Cover Story
Arizona’s school choice revolution
Imagine you’re the parent of three lovely, school-aged children, each of whom possesses a unique set of characteristics, personality traits, and educational needs: The eldest might do best in private school. He’s sharp, he’s up for the challenge — if only you could pay for it. Your middle child has some special needs, and you’d love for her to receive the extra care she requires, but therapy is so expensive. Your youngest daughter would prefer to be home-schooled, learning subjects at different paces, but curriculum these days isn’t cheap. Impossible? Not in Arizona. ARIZONA AND NEVADA VOTERS BELIEVE THEY WOULD BE BETTER OFF WITH GOP WINNING CONGRESS: POLL At least not since Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed H.B. 2853, the Empowerment Scholarship Account program, which operates like an education savings program and is now the most expansive school choice law in the nation. A form of it has been operating since 2011, but only children with special needs, about 23% of school-age children, were eligible at the beginning. Now, it applies to 100% of Arizona’s K-12 children, no qualifications necessary. Parents of children with special needs can apply for an ESA even earlier. “Arizona has cemented itself as the No. 1 state for educational freedom,” Corey DeAngelis, a senior fellow at the American Federation for Children, told the Washington Examiner. This win is “the biggest school choice victory in U.S. history.” In the past, conservatives...