Georgia Republicans Must Put Students before Politics

P arents want to be in charge of decisions about their children. Specifically, they want to be the ones making choices about education — not the government.

Over the past two years, some wanted in-person learning for their children. Others wanted them to learn online.

Some wanted their children to attend schools without a mask mandate. Others wanted one.

Whether schools are open or closed, under a mask mandate or not, government-run or private, charter or home, parents want a choice in the education of their children. They deserve it.

We know a thing or two about that in Wisconsin. The Milwaukee Parental Choice Program began more than three decades ago. Tens of thousands of students have been able to access the schools that best meet their needs.

I was proud to support the original expansion to faith-based schools as a state lawmaker. Then, as governor, I was proud to work with lawmakers to expand it statewide. Challenging the status quo took courage, but it was the right thing to do.

Just the other day, I met a young woman at a Christian university who had benefited from our expanded parental-school-choice program in Wisconsin. Willow was able to have access to an excellent education. That, in turn, helped her get into college, where she is preparing for an exciting career.

Students like Willow are eligible for grants and student-loan-assistance programs funded by the federal government if they attend accredited colleges or universities — regardless of whether the institutions are government-run or private. If that is the case in higher education, why not the same in K–12 education?

Republican, independent, and even Democratic voters support giving parents more choice in the education of their children. A new poll from RealClear Opinion Research, which surveyed more than 2,000 registered voters, shows that the concept of school choice enjoys overwhelming support (72 percent). This is also true across party lines, with 68 percent of Democrats, 82 percent of Republicans, and 67 percent of independents saying they support such a policy. That is a significant shift from similar polls conducted in the spring of 2020.

So what is driving the change in public opinion? Parents. Nearly two years of shutdowns, partial attendance, mask mandates, and other challenges have frustrated many moms and dads. They wanted choices in education.

Policy-makers around the country are waking up to take action. Those who refuse do so at their own peril. Outrage from frustrated parents played an outsized role in Terry McAuliffe’s losing his bid to be elected again as governor in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And voters in the ultra-liberal community of San Francisco just got rid of several school-board members in a recall election after schools remained closed for more than a year.

If citizens in places once considered havens for Democrats’ policies are empowering parents, why can’t more be done in states with Republican legislative majorities and governors? Many are just afraid to take on the status quo.

In 2007, a new parental-school-choice program was created for students with special needs in Georgia. A tax-credit-scholarship program was then put in place, but with caps that kept it relatively small. This left thousands of families without realistic options to improve the education of their children.

Thankfully, a new bill has been proposed in Georgia that would give roughly $6,000 scholarships to low- and middle-income families, military families, foster children, and students with special needs. Sadly, the legislation appears to be hung up in the House, where the Republican speaker, David Ralston, has declared it dead. After a surge in parental outcry, however, the bill has since seen new life in the state senate. This presents a second chance for the legislation to help untold numbers of children, and it also gives GOP leadership a new opportunity to do the right thing.

School choice is a nonpartisan winner among voters, and it should be a no-brainer for Republicans in a state such as Georgia. School choice is part of both the state’s GOP platform and the Republican National Committee platform. Voters overwhelmingly supported the issue on two different nonbinding referendum questions on the Georgia primary ballot — once in 2016 and again in 2020. It is a proven winner.

Republican leaders in other states continue to champion and pass parental school choice and enjoy an expanding GOP base of voters and grateful parents as a result. Leaders in Georgia would be wise to do the same thing.

Education is not about buildings; it’s about preparing children for fulfilling careers and a meaningful life. Student-focused, personalized learning is the way forward. It is time for leaders in the Peach State to join the rapidly growing number of other leaders from across the country who are empowering parents and funding students instead of systems.