Defending Educational Freedom & Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts

Phoenix, AZ—As the first state to implement Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs), Arizona created a model that puts the power to make educational decisions back in the hands of parents and families. Today, nearly 100,000 Arizona students participate in the ESA program. Arizona has been used by many states as a model for their own educational freedom initiatives.

Recent proposals intend to scale back the ESA program in Arizona display a counterintuitive shift away from this effective model. Instead of continuing to empower parents, families and students, these policies would give authority back to an unaccountable system that has failed Arizona students.

Erika Donalds, chair for Education Opportunity at the America First Policy Institute, spoke about the importance of ESAs:

“Education scholarship accounts empower parents to decide how, where and by whom their children are educated. Families deserve this responsibility, because they know their children best and love them the most. Eliminating or downsizing these programs would prove to be detrimental to students’ academic success.”

Instead of limiting education freedom and parental autonomy, Arizona lawmakers should focus on expanding educational freedom programs like ESAs, inviting innovative options into the state to serve the diverse needs of its residents. Arizona families deserve more choices, and expanded opportunities.