In 1955, Nobel Laureate and economist Milton Friedman launched the school choice movement with his progressive views on government and education in the book, Economics and the Public Interest. Challenging widely-held ideas about public education, Friedman proposed allowing students to attend private schools at public expense.
Fifty-one years later, Friedman’s musings on school reform have proven to be prescient indeed. The school choice movement has made inroads into states all across the country. In fact, in the first half of 2006, a record 8 states have either enacted new choice programs or expanded existing ones. Here’s a state-by-state recap of the latest legislative developments across the U.S.
Arizona
Not only did Arizona pass the nation’s first choice program for foster children and disabled students, but state lawmakers also expanded the state’s scholarship tax credit program, providing a dollar-for-dollar credit for corporate donations to scholarship tuition organizations. Scholarships are limited to low-income K-12 children transferring from public to private schools.Florida
A new law in Florida allows approximately 700 students displaced from Florida’s Opportunity Scholarship Program (rendered unconstitutional by the state’s high court) to transfer to a corporate scholarship tax credit program for children from low-income families.Iowa
Iowa’s law establishes a 65 percent tax credit for individuals making contributions to school tuition organizations; these groups then distribute scholarships to families to use at the school of their choosing.Ohio
Ohio’s new EdChoice program provides vouchers to up to 14,000 children in poor-performing schools, to be redeemed at a private school of their choice.Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has expanded its Education Tax Credit program permitting credit contributions from business firms to scholarship organizations and educational improvement organizations by $10 million (from $44 to $54 million). While more than 27,000 children currently benefit from scholarships, the increase paves the way for an additional 6,000 students to participate.Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s new choice law allows corporations to donate up to $100,000 per year to scholarship-granting organizations as part of a corporate scholarship tax credit program.Utah
Utah legislators passed an expansion of the Carson Smith Scholarship Program, likely providing more parents of special needs students with a voucher that can be used at a private school of choice.Wisconsin
New legislation raised the cap on the Milwaukee Parental School choice program by 7,500 students (from 15,000 to 22,500 students). Begun in 1990, Milwaukee’s program is the longest-running choice effort in the country.
The choice movement’s 2006 legislative victories have also been characterized by an unfamiliar – but welcome – absence of political jousting. No longer just the pet policy darling of conservative reformers, choice can now be said to enjoy robust support crossing party lines. Democratic governors in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Iowa, and Wisconsin all signed choice legislation; bills in Florida, Utah, Iowa, and Rhode Island were signed into law by Republican governors. In 2006 alone, these 8 governors approved more than 25,000 new scholarships for children to attend private schools of choice.
Truly, choice has commandeered the ideological high ground in American education. As Victor Hugo wrote (in one of my favorite – and oft-cited – quotes), “An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.” In states across the country, the incursion of choice programs is revolutionizing American education. Can North Carolina be far behind?