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Josh Cowen
@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social
6.9K followers831 following
287 posts
Professor; Senior Fellow, Education Law Center; and Author, The Privateers: How
Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers (Harvard Education
Press, September 2024) linktr.ee/joshcowen?ut...



Posts

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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
16h
Want a run down of what research I use and some of the great tools and studies I
use to warn about voucher schemes? Looking forward to chatting about those in a
couple weeks 👇
‪Public Funds Public Schools‬ ‪@pfpsorg.bsky.social‬
·
19h
Join PFPS for Our First Webinar of the New Year: How to Fight Vouchers in 2025:
A Toolkit for Advocates pfps.org/join-pfps-fo... Register here:
us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... @joshcowenmsu.bsky.social
@edlawcenter.bsky.social

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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
18h
Color me skeptical that voucher lobby dependence on billionaire cash to primary
rural GOP legislators will buy them much blue ground. But the federal ECCA
scheme IS a voucher threat to blue states. And in any case I appreciate
RealClear adding my warnings www.realcleareducation.com/2025/01/02/s...
School Choice Takes Its Fight From Red to Blue
Private school choice advocates expect that 2025 will be the year that they
finally bring the last big red state, Texas, into the fold. The likely victory
would, in turn, pose the next big challenge.
www.realcleareducation.com
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8

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
1d
When it comes to serving kids with special needs my views are: Yes, public
schools need to do (far) better. That starts with adequate funding, but it also
needs in some cases to include changes in culture and attitude. No, general-use
school voucher schemes won’t help. At all.
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
23h
State equalization and school finance reforms have been arguably the most
successful wide-scale education reforms of the past half century. Universal
school voucher schemes all but target those successes.
academic.oup.com/qje/article-...
The Effects of School Spending on Educational and Economic Outcomes: Evidence
from School Finance Reforms *
Abstract. Since the Coleman Report, many have questioned whether public school
spending affects student outcomes. The school finance reforms that began in
academic.oup.com
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
23h
In Chapters 5 and 6 of The Privateers I explain how this lack of voucher
accountability is deliberate: Older vouchers had more oversight, but after the
past decade’s dismal academic results, the voucher lobby created an excuse and
blamed transparency to avoid more bad headlines
‪Michael Squires‬ ‪@mgsquires.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Arizona’s school voucher program makes it impossible to know much about the
private schools receiving state dollars. In this case, parents new to Title of
Liberty didn’t know it had previously been a failed charter school called ARCHES
where 13% of students were proficient in English and 0% in math.
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private
Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private
schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help
parents make informed school choices.
www.propublica.org
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11

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
1d
I’ve spent the last 2+ years trying to warn folks that the typical voucher
schools are sub-prime. It’s why the past decade’s results have been so dreadful.
And this
@propublica.org
deep-dive gives the most detailed example yet of how this goes👇
‪ProPublica‬ ‪@propublica.org‬
·
3d
NEW: Arizona does not vet new voucher schools. Not even if the school or the
online school “provider” has already failed, or was founded yesterday, or is
operating out of a strip mall, or offers just a half hour of instruction per
morning. propub.li/3PovCyh
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private
Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private
schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help
parents make informed school choices.
propub.li
2
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25

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Drew Perkins‬ ‪@dperkinsed.bsky.social‬
·
1d
RSVP to join
@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social
, Neal McCluskey of the
@cato.org
, and me as the host for this discussion about the good, bad, and the ugly of
school choice and vouchers. You may choose which of us is the ugly.😉 Tuesday,
January 28 @ 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm EST thoughtstretchers.org/event/though...

2


‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
1d
The bigger and more recent the voucher system, the worse the results for kids.
The last study to show positive attainment impacts for voucher users was
published in 2013. The last study to show positive voucher impacts on student
achievement was published in 2002.
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
1d
What policies will I be talking about this year as better steps forward than
predatory school voucher schemes? High-dose tutoring. GYO teacher pipeline
investments, funding adequacy, school meals, evidence-based literacy, early
education, CTE and college access—and more.
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
4d
Some folks push school vouchers because their policy goals are tax-funded
religious schools. Others out of blind faith in Milton Friedman. But either way:
vouchers have failed as a real educational opportunity for kids and families.
youtu.be/e4xwlfbjH2M?...
Josh Cowen Explores the Intersection of School Choice and Religion
YouTube video by Harvard Education Press
youtu.be
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
2d
In 2024, we saw the last decade of school voucher outcomes crammed into 1 year
of predictable results: Busted budgets; lack of access for non-wealthy parents;
fraud and waste; bad academics In 2025, here’s to hoping policymakers turn to
ideas that help real kids and families.
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
And apropos the massive new
@propublica.org
story, new results from TN (which unlike AZ does have state testing for
vouchers), here’s why the voucher lobby is so desperate to avoid transparency.
They don’t want parents in other states knowing this 👇
fox17.com/news/crisis-...
TCAP scores show Tenn. ESA schools underperforming in proficiency to public
schools
As Gov. Lee pushed school vouchers, the voucher pilot program TCAP scores show
the schools are still underperforming compared to public schools.
fox17.com
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
And this is why voucher scores have been so bad—and it’s why the voucher lobby
is desperate to kill oversight not just in AZ but beyond. The typical voucher
school isn’t the elite academy of lore—it’s a cash-strapped, sub-prime,
barely-hanging on venture and the results show 👇
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Parents and kids are those hurt when states don’t hold school voucher schemes
accountable. Their voices that resound in this entire MUST-READ new
@propublica.org
piece
‪ProPublica‬ ‪@propublica.org‬
·
3d
NEW: Arizona does not vet new voucher schools. Not even if the school or the
online school “provider” has already failed, or was founded yesterday, or is
operating out of a strip mall, or offers just a half hour of instruction per
morning. propub.li/3PovCyh
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private
Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private
schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help
parents make informed school choices.
propub.li
9
24

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
And this is why voucher scores have been so bad—and it’s why the voucher lobby
is desperate to kill oversight not just in AZ but beyond. The typical voucher
school isn’t the elite academy of lore—it’s a cash-strapped, sub-prime,
barely-hanging on venture and the results show 👇
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Parents and kids are those hurt when states don’t hold school voucher schemes
accountable. Their voices that resound in this entire MUST-READ new
@propublica.org piece
1
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18

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪The Tennessee Holler‬ ‪@thetnholler.bsky.social‬
·
2d
👇🏽Ed expert Josh Cowen highlights Tennessee test results showing voucher
schools “UNDERPERFORM” (aka why privatizers oppose accountability)— as charter
schools rebrand as the private religious voucher schools they always were
“Voucher transparency is the real parents rights”

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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Voucher transparency is the real parents’ rights
‪Michael Squires‬ ‪@mgsquires.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Arizona’s school voucher program makes it impossible to know much about the
private schools receiving state dollars. In this case, parents new to Title of
Liberty didn’t know it had previously been a failed charter school called ARCHES
where 13% of students were proficient in English and 0% in math.
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private
Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private
schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help
parents make informed school choices.
www.propublica.org
1
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
“We don’t track that information since there’s no business reason to do so.”
That’s a direct quote here from AZ’s own pro-voucher education department about
voucher transparency👇 www.propublica.org/article/ariz...
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private
Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private
schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help
parents make informed school choices.
www.propublica.org
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Parents and kids are those hurt when states don’t hold school voucher schemes
accountable. Their voices that resound in this entire MUST-READ new
@propublica.org piece
1
7
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
Parent feedback should and does matter to school evaluation. But as I explain in
The Privateers, “parent satisfaction” to spin less-than-promised academic
results has been the voucher lobby playbook since 1995. If that’s the only
metric, use it for public schools too.
‪The Tennessee Holler‬ ‪@thetnholler.bsky.social‬
·
3d
NEW DATA: Tennessee Public schools are outperforming Voucher schools in ELA &
Math 👇🏽 (in terms of % of students meeting & exceeding expectations)

4
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
3d
A year ago I began warning that because the voucher lobby had so successfully
fought transparency, it would be up to investigative journalists more than
researchers to hold these schemes accountable. It shouldn’t take this kind of
reporting, but grateful that it’s happening.
‪ProPublica‬ ‪@propublica.org‬
·
3d
NEW: Arizona does not vet new voucher schools. Not even if the school or the
online school “provider” has already failed, or was founded yesterday, or is
operating out of a strip mall, or offers just a half hour of instruction per
morning. propub.li/3PovCyh
Arizona Regulators Closed a Failing Charter School. It Reopened as a Private
Religious School Funded by Taxpayers.
Arizona’s acclaimed voucher program provides zero transparency into private
schools’ history, academic performance or financial sustainability to help
parents make informed school choices.
propub.li
4
8

‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
4d
Me as an eager young researcher on early school voucher studies—vs. me once the
data from statewide vouchers came in

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33

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
5d
The economic benefits to having robust public schools, the importance of public
education to democracy, and education as part of realizing individual human
potential are not mutually exclusive outcomes. School voucher systems wall these
purposes off from each other.
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
7d
State and local business communities have important partnerships in public
school districts—from CTE to broad workforce development. School vouchers rob
one partner of key resources, diverting funds to subprime private schools with
particular failures in math and science
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29

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
5d
It’s no accident that some of the fiercest school voucher critics in the policy
community are those of us who’ve worked on other issues too. Working across a
spectrum of policy areas, you realize just how bad/unrealistic voucher schemes
are.
1
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
13d
Why does this matter? Voucher lobby/think tanks are a bit like a builder who
only lets you see his on-site spec model—but refuses to let you see the actual
houses he’s built for real buyers. We don’t need empty promises. Just look at
what actually happens in the states.
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
14d
As the first Trump term began, vouchers were causing some of the worst academic
declines on record. As Trump 2.0/Musk 1.0 kicks off, it’s worth asking why
anyone should believe the voucher lobby’s promises now.

5
11

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
14d
As the first Trump term began, vouchers were causing some of the worst academic
declines on record. As Trump 2.0/Musk 1.0 kicks off, it’s worth asking why
anyone should believe the voucher lobby’s promises now.

1
10
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
5d
Live long enough to have a second act, change your mind, defend your principles,
get into the arena, inhabit your times, learn from the past and look boldly
ahead. RIP
#JimmyCarter
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Bruce D. Baker‬ ‪@schoolfinance101.bsky.social‬
·
5d
Deceitful representations like this - posted as a book review at EdNext
(www.educationnext.org/rumors-of-wa...) only exacerbate the problem. Here are
some basics on understanding ed spending over time:
www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/how-muc...

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6

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Bruce D. Baker‬ ‪@schoolfinance101.bsky.social‬
·
5d
Reply to
Josh Cowen
My very first published piece advocated vouchers. Soon thereafter, I was
advocating (in published work) that deregulating the teaching profession could
increase academic quality of teacher workforce. Sometimes we learn we were
wrong.
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12

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
6d
The voucher lobby basically now says “yes school vouchers take state aid away
from local districts but that’s okay—local $$ can cover it!” But not all dollars
are the same. The state portion levels the playing field and protects
communities against local economic downturns.
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25

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
7d
The voucher lobby says vouchers don’t cut public school $ because they’re paid
by other state budget lines. That’s like saying gas price hikes don’t hurt a
family’s ability to pay a mortgage. And relies on fantasies that below-COLA
increases aren’t real dollar cuts (they are).
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
15d
Crucial new resource on the fiscal harm caused by school vouchers that, unlike
voucher industry estimates, actually (shocker!) understands how state education
budgets work. @epi.org www.epi.org/publication/...
How vouchers harm public schools: Calculating the cost of voucher programs to
public school districts
Overview What this report is about Voucher programs for schools are rapidly
expanding across the country. Under these programs, public budgets provide
funding to parents to either send their children ...
www.epi.org
2
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24

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
7d
State and local business communities have important partnerships in public
school districts—from CTE to broad workforce development. School vouchers rob
one partner of key resources, diverting funds to subprime private schools with
particular failures in math and science
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
8d
💯 And the academic harm caused by school voucher schemes, which Trump, Vivek,
etc all want, is especially acute for STEM subjects. (It has to do with the
sub-prime church schools vouchers bail out)
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32

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
8d
Good round-up
@axios.com
on the school voucher origin story—and where things stand with today’s
right-wing billionaires demanding vouchers heading into federal/state
legislative sessions. (With some info from yours truly)
@edlawcenter.bsky.social
@pfpsorg.bsky.social
www.axios.com/2024/12/26/p...
School vouchers remain a GOP priority even as voters reject them
Vouchers allow families to use public funds to pay for private schools.
www.axios.com
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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
7d
It’s EdNext’s prerogative to criticize books showing school vouchers to be the
handiwork of right-wing billionaires. But the least EdNext could also do is
disclose it’s almost entirely funded by one of those very billionaires: the
Charles Koch Foundation app.box.com/s/q475b8amfo...
Harvard-University-Grant-Agreement-2020.pdf | Powered by Box
app.box.com
‪Education Next‬ ‪@educationnext.bsky.social‬
·
23d
Rumors of War: Book asserts that public schools are under attack, but the forces
arrayed against them are hard to identify. bit.ly/3ZsKIYp
Rumors of War
Book asserts that public schools are under attack. But the forces arrayed
against them are hard to identify.
bit.ly
1
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16

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
8d
The voucher guys are torn: They worship Milton Friedman—who first proposed
school vouchers a few months after Brown v Board—but now they have a political
need to start the voucher story a century earlier so they can avoid the unseemly
segregation part
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58

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
8d
How Arizona’s voucher scheme mostly funds wealthy families is one of the
most-read
@propublica.org
stories of the year. It’s important because AZ is a model for other states, and
because it shows how vouchers work just like any other special interest subsidy.
www.propublica.org/article/prop...
The Most-Read ProPublica Stories of 2024
As the 2024 election dominated headlines, our readers spent time with stories
about health care, abortion rights, immigration and President-elect Donald
Trump.
www.propublica.org
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53

‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
8d
💯 And the academic harm caused by school voucher schemes, which Trump, Vivek,
etc all want, is especially acute for STEM subjects. (It has to do with the
sub-prime church schools vouchers bail out)
‪Catherine Rampell‬ ‪@crampell.bsky.social‬
·
8d
I actually agree with Ramaswamy that Americans should promote/invest in better
math education. Unfortunately that is pretty much the opposite of what Trump ran
on -- also the opposite of what his party has in store

2
9

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
11d
No, school vouchers don’t raise public school teacher salaries 🤦‍♂️
2
9
32

Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
11d
If you’re looking for any last minute gifts for me I’d ask for: Even one
self-styled education reformer who is (correctly) raising concerns about student
achievement trends but who also (correctly) accepts the overwhelming evidence
against school vouchers as a “solution”
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Reposted by
Josh Cowen
‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
11d
On Michigan lame duck closing in a mess: I understand folks are angry w/the last
few weeks. But I have a different view of the past year: one from spending most
of it in states across the US talking about dangerous school voucher
schemes—which are education’s predatory lending…

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‪Josh Cowen‬ ‪@joshcowenmsu.bsky.social‬
·
9d
A Blessed Day to All. At the end of The Privateers I write about school vouchers
as part of a right-wing political Christianity that separates and isolates
children. Today’s
@peter-wehner.bsky.social
on Jesus Christ’s “radical inclusion” reminds us to do otherwise.
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/24/o...
Opinion | Why It Matters That Jesus Came From a Dysfunctional Family
He identified with the least and the lowliest, not just those in his lineage but
those in his life.
www.nytimes.com
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PROFILE

Josh Cowen

joshcowenmsu.bsky.social

did:plc:whp6dt3lwwwsixynjvokx5wl

Professor; Senior Fellow, Education Law Center; and Author, The Privateers: How
Billionaires Created a Culture War and Sold School Vouchers (Harvard Education
Press, September 2024)
https://linktr.ee/joshcowen?utm_source=linktree_profile_share&ltsid=30405