School choice experts defend Arkansas’ universal school choice program on panel

School choice continues to be a hot topic in Arkansas.

Educators and policy gurus nationwide know the current education system isn’t working for most kids, but they don’t all agree on how to make it better.

A panel, hosted by Crisis in the Classroom, debated education in Arkansas, specifically the state’s new Education Freedom Account (EFA) school choice program.

Nicholas Horton, founder and CEO of Opportunity Arkansas, cited poor literacy rates in the state as reason to support school choice. 

“We have failed our kids [when] two out of three cannot read at grade level,” he said. “I really think it comes back to accountability and competition, putting parents in charge, letting them decide what’s best for their kids, that’s how we’re going to get better results.”  

Emmy Henley, managing director of The Reform Alliance, agreed.  

“You have to have those options that are there for the children that need different, special classes; they need smaller class sizes, they need more focus on their possible disability,” she argued. “We cannot expect everyone to learn the same exact way.  

“Most kids don’t want the same thing for dinner, much less taking in information in the same way.”  

But other panelists said adding more money and programming to existing public schools would be more effective. 

“One thing that we don’t have here in the state of Arkansas is a fully funded public education,” said April Reisma, president of the state teachers’ union. “And when we don’t have fully funded public education, we can’t provide everything that we need to.” 

“The evidence says that you provide [high-quality education] by providing things that there’s research to back: pre-K, universal access to after school and summer programs, addressing child poverty, making sure kids aren’t hungry or sick when they come to school and then solving our special education system by investing much more in special education,” explained Bill Kopsky, executive director of Arkansas Public Policy Panel.  

Kopsky also said the state shouldn’t invest in school choice, claiming private schools had lower standards. 

However, Horton slammed the idea that Arkansas public schools aren’t adequately funded.  

“Public education spending went up $200 million dollars last year,” he explained. “It’s going up every year just like it always has but we’re getting the same failed results.” 

And Henley added that while private schools aren’t beholden to all the same state laws, they are still accountable to parents. 

“These schools are opt-in,” she said. “[Students] are not forced to go to their zoned school that might not be meeting their needs.” 

Horton instead praised the LEARNS Act for enabling universal school choice.  

“We’re not going to have this two-tiered system of education anymore where, based on your income or your zip code, you have to go to the school that you’re zoned for,” Horton said. “Regardless of income, regardless of means, now every Arkansas child can take advantage of the education freedom program and go to the school of their choice.”  

He also rebuked the idea that adequate school choice exists in the current public school system. 

“We’ve had parental choice for a long time. The problem is it was only for the rich kids. And now we have a level playing field where folks of any income, any background can go to the school of their choice, whether that’s a public school or a home school or a private school, whatever works best for them and their specific learning needs,” Horton explained.  

Reisma raised a common concern about what would happen to rural students and public schools. 

“Most of our [students] are in rural areas where there are no choices except for the public school,” the union president claimed. “They’re not going to have any choice when the public school actually closes because of loss of attendance or loss of funds as public funds go to take care of these private school vouchers.” 

However, Horton said Reisma’s argument was a “myth.”  

“There’s a private school, an EFA participating school, within driving distance of 90% of Arkansas school aged kids,” he said.  

“Regardless of how [public schools are] funded, there are going to be students who cannot learn in that environment,” Henley concluded. “They need something different.”