free market

In Scottsdale, Arizona, on November 18, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow and American Center for Transforming Education Director Keri D. Ingraham addressed the audience in a packed ballroom at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort during day one of Discovery Institute’s COSM Technology Summit, spanning three days. She referenced the countless significant accomplishments across various policy areas, including education reform, that the Honorable Doug Ducey achieved during his eight years as Governor of Arizona. Most notably, on July 7, 2022, Governor Ducey signed universal school choice into law by expanding the Empowerment Scholarship Account program to all of Arizona’s more than 1.1 million students. At the time, Governor Ducey explained: Arizona kids will no longer be locked in underperforming schools. We are unlocking Read More ›

On October 1, Keri D. Ingraham spoke to the graduate students in the classical education program at Hillsdale College in Michigan. Ingraham was asked to share about her work as a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and as Director of the Institute’s American Center for Transforming Education. Following the introductory time, she delivered formal remarks for 40 minutes in a speech titled “Education Freedom Is Essential.” Here is an excerpt from Ingraham’s speech: As a nation, we can no longer justify restricting children to these failing government-run schools for their education. Nor can the ever-increasing astronomical spending on the public education system continue to support the status quo. Change is urgently needed. And that change will require competition. As Andy Read More ›

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” The Declaration of Independence With the 250th anniversary of our nation upon us, many are reflecting on the past while also considering the future. What makes America unique? Where is the great American experiment headed? Are our best days behind us? Is America doomed to decline? Despite all America has overcome and achieved in the past, many people hold a pessimistic outlook for our nation’s future. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan delivered a charge to the nation in his Inaugural Address. His words ring resoundingly Read More ›

Today, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act into law, bringing the total to 15 states with universal (or near-universal) school choice! Last week, Idaho Governor Brad Little ushered in school choice for families statewide. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee brought education freedom to Tennesseans a few weeks ago. Last year, Alabama and Louisiana got the job done. The year prior, 2023, included Iowa, Utah, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma, Ohio, and North Carolina enacting universal school choice in their states. All of these wins were built upon the courageous, bold, and forward-thinking leadership of West Virginia Senator Patricia Puertas Rucker and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, who led the way in 2021 and 2022, helping advance universal school choice Read More ›

It is National School Choice Week in America, and the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exam scores were released on Wednesday. The horrifically low student academic performance scores make the undeniable case that American government-run K-12 education is an epic failure. According to the NAEP results provided by The Nation’s Report Card, 69% of fourth-grade students and 70% of eighth-grade students aren’t proficient at reading — that’s only 3 out of 10 schoolchildren learning to read soundly. When students can’t read at grade level, it significantly hinders their other academic learning. The NAEP math scores similarly confirm that a change of course in K-12 education is desperately needed. An astonishing 61% of fourth-grade students and 72% of eighth-grade students aren’t proficient in math. As a nation, Read More ›

Huge historical legislative victories have occurred over the past four years, advancing school choice in states nationwide. In some states, the wins have entailed the creation of new school choice programs, while in other states, it has involved expanding existing programs to reach more students. Most noteworthy has been the enactment of universal or near-universal school choice in 12 states since 2021. Introduction The public education monopoly isn’t working, and it is failing to fulfill its function to a greater degree than in years and decades past. There is a better way: education freedom, which allows parents to choose the school or other learning avenue that best fits their unique child. A few years ago, widespread school choice was nearly Read More ›