8:19In this Feb. 20, 2025, archived photograph, Graciela De Cardenas, a sixth-grade reading instructor, leads a class at the Amigos Por Vida, also known as Friends for Life, charter school in Houston.Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images, FILE
The school choice initiative is expanding access to varied educational avenues for American students and their families, according to insights shared with ABC News by parents, educators, and leaders.
Over the years, the term “school choice” has gained considerable traction in educational discussions, essentially denoting the empowerment of parents in shaping their child’s learning path. As defined by EdChoice, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on K-12 education, it is a system that enables public funds allocated for education to accompany students to their chosen schools or learning environments.
At the federal level, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, head of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, is encouraging state governors to embrace his recently endorsed school choice framework. This measure, incorporated into President Donald Trump’s comprehensive bill, introduces a charitable donation incentive for individuals and businesses to contribute to scholarship funds, assisting students with K-12 public and private education expenses, beginning in 2027.
“By engaging, you can afford numerous students the opportunity to obtain the education they merit, without incurring new state expenditures and without enforcing new mandates or compounding bureaucracy,” Cassidy and fellow Republican sponsors of the bill stated in communications dispatched to the states earlier in the month.
According to the letters, this provision instates a novel, enduring, dollar-for-dollar credit, amounting to a maximum of $1,700 for individuals donating to non-profit organizations that award scholarships.
In this Sept. 17, 2025, file image, Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy arrives for a session of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images, FILE
Opponents have voiced concerns that federal school choice initiatives could potentially deplete resources from or otherwise disadvantage the traditional public education system, but legislators contend that this tax incentive broadens the spectrum of options available to families.
“It enriches the options for families, whether they’re in public or private, religious or non-religious venues, empowering students to either seek out fresh opportunities or elevate their present educational journey,” the legislators articulated in the message.
As the Department of Education shifts its focus towards restoring authority to local areas and families, Education Policy Analyst Colleen Hroncich noted a “surge” in dissatisfaction among families, prompting them to explore alternatives to conventional public schooling, such as public charter, private, home, and microschooling. Hroncich, representing the Cato Institute’s Center for Educational Freedom, a libertarian think-tank, revealed to ABC News that the popularity of these alternatives spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic due to school shutdowns.
“Some were disheartened by the educational experiences their children were receiving, or not receiving, [and] whether the curriculum clashed with their family’s principles, or was not rigorous enough for their children’s capabilities or aspirations,” she elaborated.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has declared her commitment to advancing what the Trump administration refers to as “educational freedom” within the K-12 sector, enabling parents to select the school that is most attuned to their children’s individual requirements.
Evolution of Charter Schools
Recently, McMahon and the Trump administration have undertaken measures to broaden school choice on a national scale by allocating a record $500 million in Fiscal Year 2025 to fund federal Charter School Programs.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, public charter schools are funded by taxpayers and managed under a legislative contract, or charter, with the state, district, or another entity. These charters are mutually agreed upon and must adhere to the accountability standards defined in the contract. However, they are exempt from specific state or local regulations, granting charter schools greater operational flexibility compared to traditional public schools.
In this Feb. 20, 2025, archived image, Graciela De Cardenas, a sixth-grade reading instructor, leads a class at the Amigos Por Vida, also known as Friends for Life, charter school in Houston.Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images, FILE
The Trump administration asserts that charter schools surpass their public school counterparts in math and reading performance because they empower parents to pursue the “optimal educational alignment” for their offspring.
This development coincides with Louisiana, Cassidy’s home state, experiencing an upswing in charter schools within the New Orleans Public Schools system, which has become almost exclusively public charter-based in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Jerel Bryant, the CEO of Collegiate Academies, a charter network in Louisiana, conveyed to ABC News his support for schools that effectively cater to the needs of their students, while simultaneously elevating their aspirations, possibilities, and results.
George Washington Carver High School, a long-standing institution in New Orleans’ upper 9th Ward, stands among these newly chartered public schools. According to the Louisiana Department of Education’s latest data, Carver ranked first in academic advancement in New Orleans during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Ronald Evans, a Carver educator and recent alumnus of the school, emphasized that the incorporation of a charter network with the appropriate personnel, objectives, and drive warrants an attempt.
Educator Ronald Evans pictured at George Washington Carver High School in New Orleans.Courtesy Ronald Evans
Joelia Castillo, a Carver junior, relocated to Louisiana from Texas before her freshman year. She stated that leaving the public school system to enroll at Carver has fueled her academic passion.
“Everyone radiates positivity and the atmosphere is invariably pleasant,” Castillo expressed.
Novel Schooling Paradigms
Families have also gravitated toward homeschooling and microschooling models, alongside forward-thinking private schools that leverage the swiftly evolving technology of artificial intelligence.
Education specialists suggest that the increase in homeschooling can be attributed to parents’ safety concerns regarding traditional schools. Microschools, while less commonplace, provide more tailored, multifamily learning settings and can be structured as shared learning initiatives for homeschooled students, according to the National Microschooling Center.
Approximately ten years ago, MacKenzie Price initiated the flourishing Alpha School as a quasi-microschool, prompted by her daughters’ expression of boredom in their standard classes. The Alpha School’s instructional framework is recognized as a catalyst for change in education, entailing two hours of AI-enhanced instruction, which Price asserts enables students to learn at twice the pace they would under normal conditions.
Alpha School students do not have conventional educators; they are supported by adult “guides” during the initial phase of instruction, then they dedicate the rest of the day to mastering life skills and pursuing their individual passions.
Instruction is delivered through AI applications on computer devices. Although there is an adult present in the room, students do not receive direct instruction from a teacher covering the subject matter.
Ricky Rossello, whose elementary-aged children attend Alpha, informed ABC News of his appreciation for the school’s use of AI as a tool to amplify student engagement. He hailed the model as the “next leap” in their educational development.
“I believe that incorporating innovative paradigms is thrilling,” Rossello communicated to ABC News. “Enabling [parents and communities] to ascertain what aligns best with their needs signifies a positive evolution, as opposed to imposing a uniform perspective.”
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
