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LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Georgia – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona HB 243 was recommitted to be heard in the Georgia House Ways and Means on April 2. The bill would create a nearly universal education savings account (ESA) program for any student in the Peach state who was enrolled in public school the preceding school year. You […]
It’s time to stop treating the problem of educational productivity as a grinding, eat-your-broccoli exercise. It’s time to start treating it as an opportunity for innovation and accelerating progress. – Former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, November 17, 2010 States have been charged with doing more with less in recent years, a state of affairs […]
The Washington Post’s Valerie Strauss recently published an opinion piece, “The ‘Walmartization’ of public education,” in which she derides the Friedman Foundation for our work to empower families to choose the best educational setting for their children. Strauss’s arguments are ones we hear repeatedly from those who would prefer a one-size-fits-most, system-centered approach to K–12 […]
Arizona – Michael Chartier @mchart1 The House Appropriations Committee amended SB 1279, formerly a bill for a phase-in universal education savings account (ESA) program, to include only those children who qualify for the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. The amended bill must now pass a vote on the House floor. Kansas – Michael […]
According to a recent article in the U.S. News & World Report, several big-city public school systems face immense fiscal challenges. The leading suspect? Public pensions. This answer shouldn’t be surprising. School pension costs have doubled over the last 10 years from $500 per student to more than $1,000 per student, and public schools are […]
Growing up, the only things I knew about Nebraska were Cornhusker football and Tom Osborne (which are synonymous in most people’s minds). When I was older, I bought a steer that was raised in Nebraska at a 4-H auction, where I learned more about Nebraskan farming. Now every June, I eagerly anticipate (virtually) travelling to […]
This is the first in a two-part series on Nevada’s fiscal climate and educational choice. A common critique often put forth by school choice opponents is that these programs will divert students from districts, therefore “siphoning” resources from public schools. Nevada is no exception. Opponents worry that the state’s Education Savings Account (ESA) program […]
After narrow defeat in 2015, Virginia may become the sixth state to adopt innovative education savings accounts (ESAs). The Virginia legislature passed a statewide ESA for students with special needs, HB 389, earlier this month. The Parental Choice Education Savings Account (PCESA) program now awaits Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s signature. If signed, HB 389 will provide […]
Update 3/29/16: Today, Gov. Daugaard signed the Partners in Education Tax Credit Program into law. The program will begin providing scholarships in the 2016–17 school year. Please visit our full program page for the most up-to-date program information, including an eligibility test, fast facts, and more. South Dakota is on the verge of becoming the nation’s 29th […]