March 6, 2003
Washington D.C. — As Congress prepares to reauthorize the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), supporters of private-school vouchers are touting a little-known Florida program as a model for improving special education. Pro-voucher forces are also backing bills in at least four states - Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii and Oklahoma - that would create programs patterned after Florida's 1999 McKay voucher law. One of the McKay law's most enthusiastic promoters has dubbed the program the "Florida Miracle," but a report released today debunks this myth, raising serious concerns about financial abuse and the law's impact on parents' rights and special education services.