Alabama Parents Will Have More Say in School Choice Starting in January

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There’s good news coming soon on the school choice front for Alabama students and their families. 

Starting in January, families in Alabama will have more options when it comes to their children’s education. With the “Choose Act” going into effect next school year, more families will be able to send their children to private schools using state-funded Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).

Beginning January 2, families can apply for up to $7,000 per child to help cover private school tuition, thanks to the new school choice legislation passed earlier this year.

Alabama will be joining 33 other states and territories that have state-wide school choice, although there are varying types of school choice.

• Universal school choice: 12 states have universal school choice programs 
• Education savings accounts (ESAs): 18 states have ESA programs, but not all are universal 
• Other school choice programs: 22 other states have passed school choice expansion bills

Many (predominantly liberal) teachers oppose school choice because they fear it will lead to a decrease in funding for public schools, potentially causing job losses. There is an added fear that it could result in a decline in the quality of education for all students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, as families with more resources may choose private schools, leaving public schools with fewer resources to support the remaining students. Additionally, some teachers view school choice as a threat to the stability and power of teachers’ unions, which often advocate for public education systems.

Teachers’ unions, which represent many educators, often actively oppose school choice policies, seeing them as a threat to their power and ability to advocate for public education.

The two largest teachers’ unions in the U.S. spend well over 90 percent of their political contributions on Democratic candidates for office. They simultaneously push a laundry list of progressive causes unrelated to education.

Between the National Education Association (NEA) and American Federation of Teachers (AFT), all fifty states contain active affiliates. The educators they pry dues from finance a sophisticated, far left political apparatus often inconsistent with their own beliefs.

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The rollout of school choice in Alabama will be somewhat gradual. 

For now, the Alabama school choice program is limited to certain groups. The first 500 ESAs will be reserved for students with disabilities and their siblings. Next, priority goes to children of active-duty military service members.

“Families that are at 300% or below the federal poverty level, which would be for a family of four about $93,000 of household income a year. So those are the categories of eligible students for this fall. And then over the next couple of years, those categories will expand until eventually all students can apply,” Doyle explained.

This is a great way for parents to reclaim their power as to how their school-age children learn, instead of dealing with the whims and ideology of teachers — and teachers’ unions — that don’t match their own.