Imagine sitting across from your discouraged child, watching them fall behind in school despite their best efforts, and feeling helpless to find a better path forward. Until recently, this was a familiar conversation for Alabama families as they struggled to navigate the gap between their child’s needs and the education options available to them.
The CHOOSE Act, Alabama’s new school choice program that took effect last year, has taken the first step toward bridging this gap. This program enrolled approximately 24,000 families in its first year and enabled them to access Education Savings Accounts that offered flexibility to choose education options tailored to their child’s unique needs.
Yet some state leaders are trying to tell a different story. Rather than focusing on the expanded opportunities provided by school choice legislation, many argue that these programs are financially burdensome to the state and harm Alabama’s education system.
This is simply not true. The CHOOSE Act, which accounts for only 1.4% of the state’s education budget, hasn’t taken money away from public schools. When a family enrolls in the program, a portion of their tax dollars goes toward the family’s chosen educational path through a refundable tax credit ESA.
Funding supports students and their individual education needs.
The assumptions in these conversations – that we should prioritize the education system itself over the children within it – reveal the very outdated views on education that school choice was meant to correct in the first place.
For years, education funding decisions have been made by the state, not families. As a result, many students’ educational opportunities have been limited by their family’s background, income, and ZIP code. This prevented students with unique needs, financial vulnerabilities, or challenges in traditional public schooling from accessing the learning environments that work best for them.
No two students are the same, and even the best school won’t be able to meet every child’s unique needs. Viewing education as one-size-fits-all overwhelms teachers, stifles innovation, and leaves struggling students behind.
Instead, by putting students and their parents at the center of decision-making, we empower families to choose the right education path for their child – whether that means a public school, private school, micro school, home school, or a customized mix of learning opportunities.
Thousands of families enrolled in Alabama’s ESA program in its first year because parents want a direct role in shaping their children’s education. After all, they know their children’s needs and strengths best.
Giving families the resources and options to act on what they know about their child is not a threat to Alabama’s education system; it’s an opportunity and commitment to make education work better for everyone.
By passing the CHOOSE Act in 2024, Governor Kay Ivey, Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter, Senator Arthur Orr, Representative Danny Garrett, and the Legislature made clear their confidence in families’ ability to choose the best education opportunities for their students. Rather than having ongoing debates about school choice, let’s continue to trust those closest to education: the people receiving it.
Education funding should always put students first over systems. When families have the freedom to choose what works best for their kids, every student has a better chance to succeed. Let’s continue the progress we’ve made on education freedom — and ensure students and their families aren’t pushed back to the sidelines.
Adam Thompson the State Director for Americans for Prosperity – Alabama