In the News: School Choice Edition
This content originally appeared in the Put Kids First ND newsletter on Jan. 8, 2025.
Here are the week’s school choice news, polling, and testimonies you need to know.
North Dakota governor supports ESAs in first State of the State address
Gov. Kelly Armstrong said he supports education savings accounts, which he described as funding set aside for students to go toward services or tuition at public, private or homeschool, in his first State of the State address last night.
“The money follows the students, not the school, ensuring every student has the tools they need to prepare for college, a career or the military,” Armstrong said.
He also said he supports creating public charter schools with the same performance standards as public K-12 schools. >>> READ THE STORY or WATCH HIS REMARKS at 1:48:51
Alabama families can apply for $7,000 in school tuition via CHOOSE Act
A new Alabama school choice program allows K-12 students to apply for support if they want to go to a private school. Thousands of parents have already applied, just days after the program opening online. >>> READ THE STORY
Latest Beacon Poll shows ‘whopping’ support for Tennessee governor’s voucher plan
Support for Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s Education Freedom Scholarship plan is consistent across party lines, according to the latest polling. >>> READ THE STORY
Idaho governor supports private school subsidies, tax cuts in annual address
Gov. Brad Little noted that any bill that comes to his desk on the subject must “prioritize the families that need it the most and it must not take away from public schools.” >>> READ THE STORY
Student Testimony: Sebastian Broche, FL
“My mom saw me come home upset every day because people kept thinking they could pick on me, simply because I couldn’t pronounce words like them due to my accent or because we didn’t have the same upbringing. She became so frustrated with the situation that she confided in a close friend who had a child my age. Her friend’s child attended a private school near our house, and my mother asked if they offered any financial aid. She saw the opportunities her friend’s child received and wanted the same for me and my brother. That’s when she discovered the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program and enrolled us at Christopher Columbus High School, an all-boys private school.”
Thanks for reading. Stay tuned for our next edition of the latest school choice news, polling, and testimonies that you need to know.”
This content originally appeared in the Put Kids First ND newsletter on Jan. 8, 2025.