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Kathy Visser was at the end of her rope. The former public school teacher and Army veteran worked tirelessly to provide a quality education for her son, Jordan, but nothing worked. Jordan was born with cerebral palsy and was later diagnosed with autism. It seemed no school could meet his needs, and Jordan had panic attacks because he was so miserable in the classroom.
That changed for the better when Kathy learned of Arizona's Empowerment Scholarship Account program. Kathy was able to customize Jordan's education . "It gave me the power to make decisions for my child," she said. "Having access to this incredible program has literally saved my special needs son and my family ."
Arizona's ESA program provides life-changing educational opportunities to about 10,000 children. But Arizona has more than 1 million students, each of whom deserves the best education possible. Luckily for them, Gov. Doug Ducey and the Arizona Legislature recognized the educational devastation wrought during the pandemic and the urgent need to offer customizable educational opportunities to more families. In a historic move, Arizona expanded its ESA program to universal eligibility. Now, all Arizona children will have access to a wide range of educational options.
Other states must catch up.
Across the country, children are still suffering from the effects of school shutdowns, forced virtual learning, and other disruptions to normal life. According to a recent analysis from Harvard's Center for Education Policy Research, low-income and minority students suffered the greatest achievement losses: "Within school districts that were remote for most of 2020-21, high-poverty schools experienced 50% more achievement loss than low-poverty schools [in mathematics]. In contrast, math achievement gaps did not widen in areas that remained in-person," the research found.
Graduation rates and plans for higher education are also taking a hit. Another recent study by McKinsey estimates that up to a whopping 1.2 million 8th-12th graders may permanently drop out due to a lack of engagement. This sad statistic is accompanied by a 17% decrease in high school seniors planning to seek higher education.
To put it in practical terms, learning losses today directly translate to lost earning power later in life for these students. Estimates vary, but there's broad scholarly agreement that children educated during the COVID era will suffer socioeconomically as adults.
In the face of such adversity for K-12 children, what's the solution?
Simply put, freedom. Taking an "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to educational freedom for 20 years, Arizona has provided its children with choice within the public school system through open enrollment and charter schools. Options for families have extended into private education, too, with targeted tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts. This approach earned the Grand Canyon State the No. 1 ranking in educational freedom in 2001. Two decades later, when the rankings were refreshed, Arizona still held the top spot.
Arizona's dogged commitment to educational choice and pluralism produced results for children. Over the same period, Arizona led the nation in National Assessment of Education Outcomes growth, with low-income and minority students, in particular, benefitting. With Arizona's universal ESA expansion, the sky is the limit.
A staunch education advocate, Ducey is delivering for Arizona families by expanding educational freedom. "Yesterday's passage of the most expansive school choice legislation in the nation is a monumental moment for Arizona's kids and families," Ducey said following the bill's passage. "Our kids will no longer be locked in underperforming schools. Today, their future success is unlocked."
The purpose of publicly funded education is to ensure children have the opportunity to learn and become successful adults. Now, Arizona is the undisputed leader in prioritizing the educational needs of children and their families and respecting the choices families make for finding the best fit for their children to learn and reach their maximum potential.
Education dollars should follow the children, not the system. More states should create programs like education savings accounts, tax-credit scholarships, public charter schools, and open enrollment — all of which move the education needle closer to a child-centered system.
Educational choice also has the benefit of being popular . And it's a proven policy that works.
But those aren't the only reasons to support it. Educational choice is consistent with basic fairness and freedom. Why should American families be compelled to accept just one option for education when there are so many innovations in education that might be the exact fit for a child's needs and abilities? All children should have an unrestricted opportunity to thrive; Arizona is making it happen.
For millions of families — like Kathy Visser and her son Jordan — freedom can't come soon enough. Arizona has issued the call. Who will answer?
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