public school

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Universal School Choice Is Spreading Fast Across the Country

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 ›

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Boise, Idaho, USA Downtown

This State’s Governor Delivers on School Choice in the Eleventh Hour

Gov. Brad Little (R) came through for the families of Idaho last Thursday morning by signing House Bill 93, the Parental Choice Tax Credit bill, into law shortly before the 11:46 a.m. deadline. Idaho now has a school choice program for the first time in the state’s history. The bill enacts a $50 million private school choice tax credit program with all schoolchildren statewide eligible. Idaho becomes the 14th state in the nation to enact universal (or near-universal) school choice, joining Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and West Virginia. Upon signing the bill, Gov. Little declared, “With the passage of the $50 million Parental Choice Tax Credit program, Idaho boasts even more abundant schooling options Read More ›

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Tennessee state flag waving on a clear day.

With Gov. Lee’s Signature, Tennessee Will Become 13th State to Enact Universal School Choice

During a legislative special session on Thursday, the Tennessee Senate passed the Education Freedom Act of 2025 by a vote of 20 to 13. The bill had passed the House 54 to 44 earlier in the day. It now heads to the governor’s desk for his signature. With the stroke of Gov. Bill Lee’s pen, Tennessee will become the 13th state in the nation to enact universal (or near-universal) school choice. While it’s not official yet, there is no question regarding whether Gov. Lee will sign the bill into law. He has been an enthusiastic education freedom champion and called the Tennessee General Assembly for a special session with the purpose of passing the Education Freedom Act. Last month, Gov. Lee said, “When it comes to education, more freedom Read More ›

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President Joe Biden, joined by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, delivers remarks on student loans, Monday, October 17, 2022, in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)

During Miguel Cardona’s Tenure as Ed Secretary, Schools Got Worse by Every Metric

President Joe Biden’s appointed secretary of education, Miguel Cardona, is out the door as President Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office. The end of Cardona’s tenure couldn’t come soon enough. K-12 student learning achievement is pitifully low. Chronic absenteeism has skyrocketed. Condoned college campus protests are a disgrace. Federal student aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as FAFSA) form and process, is a mess. Despite four catastrophic years, Cardona released a glowing report last week. It boasts about the U.S. Department of Education’s “accomplishments” under his watch and opens with a full-page letter from the secretary. “This report, The Impact: Fighting for Public Education, is about more than documenting the successes under the Biden-Harris Administration. Read More ›

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Joyful girls students kids celebrate successful completion of collective school work in a bright classroom

Policy Focus: School Choice in the States

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 ›

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African american young male teacher teaching african american elementary girl on wheelchair in class

Blacks Need High-Quality Education, Not a DEI Agenda — Part 2

To increase the supply of quality black professional candidates, the focus should be on high-quality education, not equity. Specifically, the black community needs to improve the black college graduation rate, which will first require us to address the poor state of K-12 education. So how do we go about fixing a broken K-12 public education system? Read More ›
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Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Education Freedom & Homeschooling on This Golden Hour Podcast

Keri D. Ingraham appeared on This Golden Hour Podcast on October 24, 2024 to discuss the exciting progress of education freedom — how COVID-19 changed the way parents view their children’s education, the many models available to parents and students who want out of the traditional public education system, homeschooling, and how states like Arizona have provided Education Savings Accounts to allow every student the ability to choose their educational path. Listen to this wide-ranging conversation HERE. You can find out more about This Golden Hour Podcast on their website.

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Historic Education Freedom Is Happening and It Is Worthy of a Celebration!

Last week, Discovery Institute welcomed guests from across the Pacific Northwest to Mercer Island for a special event hosted by the American Center for Transforming Education. The event focused on the historic education freedom that has taken place over the past four years. It was an informative evening marked by a joyous celebration with a packed room of attendees. Read More ›
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US flag and flag of Texas flying proudly above the Texas State Capital
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Greg Abbott Went to War for School Choice — He Appears to Have Won

Texas voters made their voices heard at the ballot box last week by ousting from the state House of Representatives Republicans who had voted with Democrats to block school choice for families in the Lone Star State. The Texas House is now positioned to successfully pass a sweeping school-choice bill on behalf of Texas families in the 2025 legislative session. Read More ›
Keri Ingraham - Politically Unstable Podcast - April 2024

Keri D. Ingraham Discusses Education Innovation & School Choice on the Politically Unstable Podcast

There are pockets of amazing innovation happening around our country in K-12 education, but they are far too rare. One example of an innovative high school is West Michigan Aviation Academy in Grand Rapids. The school is in its 14th year, but few people know about it nationally. It should be a national headline because it is a model that deserves replication. Read More ›
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Let’s Align High School to Workforce Needs

The perceived value of higher education has been plummeting for years, yet tuition prices continue to rise at levels outpacing the increased career earning power in several fields. Combine the financial cost and the misalignment of college courses with the labor markets, and it’s no surprise that traditional higher education is on the decline. Read More ›
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African american father doing homework with his daughter. Black dad helping kid to learn and study for school. Family portrait.
Licensed from Adobe Stock

K-12 Hybrid Schooling Is in High Demand

Polling data reveals that 49% of parents would prefer their child learn from home at least one day a week. While 10% want full-time homeschooling, the remaining 39% of parents desire their child to learn at home one to four days a week, with the remaining days attending school on-campus. Read More ›