Entries by Friedman Foundation

The School Voucher Audit: Do Publicly Funded Private School Choice Programs Save Money?

One of the pillars of Dr. Milton Friedman’s school voucher idea was that it not only would expand personal freedom and improve student achievement but also save money. To see if that is indeed the case, this paper presents a cautious, rational estimate of the overall fiscal effects of school voucher programs that have been […]

Bill Gates and Localizing Common Core and Standardized Testing by Paul DiPerna

“Innovations that are guided by smallholder farmers, adapted to local circumstances, and sustainable for the economy and environment will be necessary to ensure food security in the future.” – Bill Gates The Andrew Carnegie of our time—and as a native of Pittsburgh, I say that respectfully—may want to consider how that same approach can augment education […]

School Choice: Historic developments in KS, FL, AZ, as other states play defense by Leslie Hiner

Alabama – Stephanie Linn @StephanieJLinn U.S. District Judge Keith Watkins dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the Alabama Accountability Act on grounds that the school choice program contained within the Act violated equal protection. The Southern Poverty Law Center had filed a lawsuit contending that its clients, students in “failing” public schools, were unable to take advantage of […]

Study: Why Catholic schools have “switched” to charter schools

For decades, Catholic schools, particularly inner-city Catholic schools, have seen declines in enrollment and an increasing need for subsidies from their dioceses. Many dioceses, however, have been unable to shoulder that burden, forcing schools to close. In response to difficult financial circumstances, the archdioceses of Indianapolis, Miami, and Washington, D.C., put a new twist on […]

How a Parent Chooses a School by Benjamin Scafidi, Ph.D. and James P. Kelly, III, J.D

What do parents really consider when trying to choose their child’s school from a list of options? Based on the findings from our latest study, we created a graphic simulation of a parent’s likely experience choosing a school. Take a look and share your thoughts in the comments! The idea that impoverished parents shouldn’t be trusted to […]

Education Savings Accounts Fail in Mississippi, Alive in Florida by Stephanie Linn

“If my son had access to (an education savings account) earlier in his school career, he could have had access to online courses and consistent speech therapy that would have likely helped him reach his educational goals. Let’s face it. Kids learn differently. Maybe a different approach to education could help other children who learn […]

If you think expanding school choice is expensive –consider the alternative! by Jeff Spaulding

President Obama has yet again omitted funding for the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program in his recently proposed 2015 education budget. Although his reasoning is likely more philosophical than financial, his decision makes analyzing the fiscal effects of opposing school choice worthwhile. Data from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) show that taxpayers are bearing additional costs for funding K-12 education […]

March 2014 UPDATE: School Choice in the States

Alabama The Alabama House passed HB 558 that would amend the Alabama Accountability Act. The bill heads to the Senate for consideration. The bill would make the following changes: Define individual donors as shareholders or partners of S corporations or Subchapter K entities, and eliminate the $7,500 cap on all individual contributions. Scholarship granting organizations […]

Milton Friedman On Taxes and Education Funding

How can we minimize the gap in income inequality for America’s Haves and Have-nots? This video features Milton Friedman with a surprisingly simple solution. Watch to find out about the keystone of school choice. [youtube]http://youtu.be/JrqAv5Z6yRo[/youtube]   To learn more about the Nobel Prize-winning economist and his views on education, visit: http://www.edchoice.org.

School choice ESAs receive favorable ruling from Arizona Supreme Court

PHOENIX, AZ — The Arizona Supreme Court today declined to review a lower court’s decision on the state’s education savings accounts (ESA) program, essentially deeming the ESA program legal. Opponents claimed ESAs support private schools in violation of the state constitution. However, in 2013, the Arizona Court of Appeals rejected opponents’ opinion, declaring the program constitutional […]

Oklahomans are All In on School Choice

A majority of Oklahomans favor an education savings account system, with the largest margin of support and most positive intensity coming from younger voters ages 18-34, according to a Friedman Foundation poll released this week. An ambitious school choice proposal is on the table in Oklahoma. Last week, state legislators introduced a bill to create […]

Support for School Choice Based on Political Affiliation and Race/Ethnicity

In a new Friedman Foundation report, Dr. Dick Carpenter writes, “I used survey data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES) to examine several specific questions about public opinion and school choice.” Is there a significant difference in support for choice based on reasons for school choice? (“Reasons” were defined as increasing equality, introducing competition, or facilitating […]