7 African-Americans Who Fought for Educational Opportunity

7 African-Americans Who Fought for Educational Opportunity

Black History Month School Choice

7 African-Americans Who Fought for Educational Opportunity

Key Points

  • Access to quality education is a top conversation in Georgia and many other states and has been for decades.
  • Stories of black educators offer inspiration for continuing to pursue better education opportunities for every kid. 
  • The examples set by African American educators remind us how critical education is for supporting kids’ mental health, preparing them for jobs, and helping them become active citizens in their communities.

No matter what chapter of history you look at, education is often one of the top issues that states and communities have wrestled with. Even today, Georgia is grappling with the reality that thousands of kids are stuck in underperforming schools, and change is needed if we are going to give them a chance to thrive. 

As we celebrate Black History Month this February, it’s a perfect time to look to the African American community for inspiration on the issue of education. Having suffered obstacles ranging from zero education access to segregation and racism in schools, numerous African Americans throughout our country’s history know firsthand the struggle—and the gift—that education can be. Many have dedicated themselves to the cause of education, driven by a shared passion and vision for giving every kid a quality education, regardless of their race or circumstance of their birth. 

Let’s meet a few of these leaders who dedicated their lives to fighting for more educational freedom and opportunity.   

  1. Charlotte Forten Grimké (1837-1914)

Charlotte Forten Grimké grew up in Philadelphia in a family well-known for its activism against slavery. In her early school years, she was taught at home by tutors. Because Philadelphia’s school system was segregated, Charlotte’s parents sent her to Salem, Massachusetts, where she could attend a more progressive school that accepted Black students. As an adult, Charlotte paid the opportunity of education forward. She attended teacher training school, and during the Civil War, she was the first Black teacher to work at the Penn School in South Carolina, a school established to teach African-American children both while they were enslaved and after they were freed. After the war, Charlotte worked for the Freedmen’s Union Commission and the U.S. Treasury Department to help recruit and train more African-American teachers. 

 

May those whose holy task it is,

To guide impulsive youth,

Fail not to cherish in their souls

A reverence for truth;

For teachings which the lips impart

Must have their source within the heart.

– From The Journal of Charlotte Forten, 1853

    1. Fanny Jackson Coppin (1837-1913)

    Fanny Jackson Coppin was born into slavery and was not freed until age 12. For the rest of her young adult years, she worked as a servant for author George Henry Calvert in Newport, Rhode Island. Fanny yearned for education, so she used her earnings to employ a tutor for about three hours a week. Thanks to her academic diligence and financial help from an aunt and the local African Methodist Church, Fanny entered Oberlin College, Ohio, which was the first college in the United States to enroll both black and female students. 

    It was at Oberlin College that Fanny embarked on her career as an educator—a vocation that would create learning opportunities for thousands of African Americans. While a student at Oberlin, she taught a free night class for African Americans in reading and writing. The College also appointed her to teach classes at their preparatory division, the Oberlin Academy, making Fanny the first black teacher among the Academy’s faculty. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in 1865, becoming one of only three African American women to do so, she accepted a position at Philadelphia’s Institute for Colored Youth. Over the course of her career, Fanny would become the first African American woman to serve as a school principal and to fill the role of superintendent of a United States school district. 

     

    “I feel sometimes like a person to whom in childhood was entrusted some sacred flame…This is the desire to see my race lifted out of the mire of ignorance, weakness and degradation; no longer to sit in obscure corners and devour the scraps of knowledge which his superiors flung at him. I want to see him crowned with strength and dignity; adorned with the enduring grace of intellectual attainments.” – Fanny Jackson Coppin, writing to Frederick Douglass in 1876

    1. Inez Beverly Prosser (1895-1934)

    Inez Beverly Prosser was born into a family that highly valued education. Opportunities were scarce for African American kids during Inez’s childhood, and her family moved often in search of the best education available for Inez and her 10 siblings. Inez’s schooling led her to earn a teaching certificate, a bachelor’s degree, and a master’s degree in educational psychology. 

    Inez had a deep passion for education and believed in its power to change lives. She held various roles as a teacher and assistant principal in segregated schools, but her interest in psychology set her apart from other educators. She devoted herself to understanding and improving the educational and psychological development of African American students. In 1933, she became one of the first black women to earn a PhD in psychology. Her research undertook a pioneering and bold examination of segregation’s impact on black students’ social, psychological, and educational development. Findings and arguments from her dissertation were cited in the larger debate about school segregation, carving out a legacy for Inez as one of the leading advocates for the educational and mental health of African American kids.  

     

    “I am interested in that type of research which will lead to better teaching in elementary and high schools.” – Inez Beverly Prosser

    “Many have dedicated themselves to the cause of education, driven by a shared passion and vision for giving every kid a quality education, regardless of their race or circumstance of their birth.”

    “Many have dedicated themselves to the cause of education, driven by a shared passion and vision for giving every kid a quality education, regardless of their race or circumstance of their birth.”

    1. Kelly Miller (1863-1939) 

    From his early school days, Kelly Miller showed a talent for math. After an impressive academic career spanning the study of math, sociology, Latin, and Greek, Kelly received a bachelor’s degree from Howard University. He became the first black man to be accepted into Johns Hopkins University for post-graduate work in mathematics, physics, and astronomy. 

    However, Kelly was forced to leave Johns Hopkins when the school increased its fees, and he returned to Howard University where he took a teaching job and continued his own education, earning advanced degrees in math and law. In 1907, Kelly became the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard. His passion for education motivated him to modernize the College’s curriculum and to tour states across the South in recruitment of new students. Under his leadership, enrollment tripled, and curriculum improved. 

    “The instruction which you have received here, and upon which your diplomas set a seal, will be of value to you only in so far as you digest and assimilate it, and wisely adapt it to the tasks which lie before you.” — Kelly Miller

    1. Nannie Helen Burroughs (1879-1961)

    Nannie Helen Burroughs was born in Virginia, and after her father’s death, she moved to Washington, D.C., with her mother where she completed high school and graduated with honors. While Nannie’s career began with roles in secretarial and bookkeeping work, education would eventually become her focus. 

    Her mark in education was a unique one: Nannie wanted to help poor, working African American women. She believed that these women should have opportunities to learn skills beyond domestic work, so in 1909, she founded the National Training School for Women and Girls in partnership with the National Baptist Convention and through the support of small donations from the black community. The school provided job training and academic instruction to young black women, giving them the option to enter the workforce and pursue careers. The school was one of the first of its kind in the early 20th century, and Nannie served as its president until her death in 1961. 

     

    “To struggle and battle and overcome and absolutely defeat every force designed against us is the only way to achieve.” — Nannie Helen Burroughs

    1. Esau Jenkins (1910-1972) 

    Esau Jenkins was a shining example of how community members can contribute to improving education for underserved kids. Having grown up in the era of segregation, Esau knew what it was like not to have access to educational opportunities. If he had anything to do with it, the kids in his South Carolina community would not have to suffer the same injustice. 

    So, Esau and his wife used part of their income to buy a bus to transport their own kids and fellow children on South Carolina’s Sea Islands to schools in Charleston. Esau also used his bus to help adult workers get to their jobs. During these rides, he and his wife would teach the workers about the U.S. Constitution and other information that was required to pass literacy exams and become a registered voter. This experience showed Esau that a better approach to adult education was desperately needed, and he founded the first Citizenship School on Johns Island to provide more structured education for adults, including instruction in basic literacy and politics. Thanks to his efforts, thousands of African Americans became registered voters. 

    Even while supporting adult education, Esau’s motivation to help kids did not falter. In 1951, Esau played a key role in establishing Haut Gap School on Johns Island so that the youth in that community would have a quality education option. Today, Haut Gap is a middle school that functions as a magnet school—a type of public school option that specializes in certain curriculum areas, such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), the arts, or vocational training.

     

    “It takes a pretty large person to love. Any small person can hate.” – Esau Jenkins

     

    1. Septima Poinsette Clark (1898-1987) 

    Septima Poinsette Clark’s legacy was that of a community teacher. Septima grew up in Charleston, South Carolina—a place where the lines of segregation and class were strictly and harshly drawn, especially when it came to education. Septima was a bright student. After sixth grade, she tested directly into ninth grade at the Avery Institute and graduated from high school in 1916. Financial constraints prevented her from attending college, but even without a degree, she passed the state examination that allowed her to teach. 

    Charleston did not allow African Americans to teach in its public schools, so Septima took a teaching job in the rural community of Johns Island just outside of Charleston. Throughout her 40 years as an educator, Septima had various jobs where she would teach children during the day. At night, on her own time, she would teach African American adults how to read and write and, in the process, she developed several innovative methods to help them pick up these skills more quickly. Septima believed that literacy and citizenship went hand-in-hand, so as she taught basic literacy skills, she also helped adults learn about their rights and become informed, registered voters. Through her work, she became an influential civil rights leader and activist, known as “The Mother of the Movement” by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many others. 

     

    “What we are working for is an educational program that has become a resource and rallying point for scores of brave southerners who are leading the fight for justice and better race relations in these crucial days.”

    New survey shows spike in misbehavior among K-12 students

    New survey shows spike in misbehavior among K-12 students

    survey

    New survey shows spike in misbehavior among K-12 students

    Key Points

    •  A new survey puts forward more evidence of increased social and behavioral problems among students in K-12 public schools arising from the pandemic.

    • Georgia parents need more education options for their children. 
    • GCO is working to bring a new curriculum, called Raising Highly Capable Kidz (RHCK), to schools, nonprofits, churches, and other outlets across the state.

    We’ve paid a lot of attention to learning loss arising from school shutdowns during the pandemic, and rightly so. The results of the latest Nation’s Report Card from the U.S. Department of Education, for example, show test scores in reading and math in public schools at their lowest levels in decades.

    But there is another side to the cost of school closures that doesn’t get as much attention — the social side. Now, a new survey puts forward more evidence of increased social and behavioral problems among students in K-12 public schools arising from the pandemic.

    According to the annual School Pulse Panel published by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute for Education Sciences, more than eight in 10 public schools “have seen stunted behavioral and socioemotional development in their students because of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    The survey went on to find that “minor offenses, such as tardiness and classroom disruptions, are the most frequently cited illicit behaviors that have increased in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

    Here are some notable excerpts from the survey:

    • 84% of surveyed public school leaders said the pandemic had “negatively impacted the behavioral development of students” in their schools
    • 30% reported an increase in bullying as a result of the pandemic
    • 33% reported physical attacks between students
    • 36% reported threats of physical attacks or fights between students
    • 49% reported a jump in student “rowdiness outside of the classroom (e.g., hallways, lunchroom)”
    • 56% reported “classroom disruptions from student misconduct”
    • 42% reported “use of cell phones, computers, other electronics when not permitted”
    • 24% reported vandalism
    • 11% of public schools reported an increase in physical attacks on teachers or staff members influenced by the pandemic
    • 13% reported threats to injure a teacher or staff member
    • 36% reported verbal abuse of teachers or staff members.

     

    The Raising Highly Capable Kids model is built on an evidence-based program that teaches 40 developmental assets that reduce risky behavior in kids and teens. We are looking for partners to help bring this to our community.

    The Raising Highly Capable Kids model is built on an evidence-based program that teaches 40 developmental assets that reduce risky behavior in kids and teens. We are looking for partners to help bring this to our community.

    Where to go from here

    So, what are we supposed to do with this information? Here are three takeaways.

    1. Learning loss is only part of the equation

    We must remember that other factors are also at play beyond learning less when determining strategies to help students recover. Isolation, increased screen time, chance of physical or emotional abuse, substance abuse, and general anxiety over the direction of society are just some of the factors in play here. And the sad reality is that many of these negative trend lines were already in place for young people prior to the pandemic. The pandemic simply revealed and worsened them.

    1. Georgia needs more options

    The struggles students are facing in public schools underscores the need for a diverse menu of educational options, open and available to all families regardless of income or zip code. Every student deserves an education customized to his or her individual needs and aptitudes. This is why tools like an Education Scholarship Account are so important. An ESA in Georgia would empower parents to pick the best educational option — or the best assortment of educational tools — for their unique student.

    In the last session of the Georgia Legislature, lawmakers fell short of passing ESAs in the form of Promise Scholarships, which would have allotted $6,000 a year for families to choose alternative educational approaches. The Georgia Center for Opportunity team is hopeful things will be different this session and that ESAs will finally become a reality.

    1. Students in traditional public schools need help, too

    Even as educational options expand in Georgia, the fact remains that most families will still choose their locally zoned public school. These students need help, too. That’s why GCO is working to bring a new curriculum, called Raising Highly Capable Kidz (RHCK), to schools, nonprofits, churches, and other outlets across the state. RHCK is a 13-week evidence-based parenting program developed to build stronger families by empowering parents with the confidence, tools, and skills they need to raise healthy, caring, and responsible children. The course works through 40 key development assets to help kids.

    The GCO team will be working to roll out the RHCK curriculum across Georgia in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned for more!

    5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship

    5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship

    5 Reasons Why It’s a Good Idea to Expand Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship

    Key Points

    • Georgia lawmakers are considering an increase to the cap on Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship program.
    • The communities’ positive response to the scholarship opportunity has created demand above and beyond what the program can currently handle. 
    • Raising the cap on Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship program would allow the program to serve more families who otherwise may not be able to afford private school as an education option. 

    In 2024, Georgia legislators are considering an expansion to Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship program. Through this program, businesses and individuals can donate toward private school scholarships for K-12 students enrolled in public schools. In return, they receive a dollar-for-dollar state income tax credit.

    In 2022, the state Legislature raised the program cap by $20 million, bringing it up to $120 million from $100 million. But that increase hasn’t proven large enough to keep up with communities’ positive response. Lawmakers are now looking at a proposed 2024 bill that would raise the total program cap to $200 million, and expand the number of students the program can serve. 

    “It’s clear that demand for the program is strong. The existing $120 million cap was met on the very first day of applications in 2023,” noted Buzz Brockway, Vice President of Public Policy at the Georgia Center for Opportunity. “Georgia families are demanding more options, and lawmakers would be wise to take notice.”

    Here are a few reasons why raising the cap on Georgia’s tax credit scholarship program would help students, parents, and the state’s overall education system:

    1. The Georgia Tax Credit Scholarship program makes private school access more equitable.

    Private schools are often an education option available to families who can afford them. Through Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship, lower and middle-income families can get financial support to access private schools as a viable option when the local public school isn’t the best fit for their child.

    But what about families in rural areas? According to a 2017 national study by The Brookings Institute, 69% of families living in rural areas have a private school within 10 miles. Increasing the program cap for Georgia’s tax credit scholarships would help rural Georgia families in this situation. For those that aren’t, there’s still a benefit: Growing the tax credit scholarship program is a way to encourage more private schools to launch and fill education gaps in areas where options are fewer and farther between. 

    2. Raising the program cap makes it possible to serve more kids.

    Currently 500,000 Georgia students are in schools that are underperforming or simply aren’t meeting their specific needs. Increasing the program cap means more families could enjoy the flexibility to consider one of Georgia’s 824 private schools when seeking out a school that matches their kid’s learning style, their personal values, or other preferences. In 2021, 17,440 scholarships were awarded to eligible students. Imagine how many more kids we could help if Georgia’s tax credit scholarship program expanded to $200 million. 

    3. Expanding our tax credit scholarship program would bring Georgia up-to-date with other states.

    Florida, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Iowa, and Nevada have all taken note of the growing popularity of tax credit scholarships and have responded by increasing caps on their various programs. Whether it’s tax credit scholarships or other options like Education Savings Accounts, the momentum to embrace more education choice programs is building across many states, raising the question of whether Georgia will keep up.

    With Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship, kids in Atlanta’s crime-ridden neighborhoods have found a safe place to go to school, allowing them to improve academically and pursue their dreams.

    With Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship, kids in Atlanta’s crime-ridden neighborhoods have found a safe place to go to school, allowing them to improve academically and pursue their dreams.

    4. It’s one option to relieve parents’ frustration with one-size-fits-all education options.

    A recent poll of 5,000 parents, conducted by the Harris Poll, revealed that 20% of parents switched schools for their kids during the pandemic. The pandemic itself is a tired topic, but the trend it introduced in education isn’t: Over the last two years, parents’ desire for more education options has skyrocketed as many of them realize that traditional public schools don’t work for every kid. 

    By investing in educational choice programs, we can guarantee families access to a variety of stellar learning experiences that help their children reach great heights—academically, socially, vocationally…the list goes on. Georgia’s tax credit scholarship program makes private schools one of these meaningful options, regardless of where families live or how much they earn. 

    5. Increasing education tax credits gets more businesses and individuals involved in our kids’ futures.

    A quality education, tailored to a student’s unique needs, prepares kids for the workplace, for community involvement, and for life. That’s why education is more than a parental concern—it should be a community priority. We all benefit when kids have access to the education option that will help them become healthy, successful citizens, employees, relatives, and friends as they grow up. Georgia’s Tax Credit Scholarship gives our communities—both businesses and taxpayers—a way to directly invest in K-12 education and ensure bright futures for our students. By raising the program cap, we can expand the investment opportunities available to current donors and to new businesses and individuals who want to get involved.  

    Related Reading: Georgia School Choice In the News

    Georgia students need more schooling choices (GCO in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

    Renewed push to expand Georgia’s private school tuition subsidies (Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    Proposed bill would increase Georgia’s tax credit scholarship program cap (The Center Square)

    School choice in 2023: 10 states to watch (Washington Examiner)

    Now is the time to expand educational freedom in Georgia

    Now is the time to expand educational freedom in Georgia

    kids hands raised.

    Now is the time to expand educational freedom in Georgia

    Key Points

    • Georgia’s recent growth could be halted because it’s falling behind other states who are increasingly offering families more and more choices in K-12 education.
    •  Georgia lawmakers have another chance this year at passing ESAs. 
    • Georgia’s public schools are serving most families well — and public schools are the best option for most families in our state. But for some families, traditional public schools aren’t the best fit for their child’s needs.

    Georgia is one of the fastest growing states in the country, and for good reason. But we imperil our ongoing growth if we fail to offer families the opportunity to choose a world-class education for their children. That means giving all students access to the right school for them — whether that’s a traditional public school, a public charter school, a private school, or a homeschool.

    By falling short on this goal, Georgia risks falling behind other states who are increasingly offering families more and more choices in K-12 education. Two of the latest examples are Iowa and Utah. 

    In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds recently signed a bill into law that creates Education Scholarship Accounts (or ESAs) for lower income Iowa families, allowing the money to follow the child to the best school for his or her unique needs. The program will be phased in over three years until it’s available to all families regardless of income.

    Meanwhile, the state House in Utah approved a bill last week that would create a similar ESA, with dollars available for families to use for expenses like private school tuition, therapies, tutors, or other curriculum. That bill next goes to the state Senate.

    Many Georgia parents are likely looking at families in Iowa and Utah and wondering, “Why can’t we get the same level of educational opportunity here?” It’s a good question. Year after year, lawmakers in the Georgia General Assembly have considered passing our own version of an ESA, but each year the measure has fallen short.

    In the current 2023 session, lawmakers have another shot at passing ESAs and it’s well past time to make them a reality. The biggest argument against ESAs is that they will hurt traditional public schools. This couldn’t be further from the truth. We believe that when families are well served by our K-12 education infrastructure, all schools will benefit. 

    Georgia risks falling behind other fast-growing states unless we address the need to offer a truly diverse set of educational options.

    Georgia risks falling behind other fast-growing states unless we address the need to offer a truly diverse set of educational options.

    The bottom line is that Georgia’s public schools are serving most families well — and public schools are the best option for most families in our state. But for some families, traditional public schools aren’t the best fit for their child’s needs. And in many cases, those schools will never be the right fit due to challenges and needs that can’t be met at those schools.

    That’s why more options are needed. Georgia risks falling behind other fast-growing states unless we address the need to offer a truly diverse set of educational options. Let’s make 2023 the year that progress happens.

     

    School choice in 2023: 10 states to watch

    School choice in 2023: 10 states to watch

    In The News

    School choice in 2023: 10 states to watch

    Millions of American children do not receive a quality education that sets them up for success. A good education leads to opportunity, but unfortunately, it’s out of reach for so many.

    All Americans, regardless of political leanings, believe their children deserve an education that prepares them for college, a career, and life. How can we reach that goal? One way is through school choice policies, or state laws that give parents more choice when it comes to educating their children.

    uzz Brockway, executive vice president of public policy for GCO, said “This legislative session, Georgia lawmakers must build on the progress we’ve made in recent years by approving Education Scholarship Accounts to ensure educational access for all.”

    Why educational opportunity is good for rural areas, too

    Why educational opportunity is good for rural areas, too

    middle school charter school

    Why educational opportunity is good for rural areas, too

    • ESAs could potentially open the doors to establishing more private schools in Georgia, in both rural and urban areas.
    • ESAs would allow parents to allocate funds to their children’s specific educational needs.
    • ESAs have a positive impact on families in rural communities.

    This year, the Georgia Legislature is poised to once again consider creating Education Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) for families statewide. These scholarships would allocate funds to allow parents to choose the best educational option for their child’s unique needs.

    Expanding educational access should be a welcome development for lawmakers and citizens alike. After all, who could argue with the idea of making educational opportunities more accessible? Unfortunately, expanding access to a wider variety of schools and academic opportunities can be an issue that divides lawmakers not only along party lines, but along the lines of an urban-rural divide as well.

    For instance, Georgia lawmakers who represent rural areas have raised concerns about the impact that expanded educational opportunities could have on their local school districts. The argument goes like this: Rural areas tend to lack access to private or charter schools compared to urban areas, so efforts to increase the diversity of educational options will end up siphoning money away from traditional public schools, the one and only option available in rural districts.

    As the Georgia Legislature is set to take up a bill that would create ESAs, now is a great time to debunk the myth that educational opportunity simply doesn’t benefit rural areas.

    Let’s jump right into it.

    Myth 1: There aren’t enough private schools near rural areas to justify ESAs

    In a December 2022 interview with Conduit News, Dr. Patrick Wolf busted the myth that families living in rural areas don’t have access to private schools. He cited a 2017 Brookings Institution survey that revealed 69% of rural families live within 10 miles’ driving distance of a private school. 

    “Ten miles is easy commuting distance, especially when you live out in the sticks like I do,” said Wolf. “So, the overwhelming majority of families in rural areas do have access to private schools.”

    Of course, when there is demand for any product, service, or offering, society finds ways to meet those demands. The same is true for educational opportunities. Wolf explains: “The other thing that happens when school choice programs are launched statewide is more private schools spring up because there’s a greater opportunity to serve students. When you increase the demand for school choice by making it more feasible to more families, supply emerges to meet that demand. It’s just straight economics.”

    In other words, ESAs could potentially open the doors to establishing more private schools in Georgia, in both rural and urban areas. 

    At the time of this writing, there are 824 private schools across the state of Georgia, with 152,851 students enrolled. During 2021-2022, there were 90 charter schools in the state as well. While that number is dwarfed by Georgia’s public schools (2,308, with 1,728,049 students enrolled), it’s still significant.

    Broadening educational opportunity would effectively give parents in rural areas a reason to demand more options where they live. If Wolf’s assessment of supply and demand is correct (and we believe it is), then we can expect that more rural families will benefit from private schools in the coming years as a direct result of ESAs. 

    Myth 2: Disadvantaged kids don’t benefit from private or charter schools

    Opponents of expanded educational opportunity often argue that disadvantaged kids don’t benefit from it. The National Coalition for Public Education argues that vouchers hurt rural areas not only because fewer students attend public schools, but also because the students themselves have to take on heavier time and economic costs in order to attend private and charter schools. They also argue that public schools are the facilities best equipped to serve diverse student populations, including minorities, students with special needs, and students from low-income areas.

    But the previously cited Brookings Institution survey revealed that the majority of rural families do have reasonable access to a private school. Research also shows that disadvantaged students do, indeed, benefit from expanded educational opportunity. Students in charter schools tend to perform better academically than their peers in public schools. What’s more, low-income and ethnic minority students showed the most significant academic gains when enrolled in charter schools.

    Keep in mind, too, that ESAs would allow parents to allocate funds to their children’s specific educational needs. That means families can use those funds to choose a school that is the best fit for that child. While lobbying groups and district superintendents may argue that state-funded schools are the best equipped to handle those needs, parents are ultimately the primary authority on what their children need to be successful.

     

     

    Ultimately, giving families more educational options has a positive impact on long-term results, academic achievement, and parental satisfaction.

    Ultimately, giving families more educational options has a positive impact on long-term results, academic achievement, and parental satisfaction.

    Myth 3: Educational opportunity could hurt — not help — rural communities

    Yet another argument against opening up educational opportunity is that it could hurt rural communities. In reality, though, it’s rural districts that fear losing students to private or charter schools. This isn’t a partisan issue — in fact, legislators on both sides of the aisle have argued against educational opportunity in rural areas.

    They often make these arguments on behalf of superintendents, who claim that educational opportunity will have irreversible economic consequences on their districts. For example, rural superintendents often argue that important public school jobs will be lost as a result of tools like ESAs. Cuts in state funding could lead to budget cuts, resulting in fewer public school resources and causing employees in the district to lose their jobs.

    However, recent data out of Florida — a state with strong educational opportunity — shows that ESAs have a positive impact on families in rural communities. As of the 2021-2022 school year, there had been a 10.6% enrollment increase in rural charter, private, and homeschool students in comparison to the previous decade. Private school scholarships had boomed, coming in at 6,992 in 2021-2022 as opposed to 1,706 in 2011-2012.

    On top of all that, the demand for private schools has resulted in the creation of more. Over the past two decades, Florida’s rural private schools have almost doubled, from 69 to 120. Arguably, any jobs lost in a public school district as a result of educational opportunity could be replaced by the expansion of private school availability in any given area.

    Ultimately, giving families more educational options has a positive impact on long-term results, academic achievement, and parental satisfaction. As parents and students are a part of their rural communities, it’s difficult to argue that these outcomes are detrimental to the areas in which they live.