Is California ready for school choice?
Dear John,
You can add Arkansas to the list of states that have enacted universal school choice legislation this year. In just three months, Republican governors in Iowa and Utah, and now newly-elected Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have signed laws creating statewide Education Savings Account (ESA) programs that empower parents to use state education dollars to send their child to the best school for them.
That makes 11 states that now have ESA programs, EdChoice reports, and 28 states are considering ESA legislation, including lawmakers in Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
Next up … California!
California Policy Center (CPC) is proud to announce that we are sponsoring the new ESA bill introduced by state Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield). Senate Bill 292 — the California Education Savings Account Act of 2024 — would create an ESA for every California student and allow parents to choose what accredited K-12 school best suits their child’s needs. The student’s share of Proposition 98 education funding follows them to that school.
SB 292's companion bill, Senate Constitutional Amendment 5, would amend the state constitution to make California law consistent with the two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings striking down laws that prevented money from following the child to a school of their choice.
“The California Education Savings Account Act puts parents in charge of their children’s education,” said Lance Christensen, CPC’s Vice President of Education Policy and Government Affairs.
“We can’t sit by while another generation of students have their lives derailed by an unaccountable state education system,” Christensen said. “Every California student, regardless of family income and zip code, deserves a high-quality education that will prepare them for success in the 21st century.”
If enacted, an education savings account will be available for lower income California students during the first two years after SB 292 becomes law. Over the next two years, more children will be eligible for the ESA program with all income limitations gone by 2028. This will allow a system of schools to grow up with the increased demand.
Bonus: Any unused ESA funds can be saved from year-to-year to pay for college or vocational training upon graduation from high school.
In this way, the ESA provides a pathway to higher education by helping students save for college and avoid costly student loan debt, allowing the average student to save from $24,000 to $48,000. That is enough to attend a California State University (CSU) campus with little or no student loan debt.
“California public schools are failing our kids and too many high school graduates are not ready for the workforce or college,” said Christensen. “California is supposed to be a leader in innovation and opportunity. It’s time for us to make that a reality for our K-12 students too."
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California Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield)
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Despite spending around $23,000 per year for each child in public school, California consistently ranks at the bottom of national standards in academic achievement among 4th, 8th and 11th graders. California is 50th in the nation in literacy, and only 11 percent of Black students and 15 percent of Latino students in 11th grade meet state math standards.
College graduation rates are significant indicators of future earning power, notes Grove's SB 292 Fact Sheet, leaving many Black and Latino students at a long-term disadvantage in earning power and upward economic mobility. In addition, Black and Latino students face higher debt burdens to attend college. Of those college students who borrow money, 90% of Black students and 75% of Latino students took on debt compared to 66% of white students.
“I’m pleased that Senator Grove is taking this measure to her colleagues to advance the cause of education freedom for every California student," Christensen said. “From attending a better school to saving for college, it will help restore the California dream for the next generation.”
Will you take the time to send a letter of support for SB 292 to Senator Grove? You can find a sample letter here and email it here. Learn more about the ESA programs taking shape across the nation here.
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Radio Free California #267: Shasta County’s Pillow Talk
On this week's podcast with CPC president Will Swaim and CPC board member David Bahnsen: Mike “My Pillow” Lindell is ready to help Shasta County officials who still believe the Dominion Voting Systems helped Dems steal the 2020 election. California politicians ignore the role of guns in criminal prosecutions. And, a Ukrainian teenager escaped war but found chaos in San Francisco schools. Listen now.
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Media Outlets Should Encourage Parents Advocating for their Children’s Education
The vast majority of the California press corps and editorial boards struggle to hold most of the state’s education-industrial complex accountable. Why? Most papers employ ideologically progressive editors who do not want to cross the teachers associations. Read Lance Christensen's column in The Epoch Times.
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Unionized Public Education is Destroying California
California's teachers unions have declared war on competence. The consequences will only get worse as another generation grows to adulthood without the skills necessary to succeed in 21st century America. CPC senior fellow Edward Ring explains in this week's article.
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"If for 30 years a percentage of a population is ranking the lowest in every statistical category, after 30 years should they continue to go down the same route, or look for an alternative?" — Nebraska state Senator Terrell McKinney (D) in support of the school choice bill that passed the first round of votes in the state Senate this week
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