{"id":7003,"date":"2024-06-27T17:31:07","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T17:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.discovery.org\/education\/?page_id=7003"},"modified":"2024-11-05T20:14:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T20:14:05","slug":"freedom","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.discovery.org\/education\/freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Education Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Education Freedom and Parental Empowerment through School Choice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are actively working to open the door for more parents to have access to alternative education options for their students. We believe education freedom is essential. Parents know what is best to meet the unique needs of their children and must be free to select the learning avenues they desire. Consequently, funding should be attached to the individual student, not the system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The K-12 Public Education Monopoly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In America, K-12 public education has operated largely as a monopoly. In fact, other than state-owned monopolies in China, it is the largest government-controlled monopoly in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Individuals pay taxes that fund public schools, and children are assigned to a specific school based on their home address and school zone boundary lines. The majority of families are not able to select a different public school (other than in communities with mandated public school open enrollment<\/a> laws) regardless of the school\u2019s failure to provide quality student learning or to keep children physically safe. In order to move outside of the public system, parents must be able to homeschool or have the ability to pay tuition for private schooling \u2014 whether the private school is traditional, hybrid, online, a learning pod, a microschool, cooperatives, tutors, or a combination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of market competition in K-12 education results in the subpar status quo. The National Assessment of Educational Progress<\/a> (NAEP) exam scores reveal that private school students score significantly higher<\/a> in each individual subject than public school students at all testing grade levels \u2014 fourth, eighth, and twelfth. This is despite public schools spending, on average, $17,187<\/a> per student per year compared to the national private school tuition averaging $13,183<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By stifling competition, innovation suffers, academic accountability is dramatically weakened, and curriculum transparency is not required. Additionally, fiscal responsibility is nearly irrelevant as the vast majority of students are trapped in the public education system, maintaining its near monopoly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, most parents have accepted this reality, either not understanding how it could change or not believing change was possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Education Savings Accounts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Due to the flexible nature afforded to parents, Education Savings Accounts are the gold standard of school choice programs. An Education Savings Account grants parents a government-funded account to allocate toward the K-12 education of their children. Parents can allocate those toward a wide range of educational expenses, including tuition, tutoring, textbooks, curriculum, test fees, therapies for students with special needs, and educational technology. Furthermore, in some states, the Education Savings Account funds can be saved for the student\u2019s future college tuition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Universal School Choice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A few years ago, the hope of providing all families within a state with funding to select the education avenues that would best serve their individual children was considered nearly unimaginable. Yet huge historic wins for education freedom were achieved during the 2022, 2023, and 2024 legislative sessions, and more are anticipated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Related Articles<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Wyoming’s Education Leader Is Delivering Results<\/a><\/h3>
Keri D. Ingraham <\/dd>
July 22, 2026<\/dd>
4<\/dd>
School Choice<\/dd><\/dl><\/sub><\/header>
In an era when many education leaders are focused on maintaining the status quo, Wyoming Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder has chosen a different path. Her bold leadership, meaningful reforms, and unwavering focus on students, families, and teachers have benefited students and educators alike. Instead of just talking about academic excellence and educational innovation, results have occurred. Perhaps Degenfelder’s most significant accomplishment has been her leadership in advancing education freedom for Wyoming families. She helped champion Wyoming’s Education Savings Account program, which provides families with funding for educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, curriculum, and other customized learning opportunities. … <\/span><\/center>