Despite all the headlines about parents’ appetite for school choice programs, little has been reported about what this means for teachers. For instance, in several states such as Florida and Arizona, all K-12 students are eligible for education spending dollars deposited into a personalized education savings account. It is widely reported that families can use these funds on a large variety of education expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, therapies, curriculum, and more. But this also presents an opportunity for teachers, who are the sleeping giants of the education reform movement, and who can take advantage of this new market.
For entrepreneurial teachers, the availability of ESAs brings a new opportunity, especially in this moment when teacher satisfaction keeps spiraling downwards. According to a 2024 Pew Research study, only about one-third of teachers report being extremely or very satisfied with their jobs overall. The study noted that “teachers get the most satisfaction from their relationship with fellow teachers and the least satisfaction from how much they are paid.” But with higher and higher rates of school choice, public schools aren’t the only option. ESAs provide teachers with the opportunity to take the most satisfying parts of their jobs with them and redesign their careers with a much higher pay rate and professional autonomy.
FLORIDA DOGE TIES MISSION TO RON DESANTIS’S HOPES OF SLASHING PROPERTY TAXES
Imagine a Florida middle school language arts teacher with 10 years of experience, teaching 120 students and six different classes each day while earning a paltry income annually. The hours are long, the responsibilities are daunting, the flexibility is nonexistent, and there is no monetary reward for exceeding expectations. But with a simple mindset shift, this teacher can create her own microschool, especially seeing that a 2024 report released by the National Microschooling Center indicates parents are interested in small learning environments for their children.
As her own boss, she can choose how many students she can serve, what her school hours are, and her own curriculum. She can test the market to determine the true value of an intimate and personalized education that meets students’ unique needs while outpacing her earnings as a public school teacher. Moreover, smaller learning environments make it easier for teachers to personalize student learning by remediating for the struggling students and challenging the high flyers. This is a win-win for teachers, students, parents, and the education freedom movement.
THE LEFT’S REAL POWER IS CONTROLLING THE BUREAUCRACY
Of course, whether you are a teacher or a parent, making the switch to a new school model comes with challenges, especially since America’s ubiquitous public education model has not changed in decades — and change is slow. But technology has the potential to help facilitate new options. A new app called Edefy, for example, seeks to help teachers “renew [their] love of teaching with a rewarding career path that puts the teacher-student relationship back at the heart of education.” A tool such as Edefy has the potential to revolutionize the education industry in the same way Uber disrupted the traditional taxicab system, by possibly accelerating the microschool movement to bring together teachers, parents, and open facilities — the three critical components of opening a small learning environment.
I was a capable and passionate teacher who left the profession in search of leadership opportunities and more professional autonomy. Thankfully, today, there are more opportunities for teachers to transform their profession than ever before while still fulfilling their passion for teaching children. It’s time for the sleeping giant to wake up, see the opportunity at hand, and make a change. The next generation of teachers will be watching your example.
Kelly Garcia is a visiting fellow at Independent Women who has spent her career in education. She is the regional director for GuidEd and serves on the Florida State Board of Education.
