About FREC

Director of EdChoice’s Fiscal Research & Education Center

Martin Lueken, Ph.D.

marty@edchoice.org

More About Marty

Launched at the end of 2020, the EdChoice Fiscal Research and Education Center (FREC) is unique in its work to study the fiscal externalities of private educational choice programs on public schools and taxpayers and transparency issues. FREC uses data and works with state and national partners to inform parents, policymakers, the media and other interested citizens so they are aware of the true fiscal cost of the traditional K–12 public education system and the true savings that would result from allowing more educational choice. 

• FREC provides rapid, quality response to requests from elected officials, state-based advocates and EdChoice’s state advocacy team. These services include: 
• Producing fiscal notes and other analyses 
• Providing expert legislative testimony in writing or in person 
• Responding to misinformation 
• Providing data and analysis about school staffing and resources 

FREC also works on long-term rigorous research that informs fiscal issues as they relate to educational choice. It oversees fiscal publications and databases of information related to school staffing, school funding and the fiscal effects of school choice. 

Ultimately, FREC strives to be a reliable provider of data, research and information about how K–12 education is funded throughout the United States to ensure that policymakers, media and other audiences receive and report correct information about fiscal issues as they pertain to educational choice.