Yesterday the Star-Ledger ran an op-ed by Michael Gottesman called “Trump’s Voucher Plan Hurts NJ’s Public Schools, Rewards the Rich.” Gottesman argues that a small program within Trump’s Big Beautiful/Ugly Bill— which permits states to opt into school choice programs that grant tax credits for individual taxpayers who donate up to $1,700 annually to “scholarship granting organizations” — would drain money from public schools, benefit rich families who already send their kids to private school, and reward schools that eschew accountability.

None of this is true. Instead, New Jersey has the opportunity to create a progressive school choice program that offers low-income children a ticket out of low-achieving schools, one in sync with the increasing numbers of Black and Hispanic parents who support such programs.

The new federal option is bare-bones; states that opt in can create programs that conform with their values. I’ve argued before that any NJ private choice program should include four guardrails: prospective students must be means-tested (we should put needy students first and not pay tuition for wealthy ones); private schools accepting tax dollars must follow the state Student Learning Standards; students must take state standardized tests to assure accountability; religious schools must provide an opt-out option during religious instruction.

Contrary to Gottesman’s claims, this isn’t a zero-sum game. Any money that goes to private schools was never allocated by the state to school districts in the first place. And, bigger picture, shouldn’t the Democratic Party stop saying “no” to any stance that challenges the status quo? Can they listen to parents desperate for educational options or, as Mike Petrilli writes in today’s Wall Street Journal, “will they bow to the demands of the teachers unions and bar the schoolhouse door instead, creating a grand opportunity for GOP candidates running against them?”

Sure, it’s tough to acknowledge anything good about Trump’s bill. Yet here is one tiny thing that can help low-income NJ families if those in charge can get to “yes.”