Arizona families already pay taxes to support a wide array of public school options. They deserve a modern student transport system designed with this flexibility in mind to help their kids get to and from these schools safely. 

While efforts to broadly expand Empowerment Scholarship Account, or vouchers, eligibility failed this year, school choice advocates found other reasons to celebrate the legislative session.

As school districts decide their plans for the upcoming school year, I urge our legislators to protect school choice so that all families can choose a school that meets their needs.

All students – regardless of ability level – deserve to have their learning be supported and their needs be met. More than anything, I want to see all students succeed and I am proud to work for a private institution that supports public education.

Matthew Ladner is one of the biggest school choice advocates in Arizona and he thinks the debate on the topic is not a productive one.

In 1994 (when AZ passed open enrollment and charter school laws) 59% percent of Arizona public schools had 70% of their student body from a single race or ethnicity. During the 2017-18 school year (the most recent available) that statewide percentage had dropped to 41%. Arizona students are less rather than more racially isolated in their schools today than in 1994.

It is a shame that in the name of “school choice” public schools in Arizona have reversed decades worth of equality. For a state that has over a $1 billion in our rainy day fund and over $700 million in excess revenues, additional funding for schools based on poverty and special education, just like results-based funding, is critical. This additional funding will not reverse the troubling trend of segregation in our schools; however, it will provide hope and help to traditional public schools affected by this unfortunate trend.

This week I am especially grateful for Arizona’s micro schools. As students, parents, and educators will gather at more than 50,000 events and activities around the nation, let’s use National School Choice Week to continue to innovate so that all children can find schools where they succeed.

By opening up the education marketplace and relying less on government provision of education, Arizona is leading the way in creating more and better education opportunities for young people through entrepreneurship and innovation.

My son Drew was just two years old when his doctors diagnosed him with a very rare form of cardiomyopathy. He was in desperate need of a heart transplant. You can imagine how scared we were, but we were fortunate to find a perfect matching heart for Drew. Eight years later, in spite of a few setbacks, he is doing incredibly well.