EdChoice

Our team at EdLA released a presser stating their disagreement with the South Carolina Supreme Court's decision regarding the Education Scholarship Trust Fund Program. The Court's ruling has limited what families can use the funds for instead of allowing them to true free market experience in their child's education.

https://www.edchoice.org/media/south-carolina-supreme-court-sets-legal-precedent-for-education-choice/

Religious communities continue to play a role in shaping social and civic life. Our very own Leslie Hiner will be part of a panel hosted by The Policy Circle in Washington, D.C. and there's still time to register to attend!

https://www.thepolicycircle.org/faith-civic-life-symposium/

We conducted our back-to-school public opinion poll with Morning Consult and sentiments on K-12 education are on the rise after hitting major lows during summer. Check out the rest of the findings in this blog write up done by research assistant Alli Aldis.

Back to School Poll Finds School Parents Hopeful For our August polling we included a range of questions asking parents about their outlook on K-12 education and the future.

Was 2023 really the year of universal choice? Are we getting closer to radically changing K-12 education? What do we need to do to reach that goal? This blog covers EdChoice CEO and President Robert Enlow and Derrell Bradford of 50CAN's presentation from State Policy Networks annual meeting.

Was 2023 Really the Year of Universal Choice? 2023 was a monumental year for school choice in America. But was it really the year of universal choice? We dive into this question.

At the State Policy Network's annual meeting, several leaders in the education freedom movement gathered together on a panel to discuss strategies democratic states can take to support choice programs.

Navigating School Choice in Blue States: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies We dive into the policy alternatives, messaging, and the advocacy strategies that could be employed to advance school choice in blue states.

“The program is growing, and it is working.” The special needs ESA program in Indiana has reached max capacity in the three years it's been operating. This program is allowing families to support their kid's individual learning needs.

Indiana’s special needs ESA reaches max capacity - The Lion Indiana’s education savings account (ESA) program has hit maximum capacity in just its third year of existence. “We are thrilled to announce that every dollar allocated to the Indiana ESA Program has been distributed, ensuring that families have the resources they need to provide their children ...

At the RALLY Innovation conference, several past and present participants of EdChoice's Education Entrepreneurs program in partnership with NEXT Studios spoke at a session titled, "Whos' Next?" Each of the entrepreneurs shared about their experience in the program and the valuable takeaways they gained.

Meet the Visionaries: EdChoice Entrepreneurs Leading Educational Transformation We highlight the entrepreneurs who spoke at the Rally Innovation Conference about their new education companies and organizations.

Families across the country are examining their child's school asking, "Is this the best option for my child?" Amar Kumar, founder and CEO of KaiPod Learning, wrote this guest piece where he wonders what would happen if families chose school not by default but by design.

Are Our Children Truly Supported? Parents all over the country find themselves asking an important question: Is my child really being supported in the best way possible?

Have you visited our recently updated Schooling in America 2024 dashboard? This interactive dashboard shows trendlines over the 12 years EdChoice and Braun Research have conducted this survey and highlights data from each section of the report. Check it out today!

https://www.edchoice.org/what-we-do/research/schooling-in-america-polling-dashboard-2/

Mundo in the Morning radio show out of Kansas City had Director of National Research Mike McShane on and the pair talked about school choice, how some people have already been accessing it and what it would look like to truly open it up to every family.

https://omny.fm/shows/pete-mundo-kcmo-talk-radio-103-7fm-710am/michael-mcshane-show-me-institute-8-14-24?in_playlist=podcast&t=0s

Different school models continue to emerge across the country. Harvard University's program on Education Policy and Governance is hosting their Emerging School Models Conference and EdChoice's Mike McShane will be a panelist discussing the growth potential of these new models. Register to get the Zoom link today.

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Emerging School Models: Maintaining the Momentum. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. New school models are reshaping the American educational landscape. Emerging charter school models, microschools, career and technical programs, and different forms of homeschooling are expanding nationwide. But can these models build on the current momentum? What infrastructure is needed to make th...

While publicly reported demographic data about school choice students are limited, we’ve assembled some of the information that is publicly available right here for you. Check it out!

www.edchoice.org

School parent support for K-12 choice policies is consistently high. Education savings accounts remain the most popular school choice policy for the eighth consecutive year, with 84% of parents supporting ESAs.
https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Schooling-in-America.pdf

Educational choice policies are popular. Public support for educational choice policies remains high in 2024. About two-thirds of Americans support school vouchers, charter schools, and tax-credit scholarships. Support for education savings accounts is higher at 76%.
https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Schooling-in-America.pdf

Opponents of education freedom have long said that the sky is falling on public schools due to choice programs. Colleen Hroncich of Cato Institute penned this op-ed that cited EdChoice's "Who's Afraid of School Choice?" and further explains why the myth of choice programs costing states money continues to be busted.

New Arizona Data Shows School Choice Is Saving the State Money Opponents of education choice claim it will destroy state budgets, but real world experience in Arizona says otherwise.

EdChoice Director of National Research Mike McShane was a guest of St. Louis, MO radio station NewsTalkSTL earlier this month to talk about the benefits of educational freedom, competition for schools and students and more. Listen to the episode today!

Michael McShane on school choice, market forces, and education - NewsTalkSTL Mike Ferguson in the Morning 08-08-24 Michael McShane, Director of National Research at EdChoice and Senior Fellow of Education Policy at the Show-Me Institute, talks about school choice, market forces in education, the benefits of choice and competition for schools and students, and the long-term a...

EdChoice President and CEO Robert Enlow was joined by a few past participants of the EdChoice Education Entrepreneur Navigator program at the RALLY Innovation conference.

Past and current participants in the EdChoice Education Entrepreneurs program talk about what they are working on, pitch their new ideas and share how learning entrepreneurship skills has helped them make their idea a reality.

Students across the country are going back to school now but the kids in Illinois have less educational freedom options than last school year. The Illinois Invest in Kids tax-credit program failed to get renewed, leaving families searching for help and new options for their students this school year.

As students return to school, Illinois parents are faced with fewer choices (The Center Square) – Students in Illinois and around the country are returning to classes, but the education landscape looks different in the Land of Lincoln.

We're at the RALLY Innovation Conference!
Presenter Jessica Fuller from RESCHOOL Colorado led the group in an immersive game to help players gain refreshing perspectives on how decisions about learning are made when a young person’s aspirations, experiences, and context are intentionally considered.

Start your own school with KaiPod Catalyst!
Are you considering starting your own school? Do you have a vision or a dream of a more personalized education serving the children in your community? Head over to KaiPodLearning.com. The KaiPod Learning team is accepting applications for the fourth cohort of the largest microschool accelerator in the country, KaiPod Catalyst. The application deadline has been extended to 10/20/24

https://www.kaipodlearning.com/

Home KaiPod Learning makes personalized learning a reality by helping entrepreneurial educators launch and operate successful Microschools.

Who is using school choice programs? The answer is actually more difficult to find because of what demographic information states report. This blog, written by our research team, is the first that will be done throughout the rest of the year publishing counts of student demographics to better inform the press and policymakers on who is actually using K–12 choice.

Who is Using School Choice? It’s a Harder Question to Answer than You Might Think. We tackle the question of who is using school choice programs and why states aren't making their data available.

Last week EdChoice was in Phoenix, Arizona for the SPN Annual Meeting. President and CEO Robert Enlow spoke about if 2023 was really the year of school choice in a panel session. Vice President and Director of Litigation Tom Fisher was joined by the Institute for Justice at a breakfast session discussing the next few years and beyond for educational choice.

ICYMI: Matt Beienburg of the Goldwater Institue addressing false fiscal narratives about Arizona's education savings account program in this article.

https://www.goldwaterinstitute.org/arizonas-universal-esa-program-a-history-of-surplus-savings-media-misinformation/?fbclid=IwY2xjawE1paBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVKEr2LIq62YbtT78-UI0IHGo6pTFVxGbEuZvNGsRZkfu75XvVLpNkJi8Q_aem_s8yKWS3iZss4Tx_aFnh4BA

Arizona’s Universal ESA Program: A History of Surplus, Savings, & Media Misinformation In 2022, Arizona captured the nation’s attention by adopting the country’s first fully universal education savings account (ESA) program, giving..

The use of artificial intelligence apps is on the rise. Nearly two-thirds of parents say that schools should teach students how to use AI responsibly.

Report link:https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Schooling-in-America.pdf

Technology is advancing and becoming more engrained in our everyday lives. School parents support their child’s classes using technology like laptops, online platforms, and tablets, but they are divided on AI programs and cellphones in the classroom. Still, parent support for AI and cellphones in class is much higher than reported current use.

Report link:https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Schooling-in-America.pdf

Don't forget to join us next week at the RALLY Innovation conference in Indianapolis! Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat. This conference is a showcase of just that, be sure to stop by and say hi!

Innovation isn't just about technology; it's about thinking differently and pushing boundaries to create a better world. EdChoice recognizes the importance of innovation, especially in education. We'll be at the RALLY Innovation Conference in Indianapolis August 27 & 28, come sit in on our panel sessions!

Families want more flexibility in their child's school day and how/ where they learn. School parents are interested in having a virtual option for their child’s schooling. 58% of parents want a part-time virtual school option, and 53% want a full-time virtual option.
https://www.edchoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/2024-Schooling-in-America.pdf

EdChoice Legal Advocates is stepping in again to help families. EdLA filed an amicus (a.k.a. friend of the court) brief to challenge the power of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood to exclude Catholic preschools from participating in Colorado’s Universal Preschool Program.

https://www.edchoice.org/media/edchoice-legal-advocates-moves-to-defend-religious-schools-participation-in-colorados-universal-preschool-program/