Corey DeAngelis, American advocate for school choice, said Illinois teachers unions urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to participate in President Trump’s new school choice program and argued it would expand privately funded scholarships.
“The Illinois teachers unions signed on to a letter begging Governor Pritzker not to opt into President Trump’s new school choice program,” said DeAngelis. “The program provides privately funded scholarships to students. The teachers unions want to trap kids in failing schools.”
In Illinois, teachers’ unions and allied groups have expressed their opposition to the new federal tax credit scholarship program set to begin in 2027. According to DeAngelis, this opposition reflects the unions’ resistance to competition and a preference for maintaining leverage linked to collectively bargained compensation and benefits. The unions describe collective bargaining agreements as mechanisms that establish pay, benefits, and workplace rules for employees, highlighting why shifts in education policy can become labor issues.
The Congressional Research Service reports that Public Law 119-21 established a federal K–12 tax credit scholarship program financed through private donations. This is supported by a new nonrefundable “scholarship contribution” credit under Internal Revenue Code Section 25F. Individuals can claim a dollar-for-dollar federal credit worth 100% of qualifying cash contributions to approved scholarship-granting organizations, up to $1,700 per year starting from the tax year 2027. Unused amounts are eligible for limited carryforward.
The National Conference of State Legislatures explains that the program’s scholarship pool is built from taxpayer-directed private contributions rather than state appropriations. Therefore, participation does not require Illinois to spend state taxpayer funds. Donors receive up to a $1,700 federal tax credit for donations to eligible scholarship-granting organizations, and students can receive scholarships only if they reside in a state that opts into the program. State involvement primarily involves making the opt-in decision and recognizing eligible organizations rather than funding the scholarships.
DeAngelis is noted as a school choice advocate who serves as an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute and holds a Ph.D. in education policy from the University of Arkansas. Both Cato and the Educational Freedom Institute list him as EFI’s executive director and note his regular commentary on education policy and school choice.
