Arizona has set the standard for educational freedom. Other states, especially red ones, should follow their lead if they desire to reform education.
Earlier this month Governor Doug Ducey (R-AZ), who is term-limited, signed House Bill 2853 into law. It’s been lauded as first-in-the-nation universal school choice legislation.
Starting September 24th, every eligible Arizona student K-12th grade can apply for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs).
“Arizona is now the gold standard for educational freedom in America,” said Governor Ducey at Phoenix Christian Preparatory School this week. “Our kids will no longer be stuck in under-performing schools. We’re unlocking their educational potential and advancing a bold new era of learning opportunities. Parents and teachers know there is no one-size-fits-all model to education. Kids and families should be able to access the school or learning program that best fits their unique needs — regardless of income or where they live. In Arizona, we’re making sure they have that choice.”
“In Arizona, we fund students, not systems, because we know one size does not fit all students,” echoed Arizona House Majority Leader Ben Toma. “It was my privilege to sponsor the most expansive school choice law in the nation, opening Empowerment Scholarship Account eligibility to all school-age children without restriction. I appreciate Governor Ducey for his strong support to help Arizona become the first state with a truly universal ESA program, delivering educational freedom to more than 1.1 million students.”
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The ESA application is open year-round and participating families will receive over $6,500 per year per child to apply to “private school, homeschooling, microschools, tutoring, or any other kinds of educational service that helps meet the needs of their students outside the traditional public school system.” The bill’s supporters say 1.1 million students will benefit across the Grand Canyon State.
One individual credited for helping get this legislation passed is Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children and “Fund Students, Not Systems” movement leader. He also attended the event this week, adding, “This is how you truly empower parents and truly secure parental rights in education. I want to thank Governor Ducey for empowering every single family in the state of Arizona. This is a national model.”
Arizona State Representative Quang Nguyen, a Republican representing Yavapai County, told me in an interview he was pleased to support this bill and see Governor Ducey sign it into law.
“I went to [Governor] Doug Ducey’s signing of universal ESA, which made Arizona the number one state in the nation for school choice,” Nguyen said. “You got universal ESA, which applies to every single child in the state of Arizona to be able to have the empowerment scholarship accounts (ESAs)— money to go with them everywhere they go.
He continued, “I think it's nice to be able to fund the students and not the system. I think it's incredible.”
Ducey also signed one of Rep. Nguyen’s bills, House Bill 2008, into law requiring Arizona schools to teach the horrors of socialism and communism. It’s the second state after Florida to adopt an anti-communist teaching curriculum.
Undoubtedly, the school choice movement is gaining steam nationwide. As of this writing, 21 states have adopted full or partial school choice programs.
Growing support for school choice is also reflected in public opinion. A recent RealClear Research Opinion poll found strong bipartisan support for the issue—with overall support at 72% compared to 18% of respondents who opposed it. 68% of Democrat respondents generally supported it compared to 82% of Republicans and 67% of Independents surveyed.
These aren’t surprising results. A July Gallup article found overall confidence in public schools is at historical lows—with only 28% reporting “they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the institution.” This is down from 32% in 2021.
The drop in support was greatly witnessed among Republicans. Gallup continued, “The percentage of Republicans having a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in public schools fell from 34% in 2020 to 20% in 2021 and 14% today. Since 2020, independents' confidence has declined nine percentage points to 29% and Democrats' has remained fairly high -- currently 43%, versus 48% in 2020.”
The Virginia 2021 gubernatorial race reignited the importance of parental involvement in schools.
Former Clinton fundraiser and one-time Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe blurted “I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach” and then lost to now-Governor Glenn Youngkin afterwards.
Talk about a kiss-of-death.
Lawmakers—both Republicans and Democrats—would be wise to embrace school choice. If they don’t, expect to hear from the Mama and Papa Bears.
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