The politics of education have changed so much, so quickly in the COVID-19 era that universal school choice — an unattainable ideal for generations of reformers — has suddenly become a middle-of-the-road position for most Americans.
Universal education choice should be a ripe campaign issue for state candidates this fall and the top policy priority for newly elected state legislatures in the new year. The watchword is very simple: trust parents, not bureaucracies; and fund students, not systems.
It’s not just a slogan. In Arizona, it’s now policy. Thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Doug Ducey this summer, from now on, instead of sending dollars to school districts, every student in the state will receive $7,000 in an Education Savings Account to use at any school or for any educational approach, every year, from kindergarten through high school.
There is no reason other states — Texas, in particular — should not follow suit. The Lone Star State is surrounded by neighbors that have embraced education choice: Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. And let’s be frank: because of its size and influence, Texas achieving universal school choice would create even greater momentum for passing similar legislation in other states.