Educational choice is on the rise, and the data supports it

Originally published in the Patriot-News

Across the nation, states are expanding educational options for families. Already this year, ten states have created or broadened school choice programs. Iowa, Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, and Utah have created universal programs that provide educational accounts or refundable tax credits that enable families to choose the most suitable educational opportunity based on their needs.

This wave should be no surprise, given the increased parental demand for options following the pandemic. After dramatic losses in learning in reading, math, and history, support for educational choice has grown.

In Pennsylvania, the same holds. Test scores have dropped: Only 56 percent of commonwealth eighth graders can read at grade level, and only 23 percent are proficient in math. Meanwhile, school district enrollment has plummeted. More parents are choosing private schools, public charter schools, or homeschooling for their children.

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