41 Days of School Choice: Day 5 – Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program – nation’s most innovative school choice program
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Washington, DC (August 8, 2014) – The American Federation for Children and its state affiliate the Arizona Federation for Children, today celebrate Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program as part of the #41Days of School Choice initiative. One of the most innovate school choice programs in the country, ESAs empower qualified families with the ability to customize their child’s education.
“Empowerment scholarship accounts serve as a promise and a lifeline for many children with special needs or those trapped in failing schools who all deserve access to the publicly funded education guaranteed to them by law,” said Kevin P. Chavous, executive counsel for the American Federation for Children.
The Empowerment Scholarship Account program allows parents to use most of the state allocated education funding for their child toward private school tuition, home school curriculum, online classes, tutors, books and other education expenses.
“My boys are starting at a brand new school this month only because of their Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. I can’t tell you what it means to have the resources, through their ESAs, to take my boys out of a school where they were not doing well and to be able to put them into a private school with smaller classes and more one on one attention,” said Angie Ramirez who adopted her two nephews, ages 12 and 14. “This is a new beginning for my boys and I know the positive changes we’ve made thanks to the ESA program will set them up for success not only in high school but in college.”
Program Facts:
- Eligibility for children with special needs, children attending D and F rated schools, children with an active duty military parent, and children in permanent placement foster or adoptive care
- The base funding parents receive per child is $4,800 per year. If a child has special needs, the funding can go higher depending on their disability.
For more information visit: http://bit.ly/1sFjyHu.
Throughout the 41 Days of School Choice campaign, the American Federation for Children will be promoting programs using the hashtag “#41Days”.
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The American Federation for Children is the nation’s leading school choice advocacy organization and works in states across the country to help secure additional, high-quality educational options for families.