Education Minnesota has made clear that if a program helps private school students, the union doesn’t want it, even if it would also help students in public schools.
Teacher union leaders, including Education Minnesota’s Monica Byron, sent a letter urging Democratic governors not to participate in the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC), inaccurately calling the program a “voucher scheme” that undermines public education.
Despite the FSTC operating very differently than a voucher, union leaders continue to churn out this myth and other tired arguments against choice policies. But because public school students will be eligible for the FSTC, the union’s position seems to be that if private-school families can benefit, then nobody should. And the benefits are far from “incidental.”
The FSTC that begins Jan. 1, 2027 is projected to channel billions of dollars in private charitable donations into K-12 education, benefiting eligible students in public, private, and homeschools nationwide. For Minnesota alone, that could mean hundreds of millions of dollars. With public schools serving roughly 90 percent of Minnesota students, public school families would make up the majority of beneficiaries. Scholarships could fund tutoring, services for students with disabilities, and supplemental and enrichment learning opportunities.
These scholarships would be funded by private donations, not the state’s education budget. No money would be taken from Minnesota school districts. Under the FSTC donors could choose to send their donations to scholarship granting organizations that provide scholarships to public school students. If Education Minnesota was serious about public school students, it could start its own scholarship granting organization. Instead, the union is lobbying to keep Minnesota out entirely.
If Minnesota sits this one out, the money won’t simply disappear. Minnesotans can still donate and receive the tax credit — they will just be helping students in states that choose to participate.
As of mid-2026, 31 states (including Democratic-led Colorado and New York) are expected to opt in. Outgoing Govs. Tim Walz and Tony Evers are currently the only two who have explicitly stated they won’t opt their states in, leaving the decision to their successors.
Teachers’ unions have long opposed school-choice initiatives, so their response to the FSTC isn’t surprising. The real question is whether Minnesota’s next governor will look past the politics and focus on what the program could mean for students. Turning down this opportunity would require explaining why Minnesota students should be left out while students in dozens of other states benefit.
