School Choice

Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton walks away after announcing Texas' lawsuit to challenge President Obama's transgender bathroom order during a news conference in Austin, Texas, on May 25, 2016.
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton walks away following a news conference in Austin, Texas, on May 25, 2016. Paxton recently sued several Texas school districts for allegedly engaging in electioneering before the March 5 primaries.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP
School & District Management Advocacy or Electioneering? Education Leaders Walk Fine Line in School Voucher Debate
Texas is cracking down on district leaders' allegedly political speech—in what others see as a pretext for quashing anti-voucher sentiment.
Olina Banerji, March 11, 2024
5 min read
Image of students working at desks, wearing black and white school uniforms.
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School Choice & Charters Another State Is Launching a Private School Choice Program. Will More Follow?
Alabama is the 12th state to offer a private school choice program that all students in the state will be eligible to access.
Mark Lieberman, March 8, 2024
5 min read
Student walking down the stairs at her school.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Student Well-Being Parents Worried About Their Kids' Mental Health See the Fix in New Schooling Options
Parents who say they are considering a change to their children's education identify mental health as a driving factor, a new report shows.
Arianna Prothero, February 22, 2024
5 min read
School Choice & Charters Tracker Which States Have Private School Choice?
Education savings accounts, voucher, and tax-credit scholarships are growing. This tracker keeps tabs on them so you don't have to.
6 min read
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School Choice & Charters Opinion What's the State of Charter Schools Today?
Even though there's momentum behind the charter school movement, charters face many of the same challenges as traditional public schools.
Rick Hess, January 22, 2024
10 min read
Illustration of completed tasks, accomplishment, finished checklist, achievement or project progression concept. Person holding pencil tick all completed task checkbox.
Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters As Private School Choice Grows, Critics Push for More Guardrails
Calls are growing for more scrutiny over where state funds for private school choice go and how students are faring in the classroom.
Mark Lieberman, January 16, 2024
7 min read
Conceptual illustration of business people, a roll of paper, and the people using computers, a magnifying glass and telescope with the year 2023 as a shadow below them.
Liz Yap/Education Week and iStock/ Getty.
Budget & Finance 2023 in School Finance: Legal Fights, School Choice Debates, Persistent Inequities
Highlights of the year in school finance coverage include school funding lawsuits, private school choice legislation, and the looming financial storms brewing.
Mark Lieberman, December 22, 2023
6 min read
Nina Rees, CEO of the National Public Charter School Association.
Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, emphasizes that she has "always thought of [charter schools] as laboratories of innovation with the hopes of replicating those innovations in district-run schools."
Courtesy of McLendon Photography
School Choice & Charters Q&A How the Charter School Movement Is Changing: A Top Charter Advocate Looks Back and Ahead
Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, plans to step down as leader of the group at the end of the year.
Arianna Prothero, December 20, 2023
6 min read
A teacher with group of students standing in private school campus courtyard and talking
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School Choice & Charters More Young Kids Opted for Private School After COVID Hit
Newly released federal data shed light on where some students who left public schools during the pandemic ended up.
Mark Lieberman, December 6, 2023
3 min read
Photo of collage of gavel and school building.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
School Choice & Charters Private School Choice Faces New Challenges as State Lawsuits Pile Up
The lawsuits target new, broader state programs that allow parents to use public money for private school expenses.
Mark Lieberman, November 16, 2023
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion After a Banner Year for School Choice, the Challenge Is to Ensure New Programs Work
Education savings accounts have the potential to be a great reform, but there are practical and political challenges to wrestle with.
Rick Hess, October 5, 2023
8 min read
Image of books, money, calculator, and graduation cap.
cnythzl/DigitalVision Vectors
School Choice & Charters Most Students Getting New School Choice Funds Aren't Ditching Public Schools
Data from several states show most voucher and education savings account recipients aren't leaving public schools for private alternatives.
Mark Lieberman, October 4, 2023
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion It’s OK to Like Both Public Schools and School Choice
Families want more options for their children. That doesn’t mean they dislike their local schools.
Rick Hess, September 18, 2023
3 min read
Stylized illustration of a school bus arriving at a public school split in half with a darker side of the image
Traci Daberko for Education Week
Budget & Finance Reported Essay What Does It Actually Mean for Schools to Be Public?
There’s a conflict between how we fund public education and its public purpose.
Mark Lieberman, August 31, 2023
10 min read