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Nonprofit news organization The 74 recently published a report on an EdChoice poll that found Black families are interested in other schooling options including vouchers and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs).
Based on a survey conducted by Morning Consult, African American parents are leaning away from traditional public schools.
"Black parents want a change in the K–12 experience post-pandemic, a recent @edchoice poll found — and many look favorably on policies like vouchers and ESAs," The 74 wrote in an April 17 Twitter post.
Black parents are more concerned with their children's education after the pandemic, The 74 report said. They are eager to see a chance in the K-12 experience. Morning Consult’s survey asked 1,300 Black parents their thoughts on ESAs, to which 57% responded with support. ESAs were defined as "a financial vehicle that offers families money to spend on educational costs of their choosing."
The Morning Consult survey—which was administered on behalf of EdChoice, an Indianapolis-based education advocacy group—also showed 62% of Black parents support vouchers, 66% support open enrollment of public schools, and 68% support charter schools. A similar poll in 2021 found that two-thirds of African Americans were "open to the idea" of homeschooling, and a similar 65% are supportive of homeschooling in 2023. The 74 report cited the 2021 census that found the number of African Americans who chose to homeschool during the first year of the pandemic (2021) jumped from 3.3% to 16.1%
"I think the openness and interest in some of these different options is one data point showing that there’s pretty strong demand among [African American] families for different kinds of education options than what their kids might be accessing currently,” Alex Spurrier, an associate partner at the nonprofit research and consulting group Bellwether Education Partners, said in the report.
ESAs are growing in popularity in the United States, a recent Education Week release said. These accounts give families access to public per-pupil funds, which can be used to pay for tuition to private schools, homeschooling supplies, curriculum materials and educational therapy services. The accounts began in Arizona in 2011 and were originally limited to students with disabilities, low-income students and students in failing schools. Following the pandemic, they have grown in popularity, with more states opting for universal programs that allow any student to use them. As of March 2023, 11 states have ESA programs or expansions to previous ESA policies.
The Texas Tribune recently reported that state lawmakers are debating on whether to implement a school choice program involving ESAs. State Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Dist. 16) filed Senate Bill 8, which would create an ESA program with $8,000 per student while maintaining a "held harmless" clause for rural districts. The bill is moving to the Texas Senate floor for debate after passing through the Senate Education Committee.
“Educating the next generation of Texans is the most fundamental responsibility we have, and I authored Senate Bill 8 to place parents, not government, squarely in the center of the decisions for their children,” Creighton said on the state Senate website, quoted by the Forest Country News. “Giving parents the power to determine the best school for their child will encourage competition and innovation, ensuring that each Texas student has the opportunity to succeed.
“Anyone who creates a narrative that you can’t lift up public schools and teachers and also provide educational empowerment for families is just creating a narrative that’s false and divisive."