Parental choice in education is a fundamental right, and one for which the Catholic Church has long fought. Legislative efforts have been underway in Virginia for the last several years to ensure greater educational options and opportunities for more students, and to sustain the long term viability of Catholic and other nonpublic schools, which provide significant benefits for their families as well as all taxpayers. In the upcoming Virginia General Assembly session, parental choice in education will again be a hotly debated topic.
The Virginia Catholic Conference - collaborating with the Catholic Schools Offices in Richmond and Arlington, the Mid-Atlantic Catholic Schools Consortium and the Diocese of Arlington's Office of Communications -- has developed a video (linked at the end of this letter) to promote tax credits for parental choice in education. "The Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit: Taking Action for a Brighter Tomorrow" (producedby Triune Production Studios LLC) is designed to increase understanding and involvement in legislative advocacy in order to win passage of the Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit bill in 2012.
The Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit bill will be considered during the 2012 Virginia General Assembly session that begins in mid-January. Its benefits for our local community and Catholic schools statewide are three-fold: It will provide critical support for low-income students desiring a Catholic education. It will save all Virginia taxpayers money. And finally, it will support the long-term viability of Catholic schools throughout Virginia by sustaining enrollments and leveraging greater investments.
Click here to see the legislation outline:
Legislation Outline
Click here to see a form to join the Virginia Catholic Conference Email Advocacy Network:
Join the Virginia Catholic Conference Email Advocacy Network
For the last two years this legislation has come just two votes short. If it is to pass in 2012, the bill needs strong grassroots support.
I encourage you to watch this short, five-minute video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpbBgWyY5fw) and then take a few minutes to follow the action suggestion at the end.
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Take Action: The Education Improvement Scholarship Tax Credit
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Please share the video with family members and friends who might be interested in viewing it as well. Your help is vitally important to pass this bill in 2012!
On behalf of our school community and all Catholic schools in Virginia, thank you for allowing me to share this message.
Sincerely,
Patti Culbreth
Butter Braids are still available! 