Arizona has become a national beacon for educational innovation. With an array of schooling models now available to families—including charter schools, private institutions, microschools, and homeschooling cooperatives—parents here are no longer bound by the arbitrary boundaries of a ZIP code. Instead, they are free to choose an education tailored to their child’s needs, interests, and abilities. This shift reflects a growing consensus: the freedom to choose your child’s school is not only a practical necessity, but a moral imperative.

This principle aligns deeply with the American founding. Our republic depends on an educated citizenry capable of self-government. That education must begin with the family, not the state. School choice returns the power to parents—those closest to the child and best equipped to understand their unique path.

The Roots of Reform

School choice is not a rejection of public education. Rather, it is a response to its bureaucratic limitations. Historically, many states operated on a one-size-fits-all model. Students were assigned schools based on residential geography, regardless of academic quality, school safety, or personal fit. As seen in the experience of Dr. Barbara Duncan, a former public school administrator and now a school choice advocate, such rigidity often left families without viable alternatives—unless they could afford private tuition or were willing to uproot their lives.

Arizona’s educational landscape changed dramatically in the 1990s and early 2000s, thanks to key legislative efforts. State leaders like former Superintendent Lisa Graham Keegan championed charter schools and tax credit programs that empowered families to redirect a portion of their taxes to scholarship-granting organizations. These policies created pathways for students of all backgrounds—including those with disabilities or from low-income households—to access private or specialized schools

Educational Freedom in Practice

Today, over half of Arizona’s public school students attend a school of choice. The options are as diverse as the students themselves. Charter schools such as BASIS and Great Hearts have gained national recognition for academic excellence. Microschools offer intimate learning environments. Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs allow high school students to graduate with professional certifications. Dual enrollment and early college high schools enable teens to earn college credit before graduation.

The Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program—pioneered in Arizona and now expanded universally—allows any student to receive public funds for qualified educational expenses, including private tuition, tutoring, and homeschool curricula. For families like Liz Dreckman’s, who discovered that her children’s needs were not being met in traditional settings, the ESA offered a lifeline. Her son, enrolled in a STEM-focused school, gained two years of academic growth in just six months.

A Constitutional Case for Choice

The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed the constitutionality of parental choice in education. The principle at stake is liberty—specifically, the liberty of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. Arizona’s school choice policies respect this tradition by placing decision-making authority in the hands of families, not distant bureaucracies.

Equally important is the concept of local control. While federal and state standards have their place, the most effective educational reforms are rooted in community engagement and responsive governance. Districts like Chandler Unified In the Phoenix Metro area have embraced competition by expanding specialized programs within their own public schools. Rather than resisting choice, they have thrived by adapting to it.

Challenges and Next Steps

Yet even in Arizona, access is uneven. Rural families may face limited options due to geography. Some parents feel overwhelmed by the sheer variety of choices. Here, community organizations play a vital role. By providing school tours, information sessions, and one-on-one guidance, groups like Choose a School AZ help families navigate their options and make informed decisions.

Moreover, as guest Liz Dreckman noted in our recent podcast conversation, school choice is not about promoting one type of school over another. It is about matching each child with the environment where they will flourish—whether that’s a magnet school with a drama program, a homeschool pod with hands-on science, or a high school that integrates college coursework.

Toward School Choice 3.0

What lies ahead is a vision of even more personalized learning. The next generation of school choice may blend online and in-person instruction, integrate extracurricular passions like sports or the arts, and allow students to build customized schedules across multiple providers. This modular approach honors the principle that education should serve the student, not the system.

In states where choice is still constrained, families and policymakers can look to Arizona as a blueprint. The results speak for themselves: higher student achievement, greater parental satisfaction, and increased civic engagement. As we celebrate National School Choice Week this January, let us recommit to the founding principle that the family, not the state, is the cornerstone of a free society.

EdChoice — Arizona School Choice Overview
A comprehensive, state-level snapshot of Arizona’s school choice ecosystem, covering ESAs, tax-credit scholarships, charter schools, and open enrollment. This is a solid grounding source for claims about Arizona being a national leader in educational choice.
https://www.edchoice.org/state/arizona/

Arizona Department of Education — Empowerment Scholarship Account Program
The official state program page for Arizona’s ESA system. This is your primary-source reference for how ESAs function, what expenses are eligible, and the scope of universal eligibility.
https://www.azed.gov/esa

EdChoice Research — How Arizona Families Are Using ESAs
Empirical research documenting how families actually deploy ESA funds for customized education paths (tutoring, microschools, curriculum, therapies, etc.). Strong support for your personalization and “education should fit the child” arguments.
https://www.edchoice.org/2025-arizona-families-are-changing-how-they-spend-their-esas/

Manhattan Institute — The Benefits of Educational Options
Policy analysis from a conservative think tank summarizing research findings showing positive academic and civic outcomes associated with school choice programs. Useful when asserting that results “speak for themselves.”
https://manhattan.institute/article/benefits-of-educational-options-clear

School Choice Arizona — Tax Credit Scholarships
Arizona-based nonprofit explaining how tax-credit scholarships expand access to private and specialized schools, particularly for low-income families. This supports your discussion of pluralism rather than dismantling public education.
https://schoolchoicearizona.org/