The Future of School Choice: Arizona’s New ESA Program
April 21, 2011 12:22 A.M.
By Carrie Lukas
Imagine how different public education in America would be
if parents had real control of the $500 billion (more than
$10,000 per child) that is spent on their children’s behalf.
With its new state-funded ESA program, Arizona is about to
give us a window into that possible and exciting future.
Since 1955, Milton Friedman and his many disciples have been
championing approaches that would give power to parents —
through school-choice policies like vouchers, tax credits,
and the establishment of charter schools. The result has
been a proliferation of innovative programs that enable more
parents to choose their children’s school, leading to
increased parental satisfaction, higher test scores, rising
graduation rates, and improved public-school performance.
To date, none of these valuable school-choice policies have
provided parents with full control over their children’s
share of school funding. But that will now change with the
newest (and most aggressive) school-choice policy ever
enacted.
Earlier this month, Arizona governor Jan Brewer approved SB
15523, legislation that authorizes “Arizona Empowerment
Accounts” that will give the parents of eligible
special-education students the opportunity to receive
state-funded education savings accounts (ESAs) to be used to
purchase an education for the child (with appropriate state
oversight). Funds can be used for designated purposes
including private-school tuition, tutoring, and online
education. Any savings can be kept in the account and used
in future years or, ultimately, on the child’s college
education. The Goldwater Institute, which first proposed
this idea in 2005, has the details.
The enactment of this program marks a dramatic shift in the
school-choice and education-reform debate. Earlier this
year, when Florida governor Rick Scott proposed a system of
universal state-funded K-12 ESAs, Reihan Salam called the
proposal among “the most significant, transformative ideas
I’ve ever seen advanced by an actual elected official with
any real power.”
This year is likely to be a landmark year for school choice
and education reform, with Speaker Boehner’s successful
reauthorization of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program
and potential school-choice victories in Indiana, Ohio,
Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. But no victory will
be bigger than Arizona’s, especially if other states follow
its lead and dramatically increase parents’ control of their
children’s educational future by enacting state-funded
education savings accounts.
This article came from the
National Review on April 21, 2011
Legislature approves voucher-like program for special needs
students
By Michelle Reese, East Valley Tribune
Friday, April 8, 2011 5:14 pm | Updated: 8:26 pm, Tue Apr
19, 2011.
Special needs students currently in public schools may have
access to state money for private tuition, tutoring or home
school curriculum as early as August if the governor signs a
bill headed her way.
Lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to SB 1553 that
creates "education empowerment accounts." All that it needs
is the governor's signature, and the Goldwater Institute's
Clint Bolick - who helped author the legislation - believes
Jan Brewer will sign it and continue her support for school
choice.
Proponents say the legislation is a win-win for parents and
the state: Parents will be able to choose the best private
school for their children - or use the funds to pay for
educational services such as private supplemental online
classes, textbooks and more.
The state wins, they say, because those students will be
required to leave public district and charter schools and
rescind any special needs services that they may have
received, which will save the state money.
Opponents say it's just a voucher in disguise.
"Educational empowerment accounts" differ from vouchers,
Bolick said, because unlike vouchers, they are not limited
to private school tuition.
The legislation outlines various ways the funds can be used,
from private tuition and textbooks at a private school to
educational therapies from a licensed provider and fees for
Advanced Placement tests. Parents will have to sign an
agreement to set up an account and remove the child from
public schools.
Firms that contract with the state will manage the funds and
undergo periodic audits.
Each student who qualifies could receive 90 percent of the
funds the state would have used to educate him or her in a
public school. That varies because students with special
needs are funded differently.
On average, districts and charter schools receive between
$5,000 and $6,000 a year for typical students.
The program would now be limited to students who qualify for
special education services, such as those designed for
children with autism, language delays, visual impairment,
emotional impairment or hearing disabilities. They must have
spent at least 100 days in a public district or charter
school the previous year.
"This is brand new. The idea, I am proud to say, it was born
at the Goldwater Institute following the decision striking
down school vouchers. So we are the first state to adopt
education savings accounts. Other states are already looking
at the idea," Bolick said.
In 2009, the state Supreme Court struck down a voucher
program created for students with disabilities. Shortly
after, lawmakers adopted a new tuition tax credit
scholarship program for students with disabilities.
Tuition tax credits in Arizona allow individuals, and some
corporations, to give money to school tuition organization
that then awards scholarships to private schools for
students. The individuals and corporations receive a
dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to a preset limit.
Under the new law - should the governor sign it - students
could not use both the "education empowerment accounts" and
a tuition tax credit scholarship in the same year.
Bolick said he expects legal challenges, but believes the
idea will stand up in court.
Joe Thomas, vice president of the Arizona Education
Association, the state's largest teachers union, said the
idea is bad on a number of fronts.
"A voucher scheme is a voucher scheme no matter how you call
it or try to dress it up or which part of the population you
say it's reserved for," Thomas said. "It's a foot in the
door and this one especially, we just had a court ruling
that struck this down - vouchers for special education
students."
Thomas said the lawmakers are not listening to what the
public wants, which are "good quality public schools," and
not "loopholes" to funding.
"The focus needs to be on the whole school. That's where the
voters seem to be. We saw that with (Proposition) 100 (the
temporary hike in the state sales tax for education) ...
They want the kids in public schools to get a quality
education. The Legislature could really help us with that."
Thomas also noted that traditional and special education
students both benefit when they are taught side-by-side.
"I cannot advocate enough for the incredible job our highly
qualified special education teachers do in public schools
across the state," Thomas said. "Pulling them out of public
schools, they're (special education students) not going to
get what they need."
Thomas also expressed concern that, according to the
legislation, money left over in the accounts can be used to
pay college expenses once a child has graduated from private
or home school.
This article is form the East Valley Tribune dated
4-19-11 by Michelle Reese.
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