There have been recent newspaper reports about a perceived lack of accountability by the private schools participating in certain Scholarship Programs. This has created a lot of discussion about additional regulations that may be needed for these schools. We would like to take this time to discuss our view of this issue.

Let us start by reminding everyone that most scholarship families have already experienced what it is like to have their children in a well-regulated public school – many of which were also accredited.

Neither the regulations nor the accreditation made their zoned school a good fit for their children so these families sought out a different option – a scholarship to assist them in affording an educational setting that was a better fit for their children.

That means that scholarship families have already:

1. Proactively chosen to remove their children from their zoned schools,
2. Successfully completed the application process for scholarships,
3. Enrolled their children in eligible private schools of their choosing, and
4. Understood that they have the option to exit those schools if they are not meeting their children’s learning needs and to take their children – and scholarship funding – with them to another school.

They are not doing these actions mindlessly. Please do not be deceived by the fallacy that you must “protect” scholarship families from their choices.

Whereas one of the stated purposes of creating the Scholarship Programs is to expand educational opportunities, it behooves the state regulators to resist the urge towards over-regulating participating schools. Studies have proven that over-regulating these schools has the opposite effect – it constricts quality educational opportunities and subsequently decreases program effectiveness.

Instead, we encourage the state regulators to show scholarship families respect. Assume that they are the experts of their own lives and provide support for them as they work towards the goals they have already set for themselves and their children.

Here are some ways that we have found to do that:

• We provide parents with data on schools so that they can make informed decisions on selecting the best educational settings for their children. We provide access to licensed academic performance data on public, charter and private schools including ratings and reviews by parents, teachers, and students.
• We inform parents that their children’s scholarships are portable. They have the power to decide whether the chosen schools are serving their children well. If not, they can take their scholarships to another eligible school. This is the mechanism that weeds-out low-quality schools.
• We empower scholarship parents to demand to be treated like private-pay parents by private schools. Although they may learn about the scholarship from a school, the application process is between AAA and the parents. For us, the schools have no role in the process until the parents pro-actively select them – after being awarded a scholarship. We believe this helps underscore to the parents that they are not beholden to schools because they understand that the scholarships are not coming from the schools. Instead, parents are going into these schools with “money-in-hand” when they have a AAA scholarship.
• We remind them of all of these facts repeatedly – during application meetings, on scholarship applications, flyers, handbooks, award letters, and school commitment forms. Many families who have not had prior experience with the private school world need to hear these things multiple times before the feeling of empowerment becomes internalized.

In Florida, we have administered both the Florida Tax Credit and Gardiner scholarships since 2014. Using our approach, more than 96 percent of FTC parents remain satisfied with the schools that they originally selected for their children. For those Gardiner students using their scholarship accounts for private school tuition that number is over 88 percent.

At AAA, we support the individual efforts of our scholarship families towards upward mobility. We do that by never assuming to know more about what their families need than they do. We encourage everyone to do the same.

Arizona Hearing for Bill #SB 1485 scheduled for TODAY, May 7th!!

The Arizona House is set to hear bill #SB1485 on Tuesday, May 7th. As a reminder, this bill will ELIMINATE 80 PERCENT of the annual increase in SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING needed to keep the program growing.

We ask that you please contact your REPRESENTATIVE and ask them to vote AGAINST SB 1485!

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP THIS BAD BILL WHICH WILL ELIMINATE 80 PERCENT OF THE ANNUAL FUNDING INCREASE IN THE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

It takes just 4 easy steps to tell your Arizona Legislator to vote AGAINST #SB1485

1. Find your Legislative District Number by clicking here and entering your address: https://azredistricting.org/districtlocator/
2. Click on the link below and scroll until you find your Legislative District Number: https://www.azleg.gov/memberroster/
3. Click on your House Representative’s name and then click on the email button.
4. Complete the form and ask them to vote AGAINST SB1485.

BILL #SB 1485 HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DESTROY THIS INCREDIBLE LIFE-SAVING PROGRAM AND WE MUST MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD TO CHANGE YOUR LEGISLATOR’S HEARTS AND MINDS. WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY!

Thank you again and we can win this fight if we all stand up for our children!

2nd Nevada Committee Hearing for Bill #AB458 scheduled for Thursday, May 2nd at 1:30 p.m.

The Nevada Senate Revenue Committee is set to hear bill #AB458 on Thursday, May 2nd. As a reminder, this bill will REMOVE the 10% annual increase in scholarship funding needed to keep the program growing.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Las Vegas and Carson City to testify against the bill at the Assembly in early April. We ask that you please come out again this Thursday to make sure your voices are heard in the Senate this time!

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO STOP THIS BAD BILL WHICH ENDS ANY ANNUAL INCREASE IN THE OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. Please come out to the meeting on Thursday at 1:30 PM and tell the committee members that you OPPOSE bill #AB458. If you feel comfortable taking 1 or 2 minutes to share with the committee why your child needs this scholarship you will be able to do that too. We will have people there to meet you and give you stickers to wear.

You can attend the meeting in Las Vegas or Carson City on Thursday, May 2nd at 1:30 p.m.:

Attend in Las Vegas: Grant Sawyer State Office Building Room 4412 555 E. Washington Ave.   Las Vegas, NV

Attend in Carson City: Legislative Building Room 2134 401 S. Carson St.   Carson City, NV

If you are attending please call or text us at 702-941-4448 so we can provide more information and connect you with an advocate at the meeting.

1. If you cannot attend in person, please email:
   1. Committee Chair Senate Marilyn Donderol Loop at Marilyn.DonderoLoop@sen.state.nv.us 
   2. Vice- Chair Julia Ratti at  Julia.Ratti@sen.state.nv.us  
   3. Senator David Parks  David.Parks@sen.state.nv.us
2. Let them know you OPPOSE Bill #AB 458 and state you are on the wait-list for a scholarship. In a few sentences state why your child needs this educational choice.
3. Post a comment on the bill at https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/Opinions/80th2019/ Enter “AB458” for the bill number and check the button that you are AGAINST the bill. Then share a few sentences on why you want a scholarship. Legislators look at these posts!

BILL #AB458 HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DESTROY THIS INCREDIBLE LIFE-SAVING PROGRAM AND WE MUST MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD TO CHANGE THE COMMITTEE MEMBER’S HEARTS AND MINDS. WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY!

Thank you again and we can win this fight if we all stand up for our children!

p.s. A big shout-out to everyone who came out on April 2 and April 4 to testify at the Assembly against AB458. We truly appreciate your efforts!

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our dear friend, colleague and tireless advocate for disadvantaged students, Cheryl Hillen.

Cheryl began her advocacy for quality k-12 educational options for all students back in the early 1990s. Even after she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, she never stopped fighting to end the vicious cycle of generational poverty.

As Director of Corporate Relations for AAA, Cheryl communicated the need for businesses to invest in the economically-disadvantaged communities they serve. Her work remains a critical factor in AAA’s continued success and growth.

Prior to her work with AAA, Cheryl founded Project Education and served as Director of Development at the Alliance and Advocates for School Choice (2004-2008); Vice President at Children First America (2000 – 2004); Director of Development at Citizens for a Sound Economy (1990 – 2000); and Vice President at D.C.-based government relations firm, Valis Associates (1986-1990). Prior to that, she worked on political campaigns and on Capitol Hill.

Cheryl was originally from West Virginia and attended the University of Kentucky where she majored in political science. She is survived by her children, Marga Franklin and William “Woody” Franklin, mother, Nancy Hillen, sisters, Cathy Hillen-Rulloda and Cindy Hillen and brother, Alex Hillen, along with a large, loving family of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins

We re-dedicate ourselves to continuing Cheryl’s legacy. Our loss is heaven’s gain. We will forever miss her.

Please read her full obituary here.

The Nevada Department of Education has released its annual student achievement data report for students in the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program and the results are positive overall.

Although the number of students whose test scores could be tracked longitudinally over three years was limited because different schools may use different assessments, 68.4 percent of those that could be compared showed positive learning gains (defined as a maintained or raised score year over year). For those students whose test scores could be tracked over two years, the results were also positive overall (65.7 percent). Read the state’s full report here.

These results confirm what other studies have shown (here), the longer the time period that students participate in these scholarship programs, the more they benefit from them.

AAA Scholarship Foundation is proud to be an approved Nevada Scholarship Granting Organization. For more information about the Nevada Educational Choice Scholarship Program, please visit us at www.aaascholarships.org.

An update to the 2017 Urban Institute study of The Effects of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program on College Enrollment and Graduation by Matthew Chingos, Tomas Monarrez, Daniel Kuehn has been released and the results are conclusive: “…students who enroll in private school through the [Florida Tax Credit] program are more likely to go to and graduate from college than their public school peers.”

The update also confirmed their earlier findings that the longer a student participates in the program, the higher the likelihood that they will attend a four-year college and earn a bachelors degree when compared to their public school counterparts. The studies are unique in that the public school comparison samples were made up of students who attended the same public schools as the scholarship students (before their participation) – making the results robust.

AAA Scholarship Foundation is proud to be one of only two administrators of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program. To find out more about AAA or any of the six scholarship programs we administer, visit us at www.aaascholarships.org.

 

Thais R. Sullivan has been a devoted member of Palm Beach County for over 30 years and has worked in almost every position within the banking industry. From filing checks, to serving as a lender, and everything in between. Thais’ hard work and passion to learn eventually landed her the position of Vice President, Regional CRA/Commercial Lending Officer for the State of Florida at Valley National Bank.

Thais wasn’t always interested in working in the banking industry. When she was younger, she loved fashion and aspired to become a fashion designer. When Thais initially moved to Florida from Detroit, Mich., she learned that the school system did not offer the same type of fashion classes that they did up north. She ended up putting fashion on hold and decided to go in a different direction. Thais attended Barry University, where she received her Bachelor of Business degree. During her time there, she worked at Barnett Bank (which is now famously known as Bank of America) during the day, and attended school at night. While she worked at Barnett Bank, Thais was assigned to an executive who generously mentored her and encouraged her to get her degree and branch out within the banking industry. Thais continued to climb the totem pole and familiarize herself in all aspects of the industry. As the years passed, she was recommended to be a CRA Officer due to her extensive lending background and exceptional customer service skills. Combining her skills and love of helping others, Thais says that the day they hired her as a CRA Officer was the day she stopped working. It no longer became a job to her, but something she knew she was meant to do.

Thais’ passion for helping those around her has led to her active involvement in multiple organizations – including The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Foundation, The Anquan Boldin Foundation, The Black Chamber of Commerce, The Boys and Girls Club of Riviera Beach and many more. Volunteering isn’t just a hobby for Thais, it is what makes her, HER! That’s why joining the AAA Scholarship Foundation and becoming a board member was a no-brainer for Thais. “It’s one more tool to add to my toolbox!” she says.

Thais brings a work attitude that is second to none, which is why it is no surprise that she was recognized as one of the “Most Influential & Prominent Black Women in Business in Palm Beach County” by Legacy Palm Beach. Thais has been a friendly face to everyone she has encountered. She never shies away from an opportunity to teach others about affordable housing, or to simply inform them of the amazing shoe sale that’s currently taking place at Nordstrom. When Thais isn’t working, she likes to travel and spend time with her mom, husband and two sons. The five of them love to go bowling, and when asking Thais who the best bowler in their family is she says “Probably my husband, but of course I would never tell him that.” Your secret is safe with us, Thais.

Click here for a pdf of this Spotlight.

Jaylen Hardy and Savon Graham
Lake Mead Christian Academy
Clarke County, NV

 

Ahsaki Hardy sits amongst many other enthusiastic parents as she watches her children, Jaylen and Savon, receive honor roll once again. She knows this wouldn’t have been possible without the financial stability provided by a scholarship from the AAA Scholarship Foundation which allowed Ahsaki to send her children to a school tailored to their learning needs.

Knowing that they’d face countless obstacles, Ahsaki made the courageous decision to move her family from Massachusetts to Nevada, not really knowing what to expect. She was in desperate need of a climate change but she also wanted to move to a place that her family could eventually call home. Ahsaki worked as a family support specialist, which was the family’s only source of income. Her children’s father was unable to work due to an injury, which would later result in surgery and the family losing their secondary source of income.

 

Ahsaki was focused on work, making sure there was food on the table and caring for her children’s father so she hadn’t really noticed how reserved Jaylen, her oldest son, was acting when he would arrive home from attending third grade at his zoned public school each day. She asked him the normal questions such as how was school, did he need any help with his homework, and so on, but he didn’t allude to anything being wrong. It wasn’t until report cards were sent home that Ahsaki learned that Jaylen’s grades were starting to drop, which was out of the ordinary for her intelligent young son.

 

Ahsaki made it her mission to find out what, if anything, was going on at school that was causing Jaylen’s grades to suffer? After some gentle prodding, Jaylen finally broke down and confessed that an upperclassman had been picking on him. Alarmed, Ahsaki asked question after question, and learned that it had started on the school bus where Jaylen was being teased and called names, and continued into the classroom, as well as into after school care. “I don’t like this school anymore,” said Jaylen. Ahsaki was heartbroken and wanted to put a stop to the bullying immediately; however, because of their financial situation, she felt like her options were limited. That night, as she lay in bed absorbing all the information she had learned earlier that day, she knew she needed to make a change. If she didn’t pull her son out of this school now and put a stop to the harassment, who knew where it would lead? To make matters worse, her youngest son, Savon, was getting ready to start school for the very first time, and the last thing Ahsaki wanted was for him to enter that type of hostile environment.

 

Ahsaki had heard of a few private schools in her district and decided to visit Lake Mead Christian Academy. Right away she noticed that the classroom sizes were much smaller than at Jaylen’s previous school, where he was one of 35 students in a classroom with one teacher. This school also had a tracking system, which notifies the teachers if any students are falling behind in a subject or aren’t quite grasping the concept as quickly as their peers. The teachers can then intervene early and provide those struggling students with enhanced guidance. Ahsaki admired this about the school as it showed her that the administration truly wanted their students to succeed.

 

Ahsaki desperately wanted Jaylen to attend Lake Mead Christian Academy, as well as enroll Savon there so that he would not only be with his brother, but would also be protected from the bullying that Jaylen has experienced. As they approached the end of their tour, Ahsaki informed the administrator of their current financial situation and told her that she would do anything to send her children there. The administrator told her that they had a few students already benefitting from the AAA Scholarship Foundation and encouraged her to apply for a scholarship to see if her family qualified. To her relief, they did!

 

Now in the seventh grade, Jaylen genuinely loves going to school and expanding his academic horizons. He takes advantage of every activity the school has to offer, including basketball, choir and even Speech Meet, which is a spelling bee-type competition with a twist – students can pick a speech, poem or passage from a book to deliver. Students do not compete against each other, rather, they are judged on how well they deliver their selection. This practice helps students develop techniques to speak audibly, confidently and expressively – crucial skills they will need for their day-to-day lives. As for Savon, he is now in the third grade and is passionate about reading and participating in the school’s theatre program, where he landed the lead role in The Little Engine That Could.

 

Jaylen and Savon are aware of the sacrifices their mother makes every day to allow them to attend this school, and they couldn’t be more grateful. As for Ahsaki, seeing her children happy makes it all worth it. “This scholarship has helped my family so much,” says Ahsaki. “It has taken an emotional and financial strain off my shoulders knowing I have help to pay for my children’s education from the AAA Scholarship Foundation. I tell everyone I meet that is in my same financial situation to apply for an AAA scholarship. Thank you so very much!”

 

 

About AAA Scholarship Foundation
The AAA Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships solely to qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students. The typical AAA Scholarship student is an ethnic minority living with a struggling single parent/caregiver in a high crime community. More than 85 percent of AAA scholarships are distributed to children at or below 185 percent of poverty. Many children are either below grade level, failing at their previous school or both when they receive a scholarship. Parents, who find their children in these circumstances and are concerned about their future, look for viable options. They seek an atmosphere that challenges their child and will reverse inadequate learning, social patterns and the potential lifelong negative impact. They wish to change their child’s learning environment, acquaintances and the unfortunate predictable outcomes associated with school failure.

AAA Scholarships are funded in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada by corporations that redirect a portion of their state tax liability to the AAA Scholarship Foundation in exchange for a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students through these tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states. AAA Scholarship Foundation provides your company with the convenience and efficiency of a single-solution for participating in multiple state tax credit scholarship programs. For more information, or to learn how your corporation can participate in the program, visit www.AAAScholarships.org, or contact Kerri Vaughan at kerri@aaascholarships.org or 888 707-2465 ext. 730.

For a pdf of this spotlight, click here.

Growing up right outside of Philadelphia, it was an easy decision when Cathy Sterba agreed to move with her husband to the sunshine state to escape the endless cold. There, Cathy has worked in the banking industry around Orlando for more than 30 years, starting as a management trainee at Barnett Bank, and now working as the CRA Officer, Fair Lending Officer, and Strategic Risk Officer for Seaside National Bank & Trust.

 

Cathy not only graduated from Wake Forest University with a BS in mathematical economics, but she met her husband there as well. They have been married for over 30 years and have two grown sons.  The two make a conscious effort to visit college friends at least once a year with a trip to Winston-Salem for fun or, in the fall, to get a little taste of cold weather and football. Cathy loves to travel and loves the excitement that comes with planning their next trip. She is also very active and will find any excuse to be outside, whether it be golfing, biking, gardening, or simply walking to the neighborhood Starbucks.

 

Aside from her work within the banking industry, Cathy is a founding and current board member of A Gift For Teaching (AGFT). AGFT was founded in 1998, and its mission is to provide free school supplies to teachers that serve in schools around the Orlando area. AGFT accepts donations so they can provide basic supplies such as pencils, paper and notebooks, and they also even recycle items such as laptops, keyboards, and other computer equipment and electronics. When her two children were younger, Cathy continued to stay involved and served on numerous school board committees including the School Advisory Council (SAC) and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). She also partnered with Healthy Central Florida (HCF), where they are working to transform their community into the healthiest in the nation by promoting individuals to get moving more, and to simply enjoy a more lively, energized lifestyle.

 

Cathy doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon – she joined the AAA Scholarship Foundation in 2017 and serves as a very important role on the Bank Advisory Board. Cathy is ecstatic to work with a group of people that all have the same goal – helping children receive educational opportunity. It’s safe to say the world could use more people like Cathy!

Click here for a pdf of this blog post.

Mary Usategui has always gone the extra mile. Whether it be with her career, education or being the voice for those in need, she has never shied away from an opportunity to better herself or her community. With extensive experience in both the banking industry and non-profit realm, Mary Usategui has, and will continue to, change the lives of those around her.

Mary is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida and holds two master’s degrees – one in accounting from the University of Miami and the other in finance from Florida International University. She began her career in the banking industry at 18-years-old, where she first served as a bank teller. She then went on to work at the Coconut Grove Bank for over seven years and took on various roles that eventually landed her the position of Senior Financial Officer. Now, Mary is the Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer at Professional Bank where she is responsible for the oversight of finance, accounting, banking operations and human resources.

Aside from her career, Mary has always had a passion for wanting to help those less-privileged. This devotion led her to the AAA Scholarship Foundation where she is now a Bank Advisory Board Member, and has been for over two years. Along with these responsibilities, she assists and mentors young individuals within her community and is adamant about teaching them the importance, and value, of an education.

Mary has a love for helping not only people, but animals as well. It had gotten to the point where Mary felt obligated to take in every stray dog she found, and at dog number four, her husband asked her to stop. Mary then became involved with the Everglades Angels Dog Rescue. This organization is an all-volunteer non-profit that puts every dollar earned towards vetting, boarding, feeding and other direct expenses for the benefit of the dogs they rescue. If Mary is ever late to anything, her co-workers won’t even blink an eye. Nine out of ten times she is helping a stray dog find its home, or convincing her husband that adding one more dog to the family is doable.

When asking Mary Usategui what advice she would give to those considering donating to the AAA Scholarship Foundation, she says “If you’re able to redirect your taxes, the AAA Scholarship Foundation is a great organization to partner with. It’s a wonderful way to help others in your community, while also earning CRA credits. To me it’s a win-win!”

Click here for a pdf of this blog post.