Gov Hochul's plan to opt New York into federal school choice program draws union opposition

As New York teachers unions organize a protest against Gov.

Kathy Hochul’s plan to opt into a federal tax-credit scholarship program, the CEO of Teach Coalition told Fox News Digital that opponents are spreading "misconceptions" about how the policy actually operates.

"It seems that they want to continuously spread these lies and the misinformation about this program on to anyone who will hear them," Sydney Altfield, CEO of Teach Coalition, told Fox News Digital on Monday.

"But the people who actually want to help children, the people who actually want to see children succeed, they're not going to listen.

They're going to understand that this is not the truth of what this program actually can do." Tax-credit scholarships, historically operated at the state level, serve as a mechanism for school choice by allowing individuals or corporations to receive full or partial tax credits when donating to non-profit scholarship organizations.

Unlike traditional voucher programs that draw directly from municipal or state education funds, tax credits allow taxpayers to redirect a portion of their tax liability toward non-profit funding for student scholarships.

NEW YORK JOINS FEDERAL SCHOOL CHOICE INITIATIVE DESPITE TRADITIONAL DEMOCRAT OPPOSITION The federal iteration allows state governors to opt into the framework, enabling local families and educational programs to access federally incentivized scholarship dollars.

Emma Wallner, a spokesperson for Hochul’s office, confirmed in May that the governor intends to opt New York into the federal tax-credit scholarship program — making New York the 30th state to participate.

"Governor Hochul is supportive of the federal tax credit scholarship and its potential to help New York students and schools," Wallner told Fox News Digital.

"Our office awaits information from the federal government on the program and will thoroughly review the details of the policy for poison pills that could harm New York’s education system." For decades, school choice initiatives have remained a third-rail issue for many Democrats, who argue that choice models divert resources away from public education and undermine teachers unions.

However, several high-profile Democrats have recently adjusted their stances.

Colorado Gov.

Jared Polis became the first Democratic governor to opt his state into the federal program in January 2026.

Dismissing critics at the time, Polis told local media he "would be crazy not to" join, noting that the credits empower parents to afford after-school, tutoring, or summer enrichment programs previously out of reach.