Turn on the news and you’ll hear endless debate about foreign policy and D.C political battles. But ask parents what keeps them up at night, and you’ll hear something different: frustration that they often can’t access better educational opportunities for their children.
Last year, Congress took a historic step toward expanding learning opportunities by passing the Education Freedom Tax Credit as part of the Big Beautiful Bill. The policy encourages private donations to scholarship organizations that help students access tutoring, after-school programs, special education services, summer enrichment, and schools that better meet their needs.
With Kentucky joining the list this week, 28 mostly Republican states have opted in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit or announced their intention to do so, unlocking millions of federal dollars in new educational opportunities for their families. Yet 22 mostly Democrat states have not, leaving learning opportunities—and federal resources—on the table.
Education policy shouldn’t be a red or blue issue. Yet in many states, ideological and deep-pocketed opposition to school choice is preventing families from accessing tools that could transform their children’s lives.
Lower-income kids are disproportionately affected. Wealthy families already have school choice. They can move to neighborhoods with better public schools, hire tutors, or enroll their children in private institutions. The real inequity in our education system is that too many working-class families don’t have those same options. The Education Freedom Tax Credit helps change that.
Education tax credit scholarships have a long and successful track record. Arizona was the first to implement them in 1997. Georgia’s credit began at $50 million in 2008 and has grown to $120 million. It is so popular that the cap is usually reached on the first day it becomes available each year.
A landmark study by Harvard economist Caroline Hoxby found that greater competition from school choice raises academic performance across entire school systems, with areas that have more options scoring far better in reading and math. A rigorous Urban Institute study finds students who used private school scholarships were significantly more likely to enroll in and graduate from college.
Research examining Florida’s long-running tax-credit scholarship program found that when public schools faced increased competition from school choice, their test scores rose and student absences and suspensions fell. Education freedom has powered Florida schools’ rise from worst to first in the nation.
Choice allows families to escape the worst public schools that too often warehouse children rather than educate them. And it encourages other schools to work harder and innovate faster to compete, improving outcomes for students across the board.
Encouragingly, support for expanding educational opportunity is not wholly limited to one party. Democrat Colorado Gov. Jared Polis recently demonstrated exactly the kind of pragmatic leadership students deserve by opting his state into the Education Freedom Tax Credit, describing the decision as a “no-brainer.”
“I’ve long worked to ensure every student can get a terrific education, and I’m proud to open this new federal tax credit to Coloradans,” he explained. “Every student deserves a chance to thrive.” He described the program as a “real boom of investment in kids” and a “very powerful funding mechanism.”
Sadly, other Democrat governors still oppose the scholarship, not because it doesn’t work, but because their teacher union donors oppose it. Blocking scholarships, tutoring, and enrichment programs for students simply to satisfy political constituencies sends a terrible message to families: that partisan politics matter more than their children’s futures.
Parents know better. They know every child learns differently. Some thrive in traditional public schools. Others need a charter school, private school, specialized program, or extra tutoring to reach their full potential.
Governors and lawmakers in every state should follow Colorado’s example and put their students first by opting in to the Education Freedom Tax Credit immediately. If states refuse, those charitable dollars won’t disappear—they’ll simply flow across state lines to help students somewhere else.
Education should unite us, not divide us. It’s a top issue facing American families, even if it doesn’t get the national attention it deserves.
Alfredo Ortiz is the CEO of Job Creators Network, and Chip Rogers is the CEO of Americans for Fair Treatment.
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