As August ushers in a new school year, nearly are headed back to Ģ����Ƶ’s . How are the state’s schools doing when it comes to preparing kids for work and life? Here are a few key education measures that Ģ����Ƶ parents and communities should know about as students return to the classroom. 

Skills in Reading

Results from the latest show that students are still struggling with reading proficiency. A proficient reader can analyze challenging material and think critically about it.

Just 40% of eighth graders reached a level of reading proficiency in 2025. Third graders are even further behind—only 35% were proficient in reading last year. 

Achieving reading proficiency by third grade is a crucial milestone for Ģ����Ƶ’s students. Not only is it necessary for , but it’s also an indicator of future stability and economic opportunity. That’s because literacy, like math proficiency, is closely linked to high school completion and participation in the workforce.

Demographic data from the Milestones Assessment also shows that Black and Hispanic third graders are struggling the most when it comes to literacy.

State lawmakers are paying attention to these challenges, and through promising legislation (see the section on new laws below), they’re paving the way for more children to thrive in their academic development and build flourishing futures.

Enrollment Trends

Ģ����Ƶ public schools have enrolled 1,702,086 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the Ģ����Ƶ Department of Education’s spring 2026 . That number marks a drop of 34,644 students from the spring of 2025. 

The decline in Ģ����Ƶ follows a nationwide trend. The National Center for Education Statistics recently showed that , or almost 1.5 million students, from 2019-2024. Ģ����Ƶ’s decrease in enrollment was slightly smaller during that time at 1.4%.

Part of the reason for this drop might be the in the last several years. But Ģ����Ƶ has also taken steps to expand education opportunities, and more families are embracing new schooling options to find the best education fit for their kids. , and over applied to Ģ����Ƶ’s newest school choice program, the Promise Scholarship, between March and December of 2025.

Chronic Absenteeism Rates

Like many states, Ģ����Ƶ is battling a crisis of chronic absenteeism. The students involved are missing 10% or more of school days—a situation that and .

Chronic absenteeism rates tend to be among students from low-income families, students of color, and students with disabilities.  

Fortunately, . It dropped to 17.7% during the 2025-2026 school year. That’s down from a peak of 23.9% in 2021-2022. The rate has especially improved for grades K-5 and now stands at 13.5%. Lowering this rate even more will be key to making improvements in reading proficiency in the early grades. 

Public School Spending

On average, Ģ����Ƶ spends on K-12 education per student. Pre-kindergarten and K-12 education funds account for , making it Ģ����Ƶ’s biggest line item. In 2026, the budget included for Ģ����Ƶ’s public schools, approximately a $900 million increase from 2025.

Despite these amounts, state funding is only a portion of overall revenue for public schools. Local taxes are the biggest source of education dollars, and a small percentage comes from federal funding.

New Reading and Math Education Laws

Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers passed important education-related bills during the most recent legislative session. 

The will help more children read at grade level or above by putting literacy coaches—educators with expertise in teaching reading—in all elementary schools. Students will also be required to go to kindergarten before starting first grade, and their reading skills will be tested early in their academic development. 

In addition to addressing literacy, Ģ����Ƶ legislators passed the , which calls for an increase in the amount of time children spend on math during the elementary school day, an advanced (compressed and accelerated) math track for qualifying middle and high school students, and new requirements for teacher certifications. 

It’s important to note that qualified students will be automatically enrolled in the advanced classes to make sure all children have equitable access to them. This will help close racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic achievement gaps among young Ģ����Ƶns. 

Improvements to the Classroom Environment

Ģ����Ƶ lawmakers also recently passed a that will require high schools to ban personal electronic devices like phones and tablets during the school day. A is going into effect for students in elementary and middle school this year. These changes should reduce distractions and help students stay engaged in the classroom.

And in 2025, Governor Brian Kemp signed the into law. Starting with the 2026-2027 school year, every Ģ����Ƶ school district will have an anonymous reporting system available. Schools will also provide evidence-based training on both suicide awareness and prevention and youth violence prevention to all students in grades 6-12. Changes like these will help create a safer environment where students can focus on learning and growing.

When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), Ģ����Ƶ schools are shifting from asking whether students should use it to teaching them how to use it safely and responsibly. The that help students engage with AI in ethical ways, think critically about the information it provides, and build the skills they’ll need to thrive in an AI-driven workforce.

Next Steps for Education in Ģ����Ƶ

Ģ����Ƶ’s education measures are more than just data. Behind the numbers are real children who will be the next generation of mothers, fathers, business owners, employees, and voters in our state. A top-notch education will give them bright, opportunity-filled futures. 

Additional solutions to boost math and reading proficiency and address chronic absenteeism will not only help kids. They’ll also strengthen Ģ����Ƶ’s public schools and enable them to support students whose best—and sometimes only—education option is the local public school.

At the same time, Ģ����Ƶ leaders are continuing their work to remove financial and social barriers to quality education and to empower students and families to access the school of their choice. Prioritizing a range of options will open more doors for Ģ����Ƶ’s kids and give them new opportunities to flourish as they grow.

Image Credit: Canva

The post What to Know Ģ����Ƶ Education in Ģ����Ƶ as Students Go Back to School appeared first on For Opportunity.

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.

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.

In 2024, Ģ����Ƶ legislators are considering an expansion to Ģ����Ƶ’s Tax Credit Scholarship program. Through this program, businesses and individuals toward private school scholarships for K-12 students enrolled in public schools. In return, they receive a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit.

In 2022, the state Legislature raised the program cap by $20 million, bringing it up to $120 million from $100 million. But that increase hasn’t proven large enough to keep up with communities’ positive response. Lawmakers are now looking at a that would raise the total program cap to $200 million, and expand the number of students the program can serve. 

“It’s clear that demand for the program is strong. The existing $120 million cap was met on the very first day of applications in 2023,” noted Buzz Brockway, Vice President of Public Policy at the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity. “Ģ����Ƶ families are demanding more options, and lawmakers would be wise to take notice.”

Here are a few reasons why raising the cap on Ģ����Ƶ’s tax credit scholarship program would help students, parents, and the state’s overall education system:

1. The Ģ����Ƶ Tax Credit Scholarship program makes private school access more equitable.

Private schools are often an education option available to families who can afford them. Through Ģ����Ƶ’s Tax Credit Scholarship, lower and middle-income families can get financial support to access private schools as a viable option when the local public school isn’t the best fit for their child.

But what about families in rural areas? According to a 2017 by The Brookings Institute, 69% of families living in rural areas have a private school within 10 miles. Increasing the program cap for Ģ����Ƶ’s tax credit scholarships would help rural Ģ����Ƶ families in this situation. For those that aren’t, there’s still a benefit: Growing the tax credit scholarship program is a way to encourage more private schools to launch and fill education gaps in areas where options are fewer and farther between. 

2. Raising the program cap makes it possible to serve more kids.

Currently 500,000 Ģ����Ƶ students are in schools that are underperforming or simply aren’t meeting their specific needs. Increasing the program cap means more families could enjoy the flexibility to consider one of Ģ����Ƶ’s when seeking out a school that matches their kid’s learning style, their personal values, or other preferences. In 2021, were awarded to eligible students. Imagine how many more kids we could help if Ģ����Ƶ’s tax credit scholarship program expanded to $200 million. 

3. Expanding our tax credit scholarship program would bring Ģ����Ƶ up-to-date with other states.

Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Iowa, and Nevada have all taken note of the growing popularity of tax credit scholarships and have responded by on their various programs. Whether it’s tax credit scholarships or other options like Education Savings Accounts, the momentum to embrace more education choice programs is building across , raising the question of whether Ģ����Ƶ will keep up.

With Ģ����Ƶ’s Tax Credit Scholarship, kids in Atlanta’s crime-ridden neighborhoods have found a safe place to go to school, allowing them to improve academically and pursue their dreams.

4. It’s one option to relieve parents’ frustration with one-size-fits-all education options.

A recent poll of 5,000 parents, conducted by the Harris Poll, revealed that 20% of parents switched schools for their kids during the pandemic. The pandemic itself is a tired topic, but the trend it introduced in education isn’t: Over the last two years, parents’ desire for more education options has skyrocketed as many of them realize that traditional public schools don’t work for every kid. 

By investing in educational choice programs, we can guarantee families access to a variety of stellar learning experiences that help their children reach great heights—academically, socially, vocationally…the list goes on. Ģ����Ƶ’s tax credit scholarship program makes private schools one of these meaningful options, regardless of where families live or how much they earn. 

5. Increasing education tax credits gets more businesses and individuals involved in our kids’ futures.

A quality education, tailored to a student’s unique needs, prepares kids for the workplace, for community involvement, and for life. That’s why education is more than a parental concern—it should be a community priority. We all benefit when kids have access to the education option that will help them become healthy, successful citizens, employees, relatives, and friends as they grow up. Ģ����Ƶ’s Tax Credit Scholarship gives our communities—both businesses and taxpayers—a way to directly invest in K-12 education and ensure bright futures for our students. By raising the program cap, we can expand the investment opportunities available to current donors and to new businesses and individuals who want to get involved.  

Related Reading: Ģ����Ƶ School Choice In the News

Ģ����Ƶ students need more schooling choices (GCO in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

(Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 

(The Center Square)

(Washington Examiner)

The post 5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Expand Ģ����Ƶ’s Tax Credit Scholarship appeared first on For Opportunity.

Originally published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The post Ģ����Ƶ Students Need More Schooling Choices appeared first on For Opportunity.

Key Points

• On the House side, the leadership team has nearly universal pro-educational opportunity voting record in recent history.

• Seventy-five percent said “students are mostly still behind due to school closures” from the pandemic, while two-thirds of parents said their students have lost learning due to the pandemic.��

• Ģ����Ƶ must follow in the footsteps of states like Arizona and West Virginia, which recently passed significant new laws that expand educational access for all.

Those who support opening up access to all educational options for every child in Ģ����Ƶ have a lot to celebrate this holiday season. That’s because a new lineup of leadership in the Ģ����Ƶ Legislature increases the likelihood that our state will soon see new and innovative ways for parents to access the right and best educational option for their child.

New leadership, new opportunities

Following the results of the 2022 elections, new leadership will be taking over both chambers of the state legislature. On the House side, the leadership team has nearly universal pro-educational opportunity voting record in recent history: Jan Jones (Speaker Pro Tem), Chuck Efstration (Majority Leader), James Burchett (Majority Whip), Bruce Williamson (Caucus Chair), Houston Gaines (Caucus Vice Chair), and Ginny Ehrhart (Caucus Treasurer) all have 100% pro-educational freedom voting records.

The only member of House leadership without a perfect record on these issues is the new House Speaker, Burns. But even he only has one vote off, the 2018 vote on the Educational Savings Account, the last time a bill of this nature was voted on in the House. Burns was nominated by the Republican caucus to become House Speaker beginning in the 2023 session.

What about on the Senate side? The good news is that only one member of Senate leadership — Jason Anavitarte, Caucus Chair — that would have created . But Anavitarte voted “yes” on other pieces of educational opportunity legislation, including raising the tax credit scholarship cap and increasing funding for charter schools. Other top members of Senate leadership — including President Pro Tem John Kennedy, Majority Leader Steve Gooch, and Majority Whip Randy Robertson — all have 100% positive voting records when it comes to educational opportunity.

Parents want more options

from the Walton Family Foundation found that parents who voted are deeply concerned about the direction of K-12 public education in the United States.

The poll found that 72% of voters believe “improving K-12 education” should be a top priority for state lawmakers headed into 2023. Only the economy and inflation ranked higher at 76%.��

Americans are also still deeply concerned about learning losses from pandemic-induced classroom closures. Seventy-five percent said “students are mostly still behind due to school closures” from the pandemic, while two-thirds of parents said their students have lost learning due to the pandemic.��

On average, parents said their kids missed 21 days of school in 2021 due to the pandemic.��

As for what changes need to be in store for K-12 education, in Oct. 2021 36% of voters said they wanted to see “bold changes” for schools, while that number jumped to 46% by Nov. 2022.��

Voters’ top priorities include ensuring that every child is on track in reading, writing, and math; addressing the teacher shortage; offering more career and technical education; and improving security and safety on school grounds.��

Ģ����Ƶ must follow in the footsteps of states like Arizona and West Virginia, which recently passed significant new laws that expand educational access for all.

Ģ����Ƶ must follow in the footsteps of states like Arizona and West Virginia, which recently passed significant new laws that expand educational access for all.

Expanding educational access

Throughout the 2023 session, the Ģ����Ƶ Center for Opportunity will be advocating for a bill similar to the one in 2022, for Promise Scholarship Accounts. Key facets of these accounts would be to enable all Ģ����Ƶ families to attend the school that best fits their student’s needs.

The 2022 version of the bill would have offered families up to $6,000 a year for approved education expenses. Promise Scholarships would step far beyond a typical voucher by fully putting parents in the driver’s seat when it comes to their child’s education. The funds could have been used for private-school tuition, but there would have been added flexibility depending on each family’s unique needs, extending to paying for things like tutoring, specialized therapies, or homeschool co-ops.

Ģ����Ƶ must follow in the footsteps of states like Arizona and West Virginia, which recently passed significant new laws that expand educational access for all.

The post What will 2023 hold for educational opportunity in Ģ����Ƶ? appeared first on For Opportunity.

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By Heidi Holmes Erickson

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We all remember a time as students when we boarded a bus, a brown paper bag with a smashed sandwich in hand, anxiously waiting as our teacher gave us information about the day’s field trip. Field trips are a long-standing tradition in K-12 education and may be some of our most vivid memories from school. Butin the�� COVID-19 era, field trips may be non-existent for the upcoming school year as many school districts across the country prepare for fully virtual instruction.����

Many parents are already looking for ways to supplement the virtual education experience. Families are forming /; , , or ; and searching out anything that will help enhance their children’s education and expose them to a world outside of their own home (and, let’s be honest, keep parents’ sanity). This is where museums and other cultural institutions can help.

There is a growing body of research that finds that culturally enriching field trips to art museums, the theater, and other such institutions are an important part of education.Students experience significant educational and social emotional benefits from such culturally enriching trips, including greater , , , and , with some evidence that economically .��

The Importance of Field Trips

Why do students see such significant benefits from field trips? There isn’t a clear answer, but one theory is that arts expose students to a broader world beyond their own. Art exposes all of us to people, places, ideas, cultures, and history that we didn’t know before. In a time where students have limited interactions outside of their own homes and neighborhoods, arts and other cultural institutions can provide connecting experiences.��

Art museums typically see thousands of school groups throughout the year. With social distancing guidelines, however, it seems impossible to take an entire class of young children anywhere, let alone on a bus to a theater. Yet many museums and some theaters have now reopened and are offering tours for small groups, limiting capacity inside, or moving to outdoor venues.��

For example, here in Ģ����Ƶ, the is open daily with reservations, and the is preparing for the 2020-21 season which includes multiple productions for youth as well as young children. Museums can easily and safely accommodate “academic pods” with a few children and parents. Now, attending museums with family and friends is not something new, but it may play a more important role in enhancing students’ education this cloistered year than it has previously.

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The Power of Experience

These in-person cultural experiences are more important for student learning than some might expect. There is some evidence that field trips done “virtually” or in an at-home or in-class setting are not as impactful as when students visit the actual institutions. For instance, a found that students who attended a live theater performance had greater command of the plot than students who saw a movie version of the same play. found that students who visited an art museum asked more complex questions about works of art and recalled the experience in more detail than students who saw the same art but in a classroom setting. This evidence suggests that an in-person experience has a unique importance that isn’t always transferred to other settings.��

With the 2020-21 school year looking nothing like anyone could have predicted, parents and students should embrace the change and enjoy educational experiences that are not limited to something on a computer screen. Taking time away from instruction in core subjects isn’t going to harm student academic performance—!

EVERY CHILD WITH ACCESS TO A QUALITY EDUCATION

A quality education is key to a child’s future success. Academic achievement paves the way to a good job, self-sufficiency, and the earned success we all want for our children. To learn more about education options in Ģ����Ƶ click here.��

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Educational Flexibility Even Stronger

By Benjamin Scafidi��

With respect to school openings during this COVID-19 pandemic, a public health professor recently , “There are no ideal solutions here. No matter what schools do, they won’t make everyone happy.” Of course, that is true in the monolithic K-12 education system we have now.�� But we can move away from a monolithic system. We can move to a system that empowers parents with more choices.

Calls for giving families choice in K-12 education go back to in the Rights of Man, in On Liberty, and—the modern father of choice in education—. Instead of giving government exclusive control over taxpayer funds for the education of youth, Paine, Mill, and Friedman suggested that taxpayer funds should go directly to families of school-aged children—where families would decide where their children are educated. The core issue is this: Who decides how taxpayer funds for education are spent—the government, as is largely the case now, or families?

Many reasons to support expanded educational opportunity

There are so many reasons to give families more choice in K-12 education. The balance of the extensive empirical research finds that choice programs have improved student achievement and educational attainment for students who exercise choice and improved outcomes for students who remain in public schools.��Further, private schools appear to do a better job of providing students with important civic virtues like tolerance and volunteerism, and private school choice programs have promoted integration. And choice programs, including Ģ����Ƶ’s tax credit scholarship program, have been designed to save taxpayers money.��

Giving parents control over where their children are educated allows them to choose school and non-school offerings that are tailored to their children’s interests and needs. Under such a choice system, prospective schools and other education providers are incentivized to provide customized educational and social environments that meet the interests and needs of students and their families. And the evidence—including evidence here in Ģ����Ƶ—suggests that families that exercise choice are overwhelmingly much happier with the services in their students new schools of choice.��

In this era of COVID-19, there are now additional reasons to support educational opportunity—families have different health risk��tolerances; families, students, and teachers have different underlying health conditions; and families have different health preferences. Public school districts going fully online do not permit families to sort their children into schools (and teachers to sort into schools) based on their varying health preferences. When entire public school districts go entirely online, they are providing what many families desire, but they are not providing what many other families want or need.��

As an example, a family with (a) one parent who can stay at home or work part-time from home; (b) a family member with an underlying health condition; and (c) older children may be that their public school is fully online.

However, other families may not be happy with fully online schools. A family with one parent who works full-time outside the home; (b) young children; and (c) no underlying health concerns may desire five-day, full-day, face-to-face schooling with safety precautions. Online schooling may force some parents to . Of course, families of children with may be subject to the most hardships with online schooling.

It is impossible for a one-size-fits-all approach to health concerns to meet the needs of all families. Meeting the diverse educational and social needs and interests of children—and now the differing health needs of students and their families in this era of COVID-19—is only possible in a choice system.��

What can states do to provide more educational choice to families?��

First, to the extent permitted by federal law, states should use existing and forthcoming federal education funds to offer families choice. are using federal CARES funding to provide scholarships for school-aged children. South Carolina is providing scholarships to defray private school tuition costs up to $6,500 for 5,000 students from low- and middle-income families, where $6,500 is of what taxpayers spend to educate students in their public schools.��

Second, states should or expand .

The track record of existing education choice programs in the United States is strong. COVID-19 only makes the case for choice stronger. Hopefully, policymakers will rise to the occasion and give students and families an educational lifeline during these challenging times.��

EVERY CHILD WITH ACCESS TO A QUALITY EDUCATION

A quality education is key to a child’s future success. Academic achievement paves the way to a good job, self-sufficiency, and the earned success we all want for our children. To learn more about education options in Ģ����Ƶ click here.��

The post COVID-19 Makes the Case for Educational Flexibility Even Stronger appeared first on For Opportunity.

One blind spot the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us is the weakness of an education system built for one approach and a single learning style. The traditional public school system is based on this one-size, fits all option. But even as many families have flocked to alternatives—through charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling—that cry for flexibility will only increase in the coming months and years.

Our traditional school system offers a brick-and-mortar school that students come to for set classes and time periods during the day. Families will increasingly see that this archaic system no longer works in a 21st century education environment.

Here is what will be necessary in the post-COVID-19 education landscape:��

• Public schools will need to adapt to virtual learning and break down the technology barriers that unfairly inhibit low-income students from succeeding.��

• Elected officials must begin putting the needs of individual students and their families ahead of protecting “the system,” whatever that may look like. A wide diversity of educational options is key here—ones that maximize the potential of all students.

• Unfortunately, academic achievement gaps could widen as low-income students and those from rural areas struggle with the new technological demands. This makes it even more crucial that lawmakers prioritize ways to extend educational access and resources to all of Ģ����Ƶ’s students, not just those in wealthy zip codes and urban areas.

• Our state must give all students greater educational choice by passing an Education Scholarship Account in Ģ����Ƶ, which empowers families who wish to choose a private school to do so.

• We also must continue to support Ģ����Ƶ’s programs that expand educational access, including the Scholarship Tax Credit Program and Special Needs Scholarship Program.

To be sure, many parents will still prefer the traditional approach offered by traditional public school districts. Ģ����Ƶ must continue to support a strong public school system. But many others will want expanded options, and lawmakers and the K-12 education infrastructure must adapt.

The post Coronavirus exposes the weakness of a K-12 education system built for one learning style appeared first on For Opportunity.