The COVID-19 pandemic opened many parents’ eyes to exactly what was, or was not, being taught in their child’s classroom. In the years since, more parents than ever have sought to give their children the best education possible—one that fits their unique needs. With the help of this Network, their passion sparked an education renaissance.
States have begun to pass policies focused on giving students a choice in their education. Twelve states now have universal Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), giving every student in the state access to funding to offset education costs such as tuition, textbooks, or uniforms. In addition, states are increasing their transparency and revising their funding formulas to prioritize students over systems.
Here are a few highlights from this year:
Alabama: Governor Kay Ivey signed the CHOOSE Act into law, allocating up to $7,000 of state funding per student into an ESA. The Alabama Policy Institute led a campaign to gain public support for the reform, which also received the support of several key national partners. API also hosted an Alabama Education Freedom Day event at the statehouse, which included legislators, advocates, and children from charter school LEAD Academy.
Arkansas: In a defensive win for education freedom, an attempt to gut the LEARNS Act (their universal ESA) through a ballot initiative has failed thanks to the efforts of Opportunity Arkansas. They launched an informative campaign to fight the ballot initiative, giving Arkansans the facts they needed to make an informed choice.
Florida: With the help of the James Madison Institute and the in-state coalition, Florida has built on their ESA program that passed in 2023 by lifting several burdensome restrictions to the program. JMI launched an educational and public awareness campaign to help the bill cross the finish line.
Georgia: The state’s first ESA program was signed into law in the form of “Promise Scholarships.” These scholarships give students in low-performing schools the opportunity to apply for funds to be used for education-related expenses. Both the Georgia Center for Opportunity and the Georgia Public Policy Foundation played a pivotal role in advancing the new law, running statewide awareness campaigns to inform both the public and lawmakers about the benefits these scholarships would bring to low-income households.
Louisiana: Governor Jeff Landry signed the LA GATOR Scholarship program into law, creating the state’s first universal ESA. The Pelican Institute has been fighting for this reform for years, researching and raising awareness about the benefits of an ESA among policymakers.
Mississippi: With the governor’s signature, Mississippi became the latest state to overhaul its antiquated school funding formula and replace it with a new model that prioritizes students over systems. The new formula weighs each student’s unique circumstances and allocates funds based on individual student needs. Empower Mississippiand Mississippi Center for Public Policy pioneered core research that laid the pivotal groundwork for the reform’s passage this session.
Missouri: Missouri lawmakers approved a historic omnibus of education policy reforms, including the expansion of the state’s education savings account (ESA) program and the creation of an evidence-based home reading program. The Show-Me Institute has pushed for these reforms for several years and applauded the bill’s passage.
Nebraska: The Goldwater Institute pioneered the Academic Transparency Act, which requires public schools to publish a list of instructional materials and activities on a publicly available website before the semester begins. Goldwater has been critical in at least seven states advancing this reform.
Oklahoma: The Sooner State recently enacted legislation prohibiting the scientifically discredited “three-cueing” method to teach reading. The method prioritizes guessing at word meanings over true comprehension and has been banned in at least 10 other states. The Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs published a report at the beginning of the year outlining how to improve Oklahoma’s literacy rates, including banning this method.
Utah: Current and aspiring education entrepreneurs have more freedom and flexibility in acquiring spaces for their students, thanks to the Libertas Institute. The new law gives families seeking alternatives to traditional schooling more options when choosing where to send their child for education.
