Bob Schaffer: “Most children in America are back in school this week, and parents in most areas have been provided more information…”

“Most children in America are back in school this week, and parents in most areas have been provided more information about their schools and their child's academic performance than ever before. Earlier this year, Education Secretary Rod Paige talked about the need for more education options. He said, "The new annual tests will provide parents with much more information about the quality of their children's schools, but if parents can't act on that information, they can't really hold their schools accountable, and the schools will not have a real incentive to improve." This week, the Committee on Ways and Means, in fact today, will pass the Back-to-School Tax Relief Act that gives parents options to act on the information about the quality of their child's school. The bill gives low-income parents an above-the-line tax deduction of up to $3,000 for almost any educational expense, including tutoring and tuition at private schools. Parents deserve this freedom. They deserve the freedom to act in the best interests of their kids. As America's elementary and secondary students go back to school this month, I urge Congress to quickly pass the Back-to-School Tax Relief Act, H.R. 5193.”