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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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A common critique often put forth by school choice opponents is that such programs will divert students from districts, therefore “siphoning” resources from public schools. Opponents of the proposed Oklahoma education savings account program are no different. The executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association recently wrote an opinion expressing this concern, claiming that “vouchers […]
Arizona – Michael Chartier @mchart1 In a 17–13 vote, the Arizona Senate passed SB 1279, a bill that would expand the state’s education savings account (ESA) eligibility. The bill then made its way to the House where it has been referred to both the Education and Rules committees. Kansas – Michael Chartier @mchart1 The Kansas […]
Kasey Locke’s preschool teachers in Arizona tried to help her focus and stay on task at school. But as Kasey entered kindergarten, her parents, Jeff and Rebecca, wanted to use a specific treatment to help their daughter succeed. Doctors diagnosed Kasey with autism at 3 years old, and by the time she was ready for […]
“With this bill, we reaffirm that fundamentally American ideal—that every child, regardless of race, income, background, the ZIP Code where they live, deserves the chance to make of their lives what they will,” President Barack Obama said after signing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law. ESSA is a rewrite of No Child Left […]
Lawmakers in Tennessee are currently considering legislation to create a modest school voucher program. Students from low-income families assigned to the “lowest-performing” district schools who had been enrolled in that school or were entering a Tennessee school for the first time would be eligible for scholarships worth up to the amount of per-pupil spending at […]