California Catholic students launch 1 million-postcard push for Newsom to back EFTC

St. Genevieve Parish Schools students are expanding a statewide campaign to pressure Gov. Gavin Newsom to opt California into the Education Freedom Tax Credit by World Teachers’ Day on Oct. 5. The effort aims to mobilize schools, families and educators to send at least 1 million postcards and turn a classroom advocacy project into a statewide political push.

Why it matters: - The campaign targets a federal education tax credit that students say could bring new resources to California families. - Supporters argue the state should opt in so education dollars stay in California instead of going to other states. - The push is designed to broaden awareness of the EFTC among families, educators and community leaders who may not know the program exists.

What happened: - Students at St. Genevieve Parish Schools launched a statewide call for California schools to join a postcard campaign aimed at Gov. Gavin Newsom. - The goal is to send at least 1 million postcards on Oct. 5, World Teachers’ Day, asking Newsom to say yes to the Education Freedom Tax Credit. - The students presented the effort to California Catholic school superintendents during a Zoom meeting tied to the group’s fall gathering in Monterey. - The students’ purple campaign shirts carried the message: “Governor Newsom — Say YES to the EFTC.” - California Catholic school leaders wore the shirts during the meeting.

The details: - St. Genevieve students are enrolled in a Leadership and Advocacy course offered with Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. - The students asked dioceses to help spread the campaign, educate school communities, distribute postcards and recruit additional schools. - In May, the students mailed 15,000 purple postcards to Newsom urging California to opt into the EFTC. - The new target is far larger: 1 million postcards in one day. - Students say the EFTC can benefit public, charter and private school students. - Qualified educational expenses can include tutoring, after-school and summer programs, educational technology, and services for students with disabilities and other educational needs. - Students also noted that donors may designate a participating school or school district, even though taxpayers cannot earmark contributions for individual students. - The students say polling shows substantial support for participation among Californians who know about the program.

Between the lines: - The students have reframed the issue as a statewide funding decision, not a private-school-versus-public-school fight. - Their strategy is to make the EFTC visible enough that families and school leaders can pressure Sacramento to act. - Samara Palko, director of education for the California Catholic Conference, said the students “really sparked a fire in our group.” - The campaign also shows how student advocacy can move from a classroom project to a broader political coalition. - In April, four students met with Brooks Allen, education advisor to Newsom, in Sacramento. - Allen’s meeting ran more than an hour, longer than scheduled, and he told the students no decision had been made. - Allen also said the administration was still studying the program as federal guidance developed and encouraged the students to keep campaigning. - The coalition has widened to include Jorge Elorza, CEO of Democrats for Education Reform, and former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who has publicly supported Democratic governors opting into the program. - Students also hosted Neuriel Shore, executive director of Teach Coalition California and Nevada, one day before their meeting with Catholic school superintendents.

What's next: - St. Genevieve students are asking schools, parents, educators and families across California to help distribute postcards before Oct. 5. - They want dioceses to move the campaign school to school and recruit more participants. - The students plan to keep pressing for California to opt into the EFTC and hope the postcard drive will make the issue impossible to ignore. - The campaign’s next milestone is World Teachers’ Day, when the postcards are set to be delivered to Newsom.

The bottom line: - What started as a school advocacy exercise has become a statewide effort to push California toward joining the Education Freedom Tax Credit program.