Op-Ed: Arizona can still be the leader in school choice

This article originally appeared in Arizona Capitol Times on April 14, 2023

 

Arizona is leading the way in education opportunity, but with a stroke of the pen, Gov. Katie Hobbs could turn back the clock on this significant progress.

Last year, Arizona took its place as a champion in education when it became the first state to pass universal school choice legislation. The Empowerment Scholarship Program was the first, most expansive legislation of its kind, offering the hope of a brighter future for 1.1 million K–12 students in Arizona who were eligible to receive up to $7,000 in scholarship funds to transfer schools.

Because the scholarship funds were provided to every K–12 student, children from low-income families and students with special needs have much to gain from educational choice.

Unfortunately, Governor Hobbs has taken a different approach that could erase the progress made to date. She has publicly said she is not a fan of expanding school choice opportunities to include private schools. Hobbs’ executive budget released in January asked the state Legislature to reverse the policy that was expanded to allow families to use state funds to pursue an educational style of their choice. This proposal would have serious, immediate consequences because it would affect students across the state who have already begun using the ESAs.

This move would be detrimental to students. Research indicates that more academic freedom correlates with higher student test scores. Unfortunately, students across the nation have dramatically fallen behind over the last three years since school closures halted in-person learning and significantly affected reading and writing proficiency.

Read full op-ed in Arizona Capitol Times