IDUBEL AGUIRRE: “Having the Opportunity Scholarship is so important because there are a lot of families in the country and the state of Nevada that really need to have the scholarship because their kids are suffering like mine is suffering. Sometimes we are struggling economically so it’s important to have the scholarship available to help.”

My oldest child was in the public school system, but we decided that it would be better for my younger son to study at a private school because the education is more personalized, and we were looking for a Christian school. In his private school, I think the education is better. He also has a good relationship with the teachers and the staff.

My son was diagnosed with three diseases. One of them is Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, which was caused due to pain in his rotator cuff. Because of this, he lost the mobility in his right hand, which is his dominant hand. Now, he is learning to write and function with his left hand. He has also been diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, so he limps and it is difficult for him to walk long distances. In his private school, he gets a lot of help getting from class to class.

Having the Opportunity Scholarship is so important because there are a lot of families in the country and the state of Nevada that really need to have the scholarship because their kids are suffering like mine is suffering. Sometimes we are struggling economically so it’s important to have the scholarship available to help.

If the Opportunity Scholarship is canceled, we do not know what we will do. My biggest fear if my son would have to go to a public school, he will struggle because he cannot walk long distances. The last option would be homeschool, but he needs to have relationships with other kids. We will be devastated if we lose this scholarship.

School choice is so important because there are a lot families out there looking for personalized education. There are many families who cannot afford private school, but they are willing to put their kids somewhere where the education is better. We, as parents, want what is best for our children.

https://www.federationforchildren.org/voices-archive/idubel-aguirre/

Nevada Latino families share why ESAs will help their children be successful in the future

AND HOW THEY ARE HOLDING DEMOCRATS ACCOUNTABLE
On June 3rd, with less than 4-hours notice, Nevada families showed up to rally at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building. The Latino families were there that summer day to let their voices be heard: the newly enacted ESA bill needed to be funded. There were only three days left to make sure that this happened.

We captured their heartfelt words in the video below. They expressed how much they cared about the program and how life changing having an ESA would be for the lives of their children. They were tired of seeing their children left behind and wanted to have the opportunity to give them the education they thought was best for them. Most notably, they declared that they were going to hold Democrats accountable during election time and stated that their vote will have an influence.

In spite of the actions taken by the hundreds of parents who rallied that day to tell legislators that they wanted ESAs and how important it was for them, Democratic Senate Leader Aaron Ford refused to accept every compromise offered to him to fund the ESA program. Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership ignored the begging voices of their Nevada constituents. ESA supporters will fight harder than ever to make sure to change this and hold our elected officials accountable in the future.

Although we were unable to secure funding for the ESA program during the 2017 session, we were still successful. With our voices, we were able to secure an extra, one-time $20 million increase to the Opportunity Scholarship program. Families that were denied an ESA will now have access to an Opportunity Scholarship. While some progress was made, there is still so much to do to make the ESA program a reality for Nevada families.