In The States

BRIEF: School Choice in the States September 2016

September 2016 State Brief

LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Connecticut  In Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding v Jodi M. Rell, the Superior Court in Hartford ruled, on September 7, that Connecticut’s school funding formula is irrational and its method of distributing education funding is unconstitutional, giving the state 180 days to propose a new formula. On September 20, the […]

BRIEF: School Choice in the States August 2016

School Choice in the States August 2016

LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION   Nevada – Michael Chartier @mchart1 It has been more than a month since the Nevada Supreme Court heard arguments in the Duncan v. State of Nevada and Lopez v. Schwartz cases—both lawsuits attempting to shut down a nearly universal education savings account (ESA) program for Nevada students. The court has yet to […]

How Nevada Can Do Right by Students by Doing Right by Teachers

NV students and teachers

In two previous posts, I discussed the fiscal impact of Nevada’s education savings account (ESA) program and how it could help the state with its problem of rising pension costs. Offering teachers pensions is by no means the problem. But most pension systems across the U.S. have been poorly designed from the start, and after […]

ESAs in Missouri: Designing What Works For Parents and the State Budget

ESAs in Missouri

This is the third in a three-part series that looks at education savings accounts in Missouri and how they could empower every family and improve student outcomes. As previously written, Missouri would do well to provide an education savings account to every child in the Show-Me State to make sure parents have the ability to […]

ESAs in Missouri: Why Things Need To Change

ESAs in Missouri

This is the second in a three-part series that looks at education savings accounts in Missouri and how they could empower every family and improve student outcomes.   There are roughly 916,000 students in Missouri’s public school system. Three-quarters of the state’s schools are Title I eligible (a proxy for school-level poverty), and roughly 45 […]

Top Findings From Arkansas Private School Survey

Exploring Arkansas's Private Education Sector

Arkansas is on its way to becoming a natural, actual, real, authentical educational choice lovin’ state. Just like Johnny Cash’s song character Joe Bean, I’ve never been to Arkansas. Growing up, my limited knowledge of Arkansas centered on a sunglasses-wearing, saxophone-blowing Bill Clinton. However, I got older and learned more about the Natural State, especially […]

Educational Choice and Bridging the Political Divide

At the annual conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) meeting this year, Dr. Steve Perry—a liberal charter school leader and passionate educational choice advocate—spoke about the poor state of K–12 education for families of color and those in poverty and inspired the audience with his ideas on how to bridge the political divide to advance […]

ESAs in Missouri: A “Barren” School Choice Landscape

ESAs in Missouri

This is the first in a three-part series that looks at education savings accounts in Missouri and how they could empower every family and improve student outcomes. Where Things Stand in the Show-Me State School choice has seen tremendous progress over the past two decades. What began modestly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1991 with a […]

BRIEF: School Choice in the States July 2016

July 2016 State Brief

LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION Arkansas – Brittany Corona @BrittanyLCorona Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the state’s 2016–17 budget in June, which included funding for the Succeed Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities, a statewide school voucher program for public school students with special needs and active-duty military families. The Reform Alliance is continuing its work with the Arkansas Department […]

Nevada ESA Litigation: What You Need to Know

Nevada ESA litigation

Nevada created an education model for the nation in 2015 when it passed into law an education savings account (ESA) program under which more than 96 percent of all K–12 students are eligible for ESA funding (90–100 percent of the state’s average education funding for each child). This currently is the most sustainable, inclusive, equitable […]