When it comes to providing educational opportunities for families, Ģ����Ƶ ranks 14th out of 50 on measuring families’ access to school choice nationwide.����

At first glance, that doesn’t seem like such a bad position, but when you dig deeper, the picture becomes less flattering. Ģ����Ƶ is still lagging behind and we have our work cut out for us to ensure that every family has access to a great education.

Where Does Ģ����Ƶ Stand?

Ģ����Ƶ scored four out of a possible 100 on which weighs three major factors:

• Access to School Choice: Only 15% of Ģ����Ƶ’s K-12 students are eligible for school choice programs, far below what it takes to establish broad, equitable access.
  

• Flexibility in Educational Funding: While Ģ����Ƶ has made strides through its Promise Scholarship Program (an education savings account or “ESA”), current funding systems and program designs limit how well families can use educational funds to meet their unique needs.
  

• Funding Parity: Choice students in Ģ����Ƶ receive just 45% of the funding allocated to their public school peers. For example, public school students receive $13,810 per pupil, while choice students average $6,264 in funding.��

These metrics paint a clear picture of why Ģ����Ƶ’s score is so low. More significantly, it’s a reminder of the limitations facing families who are seeking to access the best education for their children.

Image Credit: EdChoice,

Ģ����Ƶ’s Neighbor to the South Earns the Top Score

To notch a perfect score of 100, states must have several policies in place. First, universal school choice is a must. That means all students, regardless of income or zip code, have access to a great education.

A second requirement is that all educational funds allocated to students must be fully usable for any educational expenses—anything from tuition to textbooks to needed therapies or tutoring.

Lastly, funding per choice student must be equal to the amount provided to public school students.��

So far, no state has achieved these standards, but Florida has come the closest with a score of 77 out of 100.�� Florida allows for all students to access school choice and receive 77% of the funding that public school students receive. Additionally, all students may use these funds flexibly.

Closing in on Florida are Arkansas (60), as well as Alabama and Arizona (each scoring 59).��

While these states are leading the way, the Friedman Index is a reminder that the majority of the country still has a long way to go on education choice and opportunity. The idea of a “school choice” revolution has sparked widespread conversation, but in reality, even higher-ranking states like Ģ����Ƶ have only begun to tap into the full potential of school choice and its benefits for families and communities.

Educational Opportunity Matters Most for Ģ����Ƶ’s Low-Income Communities

The limitations of Ģ����Ƶ’s school choice programs disproportionately affect children from low-income communities. For these families, access to the right education isn’t just a luxury—it’s a pathway to life-changing opportunities, such as improved academic performance, higher graduation rates, and better chances of long-term employment and financial stability.

Data consistently shows that providing families with education options leads to better outcomes for kids. For example, numerous studies indicate that students in choice programs are more likely to become proficient in core subjects like reading and math, areas that often determine future academic and career success.

One recent leap forward is the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship, a state-funded initiative designed to give families financial support to choose the best learning environment for their child. The program opens to families this year, providing scholarships of $6,500 a year that families can use for private school tuition, tutoring, special needs programs, homeschooling, or other customized options outside the traditional public school system.

While this program is an encouraging start, it’s not enough to rank Ģ����Ƶ among the nation’s top states for school choice. Currently, too few students have access to the program, and funding levels fall short of what’s needed to enable meaningful choice for all families.

The Friedman Index Gives Ģ����Ƶ a Roadmap, Not Just a Score

The factors that make up the Friedman Index give Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers clear steps to increasing education opportunity for all students:

• Expand Access to School Choice: Every family throughout Ģ����Ƶ should have access to educational opportunities that meet their child’s needs, regardless of income or location. This includes significantly increasing the percentage of students eligible for choice programs, particularly the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship.

• Increase Funding for Choice Students: Ģ����Ƶ must make substantial investments to bring funding for choice students closer to parity with public school funding. Providing families with adequate resources will make educational choice a real possibility—not just an option in name only.
  

• Focus on Students, Not Systems: It’s time for Ģ����Ƶ to reframe its education policies around the needs of students. Our goal shouldn’t be to improve Ģ����Ƶ’s ranking on an index, but to provide real hope and opportunity for the students who need it the most.

Image Credits: Canva, EdChoice

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Education is an essential building block for a healthy, flourishing life. It has the power to break the cycle of poverty that can persist across generations.

When children from impoverished backgrounds receive a quality education, they’re more likely to escape poverty themselves and provide better opportunities for future generations. 

Good education goes hand-in-hand with many other positive outcomes—like better jobs, higher personal income, valuable relationships, better physical health, and a longer life. 

We all want these good things for children in our communities. Education savings accounts are one solution that Ģ����Ƶ can use to increase opportunity and prosperity for students who need it most.

What are education savings accounts?

, also called ESAs, give parents a portion of state education funding that they can use to tailor their child’s education if traditional public school isn’t a good fit.

ESA programs expand education opportunity by giving parents greater flexibility and freedom in education choices. Whether a family prefers homeschooling, private schooling, or other alternatives, ESAs let parents access the best type of education for their child’s unique needs and interests.

Get Started With Ģ����Ƶ’s ESA Program: The Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship

Ģ����Ƶ is getting ready to launch Promise Scholarships in the fall of 2025. If you’re interested in enrolling your child, make sure you’re signed up to hear about next steps.

How do ESAs work?

To create education savings accounts programs, states must first pass a law. States then take a portion of what they would have spent on the student’s public school education and put it into a state-administered account.

Parents can use these funds for —tuition, tutoring, homeschooling curriculum, educational therapies, online programs, or even a combination of educational services. States require parents to complete an application process to switch to an ESA. 

What do families get from education savings accounts in Ģ����Ƶ?

• Flexibility: ESAs let parents customize their kid’s education.
• Financial Support: ESAs allow states to expand access to options that families may not be able to afford otherwise.��
• Empowerment: Parents can take charge of their child’s education journey with confidence.
• Diverse Options: Parents can explore various educational paths that suit their child’s needs and interests.

What is Ģ����Ƶ’s ESA program?

Created in 2024, Ģ����Ƶ’s ESA program is the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship. It provides state-funded scholarship accounts that give eligible families $6,500 per student for each school year.

The program will be available starting in the 2025-2026 school year, and it will be limited to students in the lowest-performing public schools.

Ģ����Ƶ’s Promise Scholarship Explained
Find out what the program is, how it works, and which students will be eligible. 

Who do education savings account help in Ģ����Ƶ?������

ESAs are for all kinds of students. Whether a child is struggling in school or has special learning needs, ESAs can help. Ģ����Ƶ’s ESA program, the Promise Scholarship, is specifically designed to help families who may not have the resources to access better opportunities. 

Students in Underperforming Schools

Thousands of Ģ����Ƶ kids are stuck in public schools that have received a failing grade from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. To help these kids in particular, the Promise Scholarship will be for students in the bottom 25% of Ģ����Ƶ’s public schools. With an ESA, these students can access higher-quality education options that prepare them for successful careers and fulfilling lives.  

Low-Income Students

Choosing a different school or educational path has often been a privilege for wealthier families. What about families that struggle to make ends meet? 

With an ESA, low-income families can consider schooling options that may be out of reach otherwise. The Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship makes sure these students are helped first. Available scholarships will go to families below 400% of the federal poverty level (around $120,000/year for a family of four). Any leftover funding can then serve students above that threshold. 

Students With Special Needs

ESA programs are a lifeline for students who need support beyond what their local public school can provide. ESAs make it possible to access schools that are set up to help students who have unique learning needs and disabilities. ESA funds can also help pay for other essential resources like tutoring, therapies, and learning technologies. 

Homeschooling Families

ESAs don’t just cover school tuition. They can pay for curriculum, online programs, and supplies, giving parents the option to fully customize their child’s education. This flexibility means that ESAs can help as an alternative to public or private schools. 

What kind of impact could ESAs have on communities in Ģ����Ƶ?��

Since Ģ����Ƶ’s ESA program, the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship, is new, it will be a few years before we know its exact impact on our communities. But we can get an idea from other states that have ESAs, including a couple of Ģ����Ƶ’s neighbors.

• Better support for public schools: In 2011, Arizona became the first state to adopt ESAs. The state soon found that the program was helping to redirect state and federal dollars back to public schools where it could be used for teacher pay and operational needs.
  
  
• Better outcomes for low-income students: Created in 2019, is now the largest in the country. A November 2023 of Florida’s education system looked at the impact of growing school choice. It found students of lower socioeconomic backgrounds—including those who stayed in public schools—experienced some of the greatest benefits.
  

• Better economic opportunity and healthier societies: Tennessee is still working to expand its ESA program, but a study from the Beacon Center of Tennessee found that a statewide program could have incredible social impact. Their model predicted that Tennessee could have more high school graduates, higher overall personal income, less criminal activity and fewer felons, and $2.9 billion in economic benefits.

Do parents want education savings accounts in Ģ����Ƶ?��

Overall, Americans are worried about the direction of public K-12 education. 

• think it’s moving in the wrong direction.��
• say the state of public K-12 education has worsened in the last five years.��
• Only of school parents in Ģ����Ƶ think K-12 education is on the right track in the state of Ģ����Ƶ.��

It’s not surprising, then, that Ģ����Ƶ parents are open to more school choice policies: say they’re in favor of an ESA program.

What are common concerns about education savings accounts in Ģ����Ƶ?

Concern: ESAs take funding away from public schools.  

Ģ����Ƶ communities don’t have to worry about this because state lawmakers are not using public school funding for the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship. Promise Scholarship funding is also not allowed to exceed 1% of public school funding. This set-up means public school funding is fully protected. 

In general, more research is showing that, when states invest in school choice programs like ESAs, public schools benefit financially and academically. They have , , and . 

Concern: ESAs favor wealthy families and don’t help kids who actually need the opportunity. 

Quality education is a building block of a healthy, flourishing life, regardless of a family’s financial situation. ESAs are a tool states can use to ensure there’s more equality when it comes to education opportunities. 

Even if an ESA program is universal—where every student is eligible—the students who gain the most opportunities are . Here in Ģ����Ƶ, our ESA program, the Promise Scholarship, limits eligibility to students in low-income households to make sure they get helped first. 

Concern: ESAs are just another private school voucher. 

Education savings accounts can be used for private school tuition but also for much more! Unlike private school scholarships, ESAs can be used for —including tuition, tutoring, online programs, education therapies, curriculum, and textbooks. 

Concern: ESAs don’t help families in rural areas. 

Rural areas may not have as many schools to choose from, but thanks to the flexibility of ESAs, this doesn’t have to be a reason for states to avoid ESA programs.

Take , for example. Tanya is a mom of two kids with special needs living in rural Ģ����Ƶ. Despite her best efforts to work with the local public school, it just isn’t equipped to give special needs students the help they need. An ESA would give her the resources to homeschool and access specialized therapies so that her kids can have the type of education that matches their needs. 

Ģ����Ƶ ESAs: Quick Facts

• Ģ����Ƶ is one of with an ESA program.��
• have universal ESA programs, meaning all students are eligible. Ģ����Ƶ is not yet one of them.��
• Ģ����Ƶ’s ESAs are worth $6,500 per student per school year.
• in Ģ����Ƶ support ESAs.

Interested in Ģ����Ƶ’s ESA program?��

to sign up for updates as the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship gets up and running. 

Other Schooling Options in Ģ����Ƶ

• Public School Transfers
• ��

The post Everything to Know Ģ����Ƶ Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) in Ģ����Ƶ appeared first on For Opportunity.

PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA—Today, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) applauded Gov. Brian Kemp and the Ģ����Ƶ legislature for ushering into law the Promise Scholarships bill that will bring much-needed relief to the over half-a-million low- and middle-income kids stuck in low-performing schools.

“We are thankful to Gov. Kemp and the many House and Senate lawmakers who recognized the urgency of the moment and advanced a bill to provide much-needed opportunity to bolster academic options,” said Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “Passing Promise Scholarships is a momentous milestone for tens of thousands of Ģ����Ƶ kids struggling in a system that doesn’t work for them. It recognizes that Ģ����Ƶ is a diverse state with a diverse set of needs for education. After years of work, this bill is a positive step toward shaping an education system that honors every child’s unique situation and prevents a lack of quality education from locking children and communities into poverty.”

Senate Bill 233 will make students from the lowest performing 25% of public schools eligible to receive $6,500 a year set aside in an account. Parents can then use the funds to cover approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, books, uniforms, and even transportation.

SB 233 also gives first priority to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level — around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after the lower-income students are served.

Promise Scholarships will serve an estimated 21,500 kids when the program goes live for the 2025-2026 school year.

Ģ����Ƶ now joins a growing list of states offering educational options for all students. In the Southeast, Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina have recently enacted universal Education Savings Account programs, while South Carolina is in the process of creating a universal program in the coming years.

“The urgency to create an education lifeline for kids can’t be overstated. Education is a basic need. Lack of access to quality options is a major cause of many of the ills in our society, including putting a cap on upward mobility. A lack of quality education locks children into poverty and prevents communities from thriving,” said Brockway.

Although GCO praised passage of Promise Scholarships, Randy Hicks, GCO’s president and CEO, cautioned that the bill is just a first step.

“Unfortunately, the final compromise bill was watered down in a number of ways that will limit its reach,” said Hicks. “Funding for Promise Scholarships is capped to 1% of public school funding and there is a 10-year sunset on the entire program. It’s a positive step that over 20,000 students will be eligible for educational freedom, that number is a drop in the bucket compared to the need. We will continue building on this foundation for the future so that all of Ģ����Ƶ’s schoolchildren have options.”

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Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity (GCO) is independent, non-partisan, and solutions-focused. Our team is dedicated to creating opportunities for a quality education, fulfilling work, and a healthy family life for all Ģ����Ƶns. To achieve our mission, we research ways to help remove barriers to opportunity in each of these pathways, promote our solutions to policymakers and the public, and help effective and innovative social enterprises deliver results in their communities.

Learn More about SB233

Schedule An Interview

The post GCO Applauds Signing of Promise Scholarship Bill, Says More Work Needs to be Done appeared first on For Opportunity.

On April 23, 2024, Governor Brian Kemp signed SB 233, the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act, into law. This program—the first of its kind in Ģ����Ƶ—will give parents access to $6,500 state-funded scholarships that they can use to afford the education option best suited to their child’s needs. 

The Promise Scholarship Program empowers parents to give their kids quality education and brighter futures��

Promise Scholarships will be state-administered, state-funded that give parents $6,500 per year and per student to use for approved education expenses. The program will be available beginning in the 2025-2026 school year. 

Parents can use these scholarships for a variety of education costs, including: 

• Tuition and fees for private schools, online classes, college courses, and vocational programs
• Tutoring services
• Curriculum and textbooks
• Educational therapies
• Technology, including adaptive or assistive technologies for students with special needs
• Transportation costs

Because of this flexibility, Promise Scholarships allow parents to consider a wide range of options—from homeschooling to private schools to other unique combinations of education services. 

“The best gift we can give our next generation is a quality education that opens the doors for new opportunities.” — Randy Hicks, GCO President & CEO

Promise Scholarship eligibility focuses on low- and middle-income students��

SB 233 limits Promise Scholarship access to students enrolled in the bottom 25% of Ģ����Ƶ’s public schools, as ranked by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. 

First priority will also be given to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level—around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after the lower-income students are served.

These parameters—plus the funding cap that SB 233 puts on the program—means that Promise Scholarships will serve an estimated 21,000-22,000 kids out of half a million that are stuck in low-performing public schools. 

See all the student eligibility requirements here. 

The Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship is an important step for updating our education system

SB 233 is a good step toward giving Ģ����Ƶ families access to high-quality, diverse education options. With more education options, students will have even better opportunities to get an education that’s tailored to their needs and sets them up for success in today’s fast-changing world. But if Ģ����Ƶ is serious about investing in our communities, we must keep working to close the education opportunity gap for all of Ģ����Ƶ’s kids. 

By passing SB 233, Ģ����Ƶ is catching up to neighboring states like , , that have already adopted education savings account programs. 

While Ģ����Ƶ is starting out with narrow student eligibility, these other states are opting for , opening access to all students. Ģ����Ƶ will need to be open to this model if we want to give our own students the best possible academic outcomes and opportunities for a flourishing life. 

Thank you to Gov. Kemp and the lawmakers who recognized the urgency of the moment and passed Promise Scholarships to strengthen the key building block of education for thousands of kids across the state. It’s a momentous step toward a system where every child has access to quality education and a good life, regardless of income, race, zip code, or other life circumstances. 

Learn more about the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship

The Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act (SB 233): Questions and Answers (Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity)

(Ģ����Ƶ Public Policy Foundation)

The Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship (SB 233): What Private Schools Need to Know (Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity)

Ģ����Ƶ Students Need More Schooling Choices (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Washington Examiner)

The post Ģ����Ƶ Passes Promise Scholarships and Expands Education Opportunity appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• On March 14, 2024, the Ģ����Ƶ House voted 91-82 to pass Promise Scholarships (). The bill was confirmed in the Senate and signed into law on April 23, 2024.��
• SB 233 will create a much-needed education option for students zoned for a school ranked in the bottom 25% of public schools.��
• The Ģ����Ƶ House added parameters to the bill that reduce accessibility and set the bill to expire after 10 years. These issues will need to be addressed moving forward so that every child can have better opportunities to access quality education in Ģ����Ƶ.

On March 14, 2024, the Ģ����Ƶ House voted 91-82 to pass Promise Scholarships (). This bill is an important first step in extending an education lifeline to low- and middle-income kids in under-performing schools. While there is still much more to do as we press toward universal school access, we are thankful to the many House lawmakers who put the needs of kids above politics to advance this measure.

What’s in the Promise Scholarship Bill?

With these Promise Scholarships, students in the lowest performing 25% of public schools will be eligible to have $6,500 a year set aside in an account. These are the funds the state would have spent for their public school education. Under this bill, parents can direct the funds to cover approved educational expenses, including private school tuition, books, uniforms, and even transportation.

SB 233 also gives first priority to students from families below 400% of the federal poverty level—around $120,000 a year for a family of four. Students above that threshold will be allowed to participate if funds are left over after lower-income students are served.

To give public schools time to plan and adjust, public school districts will still receive state funding for a period of two years to cover any students leaving to participate in the program.��

“Our job is not decide for every family but to support them in making the best choice for their child.” — Gov. Brian Kemp, 2024 State of the State Address

“Our job is not decide for every family but to support them in making the best choice for their child.”
— Gov. Brian Kemp, 2024 State of the State Address

Limits to Promise Scholarships

While we are thankful that the bill moved forward in the 2024 legislative session, the version of SB 233 passed by the House is watered down in significant ways:

It restricts eligibility and access: The bill caps the amount of revenue available to fund Promise Scholarships to not exceed 1% of public school funding. Even if parent demand maxes out the program, this amount only covers an estimated 21,000-22,000 kids. That’s 0.012% of Ģ����Ƶ’s public school student population, and only a fraction of the 500,000+ kids that are stuck in the bottom 25% of public schools.

It applies expiration dates: Unless a future legislative body evaluates the program and chooses to extend it, the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship program will expire in 10 years. In that decade, lawmakers will still have to vote annually to fund the program. These measures add a layer of uncertainty that makes it difficult to secure a future of success and opportunity for our kids.

Curious how your representative voted on SB 233?
Ģ����Ƶ’s General Assembly puts the voting records online. Go to the legislature’s website to see the breakdown of support among state representatives.��

Student success is at the heart of Promise Scholarships

The passage of SB 233 can’t come soon enough. Ģ����Ƶ is now surrounded by states that are aggressively and urgently addressing the needs of the future generations by adopting , or ESAs, that are open to all students. Alabama, Florida, and North Carolina have recently enacted universal programs, while South Carolina is in the process of creating a universal program in the coming years.

ESAs, particularly universal ones, are good policy because kids need quicker solutions for accessing education options that will work best for them. We can’t wait on reforms that will take years or even decades to take hold. As we’ve seen before, increased funding is no guarantee that poor performing public schools will improve, much less improve quickly.

Every semester, our K-12 students have academic milestones they are supposed to hit. And we know that when they don’t achieve these goals, they are more likely to fall further and further behind their peers, putting themselves and their futures at risk.��

SB 233 provides immediate help by making Promise Scholarships available beginning with the school year in 2025.

Education is a building block of a flourishing life. Without access to quality education in Ģ����Ƶ, our kids and our communities will continue down a path where success and opportunity are not open to everyone in the state. An increasing number of families are looking for alternatives, and we must work to provide opportunities that meets the needs of all students, not just a few.

Related Articles

Ģ����Ƶ Needs to Widen Schooling Choices in 2024
(Buzz Brockway in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Ģ����Ƶ Passes Promise Scholarships and Expands Education Opportunity

(Randy Hicks in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarships (SB 233): Questions and Answers

Gov. Brian Kemp Champions Education Opportunity, Calls for Unity on Promise Scholarship

Why Educational Opportunity Is Good for Rural Areas, Too

The post Promise Scholarships Cross Major Hurdle appeared first on For Opportunity.

The Alabama legislature has passed a bill that phases in universal Education Savings Accounts over time. It now goes to the desk of Gov. Kay Ivey for her signature. The ESA will be worth up to $7,000 for each student to be used for approved educational expenses.

The Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Ģ����Ƶ is now on the cusp of being surrounded by states with universal school choice, or near universal school choice,” said��Buzz Brockway, GCO’s vice president of public policy. “That means our state is now an outlier in the southeast when it comes to educational options. We shouldn’t be satisfied to maintain a status quo on this issue that leaves thousands of schoolchildren behind each year. It’s time for Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers to lead and pass legislation like the Promise Scholarships bill that expand educational opportunities across the state to students and families trapped in a system that doesn’t work for them.”

For more on the ways ESAs would help kids in Ģ����Ƶ, check out these resources:

• SB233 Could Help Thousands
• Aidan’s Story
• Education Designed for Everyone��

The post It’s Time for Ģ����Ƶ Lawmakers to Lead and Pass Legislation Like the Promise Scholarships appeared first on For Opportunity.

On March 29, 2023, the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act (Senate Bill 233) failed by a vote of 85-89 in the House of Representatives, despite passing the Ģ����Ƶ Senate on March 6, 2023. 

At the time, that was the furthest that an bill had advanced in the Ģ����Ƶ Legislature. Despite having support from Governor Brian Kemp, Lt. Governor Burt Jones, and Speaker Jon Burns, the bill still came up six votes short of passage in the House.

Ģ����Ƶ needs Promise Scholarships to build its future workforce and prosperity

In late 2023, Governor Brian Kemp announced a new program called . Ģ����Ƶ Match seeks to connect every high school senior with a post-secondary education path that meets each student’s needs. The program brings unprecedented cooperation between the Ģ����Ƶ Department of Education, The Technical College System of Ģ����Ƶ, and the University System of Ģ����Ƶ. It’s not an exaggeration to say this program can potentially transform Ģ����Ƶ’s educational system and workforce.

SB 233 would allow students zoned for a school ranked in the bottom 25% for two consecutive years, according to Ģ����Ƶ’s College and Career Readiness Performance Index (CCRPI), to use a Promise Scholarship. 

• Promise Scholarships would allow these families to access education options that they might not otherwise be able to afford or use. The scholarship could be applied to private school tuition, homeschooling materials, or other educational expenses defined in the bill.
  
  
• The state would put the scholarship amount ($6,500) in a parent-directed account controlled by the state of Ģ����Ƶ for these purposes.

Based on CCRPI scores, which were last calculated in 2018-2019, 298 schools currently fall into the bottom 25% criteria. These schools are located all across Ģ����Ƶ, but mostly in areas of high poverty.

It’s important to note that limiting the Promise Scholarship to only the bottom 25% of schools doesn’t cover all the schools in Ģ����Ƶ that receive D or F grades in CCRPI.

To see Ģ����Ƶ Match fulfill its potential, K-12 students must be prepared to succeed in the post-secondary education path they choose—especially those students eligible for a Promise Scholarship and those who deserve better economic and social opportunities to escape poverty. 

“Our job is not decide for every family but to support them in making the best choice for their child.”
— Gov. Brian Kemp, 2024 State of the State Address

��[16 Republican legislators opposed Promise Scholarships in 2023. Here’s why they should have changed their vote.

Over the past 10 years, Republican governors and legislators have passed and tried to implement reforms meant to improve Ģ����Ƶ’s lowest-performing public schools. From the failed Opportunity School District constitutional amendment to the all-but-gutted Chief Turnaround Officer legislation, efforts for transformational reform within the traditional public school system have been stifled.

Many of the schools in question also receive intensive assistance from the Department of Education (DOE) via the Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) programs. These programs require schools to develop improvement plans in close collaboration with DOE officials. 

While these programs have helped, there’s an important detail that voters and parents should know about. Several of these schools in the bottom 25% of CCRPI performance today were schools that qualified for the Opportunity School District program back in 2015. 

In other words, these schools are still among our state’s lowest-performing schools after eight years of intensive assistance. Should we continue to tell parents to wait for another program? If your children or grandchildren were zoned for these schools, would you tell them to wait?

For several legislators, including 16 Republican Representatives, the answer has been “yes.”

Of the 16 Republican legislators who voted against SB 233 in 2023, 13 have public schools in their districts that are in the bottom 25%. Yet all 16 of these districts have private schools ready to accept more students. In addition, Ģ����Ƶ has a robust homeschooling community in all corners of the state, as well as a burgeoning microschool movement. Promise Scholarship recipients can access these options no matter where they live.

Ģ����Ƶ’s Promise Scholarship Explained
Find out what the program is, how it works, and which students will be eligible. 

See the Promise Scholarship FAQs

To meet Ģ����Ƶ’s diverse student needs, the answer is to expand parental options.

If we truly want Governor Kemp’s Ģ����Ƶ Match program to succeed, parents need more options. If we truly want all of Ģ����Ƶ’s students to obtain a quality education and pursue post-secondary education that prepares them for a meaningful career and a stable life, parents need more options. If we want Ģ����Ƶ’s economy to continue to thrive and attract new industries to our state, parents need more options.

Expanding parental options will lift our entire educational system. To see this in action, all we need to do is look south. A November 2023 of Florida’s educational landscape found that as school choice programs matured, the positive effects were felt across the board, including within the public schools:

“We find that as public schools are more exposed to private school choice, their students experience increasing benefits as the program matures. In particular, higher levels of private school choice exposure are associated with lower rates of suspensions and absences, and with higher standardized test scores in reading and math.”

The students showing the most gains? Students with low–socioeconomic status (SES).��

Far from harming public schools, school choice actually improves public schools. Ģ����Ƶ’s students deserve to have this opportunity as well.

With SB 233, Ģ����Ƶ legislators had an incredible chance to set Ģ����Ƶ students on a path toward academic success and a bright future. Thankfully, SB 233 and Ģ����Ƶ’s kids received the support needed from lawmakers, and the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship passed in April 2024. The progam will become available for Ģ����Ƶ parents and students in Fall 2025. 

Related Articles

Ģ����Ƶ Needs to Widen Schooling Choices in 2024
(Buzz Brockway in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarships (SB 233): Questions and Answers

Gov. Brian Kemp Champions Education Opportunity, Calls for Unity on Promise Scholarship

Why Educational Opportunity Is Good for Rural Areas, Too

The post SB 233: Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarships Would Help Thousands of Students. Why Did Some Districts Vote Against It? appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• A from Governor Brian Kemp has designated January 21-27, 2024, as School Choice Week in Ģ����Ƶ.
• Ģ����Ƶ School Choice Week celebrates the fact that every kid is unique and more education options mean parents, educators, and communities can improve education and life outcomes for all students.��
• In 2024, Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers can expand education options by passing Promise Scholarships, expanding the Tax Credit Scholarship for private school access, and allowing public school transfers.

A from Governor Brian Kemp has designated January 21-27, 2024, as School Choice Week in Ģ����Ƶ. Ģ����Ƶ is one of several states holding this event as part of .��

is an annual, multi-state initiative that engages parents, schools, community organizations, and elected officials in promoting the benefits of school choice and the education options available within each state.��

Ģ����Ƶ Governor Bill Kemp’s proclamation highlights the commitment to fostering diverse educational options so that the state is investing in one of our state’s most valuable resources: our students and their futures.

Ģ����Ƶ Governor Bill Kemp proudly celebrates National School Choice Week with a proclamation, adorned with official seals and signatures. The proclamation highlights the commitment to fostering diverse educational options for students throughout the state.

School Choice Week focuses on giving parents and educators the tools to improve education outcomes for all students��

First and foremost, School Choice Week celebrates the fact that every kid is unique. While public schools will continue to be a great option for many students, states are realizing that families need more education choices and flexibility overall. There’s no one-size-fits-all learning�� environment that can accommodate the diversity of learning needs that exist within our communities.��

Parents know this well—so much so that the desire to give kids a quality, customized education motivated one in five parents to switch schools between March 2020 and May 2022. In 2023, polling found that , including , supported more choices within the K-12 education system. Teachers share this support, as well: think that Education Savings Accounts are a good idea.��

Why all the positive support for school choice? More choice in education is . It expands opportunities for all families, not just those who can afford to make a choice or live in a certain area. States with robust choice programs tend to achieve , including those in the public school system.��

These education outcomes are directly linked to students’ long-term success. Students who complete high school , better health, more involvement in their communities, decreased mortality rates, fewer criminal records, and lower teen pregnancy rates.��

With so much at stake, a child’s zip code should not limit their access to a quality education.��

Ģ����Ƶ has opportunities to expand education options in 2024

Ģ����Ƶ’s School Choice Week coincides with the early weeks of the 2024 legislative session, making it a good time to consider the opportunities our elected officials have to shape a more modern, equitable education system in Ģ����Ƶ.��

Here are few ways Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers could expand access to quality education for families this year:��

• Pass Promise Scholarships (SB 233): The Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship is a proposed education choice program that would allow parents to access the best schooling option for their child. These state-funded scholarships would give parents $6,500 per student for each school year and expand opportunity for kids in the bottom 25% of public schools. The bill needs to be passed by the House in 2024 and receive the governor’s signature in order to be enacted.

   

• Increase the Tax Credit Scholarship Cap: Costs often put private school options out of reach for lower and middle-income households. Ģ����Ƶ’s tax credit scholarship program alleviates some of this inequity by making private school scholarships available to K-12 public school students in need. Raising the scholarship cap would allow the program to serve even more kids. In 2024, the House of Representatives is considering that would raise the cap from $120 million to $130 million.

   

• Allow Public School Transfers: We often think of school choice as alternatives to public schools, but there are ways to build flexibility into the public school system itself. This is a worthwhile goal because strong public schools will continue to be beneficial to communities. A would allow students to within their district or a different district, making it easier for families to access the public school best suited to their child’s needs. Ģ����Ƶ Senators have a chance to pass that bill in the current session.

Behind all of these potential reforms, there’s a significant question about the future of education in Ģ����Ƶ: Will we keep pace with other states expanding education opportunity, or will Ģ����Ƶ continue to fall further behind?��

Ways to participate in Ģ����Ƶ’s School Choice Week

, and check out these ideas specifically for Ģ����Ƶ parents.��

• Thank the teachers and administrators at the school your child currently attends. School choice is also about appreciating the options we have today.
• Get to know Ģ����Ƶ’s school choice options.��
• Learn how to get information about ����

For communities, school choice is a powerful tool. When options exist—both public schools and alternatives—parents, educators, and communities have tools to focus on what matters most: Nurturing the development, success, and happiness of Ģ����Ƶ’s kids.��

The post Ģ����Ƶ School Choice Week: Gov. Kemp Encourages Access to Quality Education for Every Kid appeared first on For Opportunity.

A new of likely general election voters in Ģ����Ƶ shows a 68% favorability margin for the concept of “school choice,” with 76% of parents in favor. Support levels for education savings accounts sit at 60%, support for refundable education tax credits at 55%, and support for traditional public schools at 65%.

Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity’s (GCO) take: “Families want Ģ����Ƶ to be the best place to educate their child, and they want to have say in how that’s done,” said Buzz Brockway, vice president of policy for GCO. “Generally speaking, the poll shows that while a majority of people in the state are satisfied with their child’s education, there is glowing support — at or above 70% — for more education options for families. And there is nearly 90% support for every child to have access to good school options, not just failing schools. Support for education is pretty similar whether it is private, public, or even homeschooling. As we invest in educating the public we must open up to a new generation of education. Ģ����Ƶ can and should lead on how to deliver a forward-thinking education that is responsive to family’s and kid’s needs.”

The post Ģ����Ƶ Should Lead on How to Deliver a Forward-Thinking Education appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• Arkansas is the fourth state in the U.S. to legislate universal educational opportunity — the others are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.
• Ģ����Ƶ Senate passed the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act () in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.
• Ģ����Ƶ Senate passed the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act () in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.��

Arkansas recently joined a growing list of states that have approved Education Scholarship Accounts, empowering parents to make the best decisions for their child’s unique educational needs.

The accounts, (EFAs), will contain around $6,600 in funds per student every year. Families can then use the available funds to pay for education-related fees, including tuition, tutoring, textbooks, therapies, and other costs which have been approved by the state.��

It will take three years to fully phase in the act. By the end of the third year, all students in Arkansas will be eligible for EFAs.

The creation of these accounts makes Arkansas the fourth state in the U.S. to legislate universal educational opportunity — the others are Arizona, Utah, and Iowa.

Now, Ģ����Ƶ could be next.

Last week, the Ģ����Ƶ Senate passed the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act () in a 33-23 vote. It will go on to the House next, where it has traditionally faced more opposition.��

If enacted into law, the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act would fund $6,000 per student every school year. Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs. A wide range of educational expenses would be approved under the act, including tutoring, virtual classes, private school tuition, homeschool curriculum, special needs therapies, technology, college courses, and more.��

In the wake of the pandemic, parents nationwide are demanding more options for their children’s education. Learning loss is one of many major crises to arise from nationwide lockdowns. At Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity, we believe it is the state’s responsibility to help reverse that loss.

Families across the state need access to more opportunities now. With Promise Scholarships, Ģ����Ƶ’s children will have more opportunities to excel at school. Every child deserves empowerment through a high-quality education that works best for him or her. We believe that Ģ����Ƶ should lend support to every educational option for its students, including alternatives like homeschooling and virtual learning.��

Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs.

Promise Scholarships would give families the financial freedom to select an educational environment that best fits their child’s needs.

Over the past few years, more and more families have embraced alternatives to public education. While the majority of students across Ģ����Ƶ still attend public schools (and will likely continue to in the future), a growing minority of families are choosing differently. And, as the nation collectively faced an unprecedented pandemic, parents began to realize how many options were available to them outside the traditional school system.

Traditionally, families who select private schools or opt to homeschool receive no financial support to do so. Despite that choice, their tax dollars continue to fund public schools whose services they do not use.��

Parents with special needs children struggle to find school systems that will accommodate their children’s needs. Often, they find that one facility lacks all the important resources they need so their children can thrive at school. While they could opt to build a hybrid program for their children, which might include home healthcare or virtual classes, those alternatives are cost-prohibitive.��

Ultimately, we believe that tax dollars should follow each child, meeting their unique needs along the way. There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to education. Public, private, home, and virtual education are of equal value, and as each family decides what is best for their children, Ģ����Ƶ should be willing to meet them where they are.��

As the Ģ����Ƶ Promise Scholarship Act moves to the House, we urge you to contact your local representative to advocate for this bill. Our children can’t wait any longer for educational support that fits their individual needs and allows them to thrive. The future is depending on us.

The post Arkansas creates educational opportunity. It’s time for Ģ����Ƶ to step up appeared first on For Opportunity.