“All students should have the freedom to pursue an education that develops their talents, unleashes their unique potential, and prepares them for a successful life.”
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos

“Arizona is proud to be a national leader in school choice. From 25 years of charter school success to public school open enrollment, ESAs, and more, Arizona’s parents can find the education that best fits their kids’ needs.”
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey

Yesterday, I participated in an Education Roundtable with Secretary DeVos, Governor Ducey and 20 educational freedom advocates and beneficiaries.

The topic? Education Freedom Scholarships, Secretary DeVos’ plan for a federal tax credit for voluntary donations to enable children in every state to access scholarships to attend the school best meeting their needs.

Let me introduce you to the two students sharing at the roundtable –students for whom educational freedom has changed their lives.

Grace is a Tucson high school student at Pusch Ridge Christian. As an elementary school student with dyslexia, an Arizona tax credit scholarship enabled Grace to attend a private school that enabled her to learn to read and flourish in her academics. A single mom with four daughters, Grace’s mom never could have afforded private school without the scholarship.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Adonis Watt. Adonis lost his eyesight at the age of 5. His mom shared how educational freedom through an empowerment scholarship enabled Adonis to get the tools he needed to succeed at a Phoenix high school. A football player, Adonis is making national news for scoring touchdowns as a running back.

Educational freedom for children like Grace and Adonis sets them up for success throughout their lives. All children deserve that same chance.

It is all about the kids. As the two leaders stated yesterday, too many children are not able to reach their potential. Increased educational freedom in Arizona and across the country will empower more students to find their ideal learning environment.

Along with key allies, Center for Arizona Policy has been a leader in ensuring educational freedom for Arizona parents looking for options to best meet their children’s needs.

Yet powerful interest groups continually attack Arizona’s programs and attempt to roll them back. The trolls on twitter sprang into action yesterday making their false claims about the benefits of school choice.

Our pledge to you is to contend steadfastly in 2020 for these children and parents. Our plan utilizes three key elements to respond to the massive cultural shifts that threaten our freedoms – education, election, and engagement.

CAP will continue driving the conversation through educating Arizonans with our greatly improved Policy Pages, making the case for educational freedom – more to come on that next week.

We will be expanding our reach during the 2020 election with our AZ Voter Guide, with more information than ever before through our sister organization, CAP Action.

CAP will mobilize the grassroots in 2020 with new networks to engage concerned parents and citizens, as well as a new initiative called the Arizona Capitol Project – more on that in a couple of weeks.

We are looking forward to 2020 and the potential it holds, but we are not fooled into believing it will be easy. Nor can we do it alone. We rely on the generosity of others who are not satisfied sitting back and hoping for the best, while various activists work overtime to strip away our rights and stifle our freedoms. We do the footwork that is impossible without the financial support provided by partners like you.

Thank you for your commitment in 2019! Please prayerfully consider continuing that partnership in 2020, as we take on these new projects in addition to our core mission of advocating for you and your family at the Arizona Capitol by making a year-end contribution right now. Thank you!

ICYMI:

• The Goldwater Institute highlights a new report showing ESAs are improving education for low-income students.
• John Stonestreet questions whether we have reached a turning point in his piece: Are There Limits to Denying Reality?
• Al Mohler discusses the problem with capitulation, and the moral decline of New Zealand, including the first HIV-positive sperm bank in one of this week’s The Briefing.