opinion:
Thousands of families in Arizona and West Virginia have received welcome news in recent days after challenges to the states’ new Education Savings Account (ESA) programs were blocked.
In West Virginia, the state’s Supreme Court of Appeals has taken up a lawsuit aimed at suspending the Hope Scholarship Program, an important ESA program that reaches 93% of students statewide. Opponents say the program violates the state constitution’s guarantee of a “complete and efficient free school system,” even though more than 3,000 families have already applied for or approved scholarships. claimed to have won a lower court injunction to ban it. But early last week, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s ruling, concluding that the Hope Scholarship Program is constitutional and can take effect immediately.
In Arizona, opposition has launched a referendum petition aimed at temporarily halting the expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Program to all Arizona students until voters have a say in 2024. I was. It defeated in a referendum an earlier expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Program several years ago (although that expansion was hotly debated as it included a hard cap on participation that sparked bipartisan opposition) . This time, SOS was unable to collect the required number of signatures to force a referendum. This shows support for the Empowerment Scholarship Program among Arizona voters. Today, 22,500 Arizona families have signed up to participate.
A recent EdChoice poll shows that 81.3% of parents support Education Savings Account Programs (ESAs) like Hope and Empowerment Scholarships. The ESA allows eligible families to contribute a portion of state education funds to a variety of approved programs, including private school tuition, standardized exam costs, special treatment for students with disabilities, and tutoring services. You can spend it on various educational expenses. Aimed at recognizing that not all schools and learning environments are optimal for all students, budgets for public education should be flexible to allow students to learn in the way that works best for them. must be addressed. This is not to say that public schools and teachers are “bad” or “not doing their job.” If a family decides that public school is the best place for their children to learn, as many families do, they are free to continue using school, and the public funds for that student are Not changed.
Arizona and West Virginia responded to parents’ strong demands for educational freedom by creating two of the largest ESA programs in the nation. They represent the best example of how states can and are rethinking American education. Moving away from the erroneous “one-size-fits-all” approach that we have historically taken, we will instead focus on freedom and choice to ensure that every student in America has an education. Best positioned for success whether private school, home school or virtual school.
There is a lot of discussion about education-related topics in the run-up to the midterm elections. Whether it’s controversial curricula, declining test scores, in-person or emergency distance learning, all these topics have one thing in common. It is the underlying desire of families to increase their children’s educational freedom and choice. With West Virginia and Arizona leading the way, 2023 promises to be another pivotal year for educational freedom.
• Andrew Handel is Director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council.
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