In the summer of 1992, Bush unveiled the 'G.I. Bill for Children,' a $500 million outlay of taxpayer money to fund voucher schemes nationwide. At the time, Bush was struggling in the polls against Bill Clinton, and the move was seen as a sop to voters.

Perhaps the cruelest claim of voucher proponents is that the plan will help low-income students. Some voucher boosters – such as Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos – even have the audacity to portray vouchers as a matter of economic justice, asserting that they will help low-income children escape public schools and thus overcome poverty.

No one should make the mistake of believing that they don’t benefit from public education – even if they have no children or send their kids elsewhere. It’s like arguing that people who buy books from Amazon or don’t read books get no benefit from a public library.