Ohio while we worked to pass the John Peterson special needs scholarship, as well as senator Ted Cruz who’s worked with us since 2019,” she said.

Why it matters: the speaker framed federal legislation as necessary to expand options for families of students with disabilities nationwide. She urged passage of a “strong choice tax scholarship,” arguing that parents—not a single, one-size-fits-all system—should direct services and that Congress has the authority to make scholarships available across states.

Details from the comment: the mother said district staff told her to “go home, take the 6 and a half hour break,” language she interpreted as the district’s plan to provide nonacademic supervision rather than education. She said school choice allowed her to “drive the education” and make an IEP work for Samuel’s abilities. She argued more broadly that the country faces an education crisis, saying, “We have students across this nation who cannot read and write a grade level. We have students that are struggling to do basic math. We have a crisis on our hands and quite frankly, the house is burning down.”

Record and next steps: the speaker asked Congress to “put out the fire and let parents take their rightful role in directing their children's education,” and appealed for passage of federal tax-based scholarship support so similar choices would be available in every state. The remarks were delivered as public comment; no board action or vote accompanied the statement.

Samuel was identified in the remarks as present with friends; the commenter said the scholarship effort in Ohio was linked to a named “John Peterson special needs scholarship.” The commentor described the school-choice option she selected as offering college-level classes for Samuel and career preparation.