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Arizona confirms its status as the birthplace of school choice in the United States. In a new battle, this time with the state’s teachers’ unions, they were unable to reach enough signatures to repeal Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Act (ESA), legislation that was billed as the “nation’s most expansive school choice initiative.
Just a few months ago, Gov. Doug Ducey (R) celebrated with parents and educators the signing of the ESA, a scholarship program that is all Arizona K-12 students are eligible to receive funding and access the education that best suits their unique needs.
“Arizona is now the gold standard for educational freedom in America. Our kids will no longer be stuck in under-performing schools. We’re unlocking their educational potential and advancing a bold new era of learning opportunities”, said Ducey.
“With this legislation, Arizona cements itself as the top state for school choice and as the first state in the nation to offer all families the option to choose the school setting that works best for them,” he added.
Thanks to this bill sponsored by local Representative Ben Toma, more than one million children will be eligible for the program, when at the beginning of 2022, only about 11,000 children were eligible.
Arizona teachers’ unions could not stand against school choice
Following the enactment of the aforementioned law, teachers’ unions and other opponents sought to repeal it by collecting signatures. However, thanks to the efforts of organizations such as the Goldwater Institute, the Arizona Center for Political Action and a groundswell of parents across the state, their attempt was thwarted.
Under the rules for this proceeding, they had to reach 118,843 signatures to achieve their goal and repeal the law. When the Secretary of State’s office conducted the official count, only 88,886 signatures were recorded.
“The preliminary results make it clear: Arizona families have rejected special interests’ attempts to take away their ability to choose the education that best meets their child’s unique needs,” celebrated Victor Riches, president and executive director of Goldwater Institute.
“Families deserve the right to choose the best education option for their children, regardless of zip code, and now, they’ll once again be able to exercise that right by applying for ESAs,” added Riches.
Joaquín Núñez es licenciado en comunicación periodística por la Universidad Católica Argentina. Se especializa en el escenario internacional y en la política nacional norteamericana. Confeso hincha de Racing Club de Avellaneda. Contacto: [email protected] // Joaquín Núñez has a degree in journalistic communication from the Universidad Católica Argentina. He specializes in the international scene and national American politics. Confessed fan of Racing Club of Avellaneda. Contact: [email protected]