OPINION:
This National School Choice Week, American education is undergoing a long-overdue revolution.
After decades of disappointing outcomes and catastrophic pandemic-era failures, education freedom has swept the nation – with two glaring exceptions. The first is perhaps not a surprise: Union-controlled statehouses in blue states have been resistant to school choice, killing bill after bill to advance private school choice and even taking steps to limit successful public school choices like charter schools. Even as their red state counterparts open up previously unimagined levels of freedom, many of the nation’s largest and neediest states remain closed.
The other holdout, which has bedeviled education reformers for a generation, is the nation’s largest red state: Texas. Although school choice is widely popular among Texans, longtime incumbents in the Texas legislature have been loyal instead to the education establishment, stopping school choice bills over and over. After the AFC Victory Fund and others ensured these voting records were known, the voters responded forcefully. In the last primary and general election cycle, votes ousted over a dozen incumbents who had resisted change and elected a school choice majority for the first time in modern history.
Now, the K-12 education landscape in Texas stands at a historic crossroads. After years of debate and incremental progress, school choice advocates have gained unprecedented momentum. Just last week, Texas Senator Brandon Creighton filed an education savings account bill that would extend school choice to every Texas student. Early budget proposals earmark $1 billion for the proposal, making it the largest day-one school choice program in the nation’s history.
The election of a legislature and speaker committed to educational freedom, combined with Governor Greg Abbott’s vocal support, signals that Texas may finally join the growing number of states embracing comprehensive school choice policies.
This shift reflects a broader momentum for education freedom. As we kick off National School Choice Week, Congress and President Trump have a chance to advance school choice in every state with the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA). This nationwide school choice tax credit will unlock opportunities across the country. The ECCA is unfinished business from President Trump’s first term, which he promised to support during his comeback campaign. Congress can and should move to advance it in an upcoming legislative package.
Over the years, National School Choice Week has evolved from a modest awareness campaign into a powerful catalyst for change, highlighting how families increasingly demand options beyond their assigned district schools. This week, school choice supporters can celebrate with the knowledge that education freedom is finally on its way to some of the longest holdouts.
The push for school choice in Texas represents more than just a policy preference—it recognizes that different students thrive in different environments. Some excel in traditional public schools, others in charter schools focused on STEM or arts education, while still others may benefit from private or homeschool settings. The core principle is simple: Parents should determine their children’s educational path, not ZIP codes. School choice programs also help district schools improve. It’s a win/win.
Governor Abbott’s commitment to making 2025 “the year that Texas passes school choice” reflects growing public support for educational freedom. The question is no longer whether Texas will embrace school choice but how comprehensive its program will be. When it advances school choice, Texas can learn from the successes and challenges faced by pioneer states in this movement.
Likewise, school choice is broadly popular nationwide – and soon, families in states like California and New York may no longer have to watch education opportunities leave them behind as their legislatures turn a blind eye. With the Educational Choice for Children Act, Congress can ensure every state has the freedom children deserve.
The coming months will determine whether school choice continues to advance. What’s clear is that the conversation around educational freedom has evolved, and the traditional one-size-fits-all approach to schooling is giving way to a more dynamic, family-centered model of education.
This National School Choice Week reminds us that education is about creating opportunities for all children to reach their full potential. For families in Texas or other historical school choice holdouts watching these developments, the promise of educational freedom may soon become a reality.
• Nathan Cunneen is the Texas State Director for the American Federation for Children.
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