School Choice Clips for Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Norton Rainey: Expanding school choice is the fastest path to better educational outcomes
DC Journal: Norton Rainey: Expanding school choice is the fastest path to better educational outcomes
https://dcjournal.com/expanding-school-choice-is-the-fastest-path-to-better-educational-options/
Greta Alexander felt powerless to help her son overcome addiction before he overdosed in 2023. Determined to give her daughter, Miracle, a different future — one free from the drugs and the dysfunction of the local public school — Greta searched for another option. That dream seemed out of reach until Miracle received a scholarship to attend a private school through ACE Scholarships. Today, Miracle is thriving, excelling academically and socially, and dreaming of becoming an orthopedic surgeon.
National:
Independent Women's Forum: Dr. Keri Ingraham: The education freedom era is underway
https://www.iwf.org/2025/05/27/the-education-freedom-era-is-underway/
Education freedom empowers parents with access to a portion of their child’s education funding to allocate to the educational avenue of their choosing rather than being restricted to the government-run, teacher union-controlled, residentially-assigned district public school. Education freedom is essential so parents can select the learning avenue that will best serve their unique children ... Universal school choice creates a free market K-12 education environment within a state. It brings in the element of competition, incentivizing providers to offer families high-quality academics with good customer service. The conditions of a free market increase quality, drive down costs, and spur innovation. All of these are much-needed in K-12 education today.
EdChoice: Brian Ledtke: Why Catholic schools matter in the school choice movement
https://www.edchoice.org/why-catholic-schools-matter-in-the-school-choice-movement/
In a recent episode of Sunday School Choice, EdChoice’s Nathan Sanders sat down with Shawn Peterson, president of Catholic Education Partners, for a discussion on the Catholic Church’s role in advancing educational opportunity. Founded in 2017, Catholic Education Partners was created to ensure the Catholic voice had a seat at the school choice table. Peterson explained that Catholic schools make up the largest private education system in the U.S., yet until recently, there was no national organization specifically representing them in school choice advocacy. “As we always kid, if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu,” Peterson said. “So, we thought we better get at the table.”
The Lion: Adam Wittenberg: Florida rabbi urges support for national school choice plan
https://readlion.com/florida-rabbi-urges-support-for-national-school-choice-plan/
School choice would benefit all students – including Jewish students and those of other faiths – according to a Florida rabbi who supports the federal Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). Writing in the Orlando Sentinel, Orthodox Rabbi Moshe Matz, who leads Aventura Shul near Miami, said Florida’s success with school choice should be replicated across the country.
MyChessCo: Maryann Pugh: Take back control of education: McMahon's bold plan to fix schools now
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon has announced three proposed priorities for the Department of Education’s discretionary grants, marking a sharp shift in federal education policy. The priorities, unveiled on Thursday, aim to promote evidence-based literacy, expand educational choice, and return decision-making power to states ... The third priority seeks to “return education to the states.” This initiative prioritizes state-led governance in federal grant programs, reducing administrative burdens at the federal level while reinforcing local control. This policy signals a move away from federally driven frameworks to systems tailored to individual state needs.
Washington Examiner: Samantha-Jo Roth: Expansive school choice measure tucked into 'big, beautiful bill' could bring vouchers to every state [Paywall]
President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill” includes a novel federal tax provision that would help nationalize school vouchers for private education tuition and home schooling programs. The legislation that already cleared the House includes a proposal that resembles the Educational Choice for Children Act, a wide-ranging bill introduced this year by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE), Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT), and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) in both chambers.
Ohio:
Thomas B. Fordham Institute: Aaron Churchill: Debunking the false narrative that Ohio's school choice programs help only the rich
In another attempt to smear educational choice, hostile advocacy groups have begun to portray private school scholarship programs as catering to rich, White families. This narrative has emerged in tandem with the state’s recent expansion of EdChoice, which now offers support to all Ohio families regardless of income. What is less acknowledged by critics—who decry the program cost—is that wealthier families receive significantly scaled-back scholarships. Because they receive smaller amounts, less than one-tenth of the $1 billion overall scholarship funds went to high-income students (above 450 percent federal poverty) last year. The vast majority of the aid supported low- and middle-income families who face budgetary constraints that would likely otherwise put private schools out-of-reach.
Be the first to know, sign up for the AFC School Choice Clips to ensure they hit your inbox before we publish here.
