School choice supporters celebrate education options in Arizona

Across the country, more states are planting paths for school
choice – from a charter school law in Maine to a sweeping voucher
program in Indiana to the voucher-like empowerment scholarship
accounts in Arizona.

Those choices were in the forefront of a celebration Friday at
Gilbert’s Edu-Prize School, one of Arizona’s first charter schools
to launch when the state adopted the law more than 15 years
ago.

There are 41 states, plus Washington, D.C., that allow charter
schools – privately run public schools funded by taxpayers. More
than 2 million students attend them this year. In Arizona, that
number is around 135,000 – close to 13 percent of the state’s
public school students.

Choices abound in this state. Arizona allows parents to
home-school, with 35,000 students learning at home. Thousands of
K-12 students receive tax-credit scholarships to attend private
schools. Students can choose to attend their neighborhood public
school, or they can apply to enroll in a school down the street or
across town through open enrollment laws.

“All children should have the right to go to a school of their
choice and receive an excellent education,” Barbara Duncan,
assistant principal at Edu-Prize, told the students and about 100
guests at the event.

All these options were highlighted Friday. The ROTC color guard
was from Gilbert Unified School District’s Highland High School.
Homeschoolers Andy Izard, 17; Austin Lee, 16; and Jenna and Leah
McCarthy, ages 10 and 7, delivered the Pledge of Allegiance.
Edu-Prize charter students stood and listed their “character
counts” pillars.

And speakers, including state treasurer Doug Ducey and former
Intel CEO and chairman of the AZ Ready Education Council Craig
Barrett, talked about why choice is key to changing education in
the United States.

“It’s about the kids. It’s about empowering parents to pick the
best places for their kids,” said Liz Dreckman, president of
Arizona School Choice Trust, an organization that awards
scholarships to students from private, corporate and tax-credit
donations.

During the outdoor celebration, Barrett engaged the children of
Edu-Prize, who were all sitting on the school’s field.

He told them the two most important things they can receive and
hold onto are their education and their personal integrity.

“When you have those two things, the rest is easy. You have the
opportunity to be successful,” he said.

Barrett is president and chairman of the board for BASIS
Schools, a nationally recognized charter operator with schools in
Arizona, including Chandler and Scottsdale. He pointed to
Edu-Prize, as well as BASIS and Great Hearts, as models of positive
charter schools.

“Edu-Prize is a demonstration of what can be done and can be
accomplished. We want to see more of it throughout Arizona and the
U.S. That’s why we’re proponents of school choice,” Barrett
said.

The event ended with a balloon launch at 10 a.m. that was to
coincide with other launches at schools of choice across the
state.

• Contact writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com

Contact
writer: (480) 898-6549 or mreese@evtrib.com