Nearly three years since the global pandemic first struck, we’ve learned lessons – some good, many bad – about our governments and society in general. One lasting positive impact from the pandemic is the hunger parents have for more choices when it comes to educating their children. Urban, suburban, and rural parents share the desire for a better education for their children and if they can’t get that from the public school near them, they desire options. During the 2022 state legislative sessions, several lawmakers heeded the growing demand among families for more options in education.
State Policy Network fellow Chantal Lovell detailed the school choice movement and hot it is winning at the state level, in a recent op-ed published in the Washington Examiner.
“This appetite for choice emerged after the pandemic revealed the inner workings of America’s education system — and that special interests, rather than student well-being, often drive education decisions.
“Urged on in large part by parents who wanted more control over their child’s education, states expanded Education Savings Accounts, or ESAs, tax credit scholarships, and charter schools. State think tanks across the country, close and connected to the people in their communities, encouraged states to expand these innovative programs that put the needs of parents and students ahead of the education establishment.
“As we enter a new school year, more parents than ever before can choose what education environment best suits their child, whether that’s public, private, or even at home.
“While these state policy wins take us one step closer to ensuring all children have access to quality education, policymakers can do much more to meet the growing demand for change in education. Most people believe we need to rethink how we educate K-12 students. That starts with putting the focus on parents and empowering them to choose what type of education best fits their child’s unique needs.”
Read the op-ed in its entirety here.
