The Best of School Choice 2018

In my school choice stories of 2017 wrap up last year, I began by stating “School choice had a rock star year!” Little did I know that 2018 would happen the way that it did. So, not for a lack of words, it seems fitting to begin my wrap up of this year’s best school choice stories with the same sentiment.
School choice had a rock star year! From school choice advocates showing their support at the polls during the 2018 midterm elections to families in Puerto Rico receiving the final seal of approval from the Supreme Court to allow the island’s first private school choice program to begin and for charter schools to open their doors, 2018 was a monumental year for families and their right to choose their child’s educational experience.
So, without further ado, here’s our best school choice stories of 2018!

We went big for National School Choice Week in D.C.

.@BetsyDeVosED: I’m here to fight on your behalf. #SchoolChoice @schoolchoicewk #CapitolHill #Rally pic.twitter.com/wKGVF12eXk

— Am Fed for Children (@SchoolChoiceNow) January 18, 2018

Our teams joined together to create some amazing events to celebrate school choice across the country.

529 College Plans can now be used for K-12 Expenses

The 529 savings plan, a tax-advantaged way for parents to invest for their children’s college tuition, now allows 529 savings to also be used for elementary and secondary school tuition.

Research finds that voucher students are more likely to enroll in college than public school peers

Research by the Urban Institute shows further favorable long-term outcomes for students who enroll in private school choice programs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

More Georgia families will have access to school choice

Earlier this year, the Georgia House and Senate passed a bill that expands the state’s successful tax credit scholarship program through additional funding, transparency, and accountability. More than 13,000 students are currently receiving privately funded scholarships thanks to this tax credit program, and we expect thousands more to now have the benefit of receiving the education of their choice.

The Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Families in Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Supreme Court rejected a teachers’ union’s challenge to the Free School Selection Program, and declared the program constitutional. As a result, up to 10,000 Puerto Rican families will be able to apply for government scholarships to send their children to the private or public schools of their choice.

Wisconsin School Choice Students outperformed their public-school peers on the 2018 ACT

Scores released in October showed that students enrolled in Wisconsin’s Parental Choice Program once again outperformed their public school peers on the 2018 ACT, according to data from the Department of Public Instruction.

School Choice candidates won big during the 2018 Midterm Elections

November 6 was a great night for school choice! With big wins in some key gubernatorial races and plenty of wins racked up in state legislative races – with help from our tireless political teams in the states – we were very happy with the results.