The school choice movement is gaining momentum, but its long-term success will depend on the continued support of philanthropy.
In 2024, we stand at the edge of a profound shift in the American education system. With more than a third of states now offering Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), this represents the fastest growing choice movement in our history. Currently available in 17 states, ESAs allow parents to access public funds for a range of educational options, marking a significant departure from traditional, one-size-fits-all schooling.
A Family-Led Revolution
At the core of this movement is a simple truth: families want more say in how their children are educated. In a world where everything from entertainment to healthcare is becoming more personalized, parents are asking why education can’t be tailored to their children's unique needs. The expansion of ESAs offers that possibility, granting parents the flexibility to choose what works best for their child—whether that’s a public, private, or charter school, or even a micro or homeschool.
Historically, the role of school has not just been academics but also – and equally as importantly – the development of future citizens and leaders who understand the intrinsic value of our democracy and what America means to the world. The foundational values that once served as the cornerstone of our schools have eroded, prompting families to search for alternatives that reinforce core American principles.
Philanthropy has a crucial role to play in supporting this revolution. By investing in new models, innovative solutions, and cutting-edge policies, philanthropic organizations have the chance to catalyze change and ensure the movement is both sustainable and scalable.
The Failings of the Status Quo
We have long known that the traditional education system is not serving all students, particularly those from low-income households. National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores remain stagnant, the achievement gap continues to widen, and chronic absenteeism is a growing concern. In higher education, more than half of college students require remedial courses, and graduation rates remain disappointingly low. Yet, our education systems largely continue to operate as they always have.
The education reform movement of the early 2000s, driven by a push for accountability and data-driven decision-making, didn’t deliver the comprehensive change many hoped for. Testing, identifying best practices, and replicating success became the focus. Yet, in our push for accountability, we sometimes overlooked the voices of the very people our policies were designed to serve—parents and students.
The story of a charter school in Denver serves as a cautionary tale of this disconnect. A group of education experts designed the school based on the latest research, securing significant funding and national attention before its doors even opened. However, few parents enrolled their children, and the school eventually closed due to low enrollment. The experts followed the data but ignored the realities of the families they hoped to serve. It was a painful lesson: real change must be driven from the ground up, by families and communities, rather than imposed from the top down.
Philanthropy, therefore, is well-positioned to listen to the voices of parents and students, responding to their needs rather than pushing predetermined solutions. At the Daniels Fund, we’re embracing the idea of responding to families. Our "Big Bet" in education aims to create 100,000 new high-quality school choice seats in the Rocky Mountain West. Whether public, private, charter, or home schools, the goal is not to promote one model over another but to give families the freedom to choose what works best for them.
Building Momentum and Facing Opposition
By all accounts, the choice movement is experiencing remarkable success. Over the past decade, every state has considered bills that expand school choice, and 14 have passed expansive universal education choice laws. Homeschooling surged by 63% during the pandemic, and nearly half of those parents continued homeschooling even after schools reopened. Charter school enrollment also grew by 7% and has sustained that growth.
Despite this progress, the movement faces significant opposition. Critics argue that choice initiatives take money away from public schools, yet, history has shown us that competition drives innovation and efficiency. Parents voting with their feet is one of the clearest indicators of what families value in education. As with any transformative movement, we must be prepared to face resistance and stay committed to the cause.
Here, philanthropy's role is pivotal. A group of foundations has played a crucial role responding to parents’ demands by investing in smart policy development, seeding the field with a community of practice, advancing sophisticated storytelling and communications, and proving out new concepts like VELA that is focused on growing innovative micro schools. On policy, the yes. every kid. campaign is working with a coalition to change the laws. On practice, Stand Together and others are supporting microschools and Bloomberg Philanthropies and City Fund are accelerating the replication of high-performing charters. These models are proving that innovation and high expectations are not mutually exclusive. By backing these initiatives, foundations are ensuring that families have access to a broad spectrum of high-quality options.
The role of philanthropy in the school choice movement is not just to fund new models but to support the infrastructure that enables them to thrive. Whether through policy advocacy, coalition-building, or storytelling, philanthropy can provide the essential resources needed to expand and sustain educational choice.
Whether public or private, charter or traditional, homeschool or microschool, the point is not the model, it is the opportunity for our families to choose what works for them and, ultimately, for their kids to learn and thrive. Parents feel empowered by choice and they know that options and outcomes are not mutually exclusive.
Leadership Matters
The success of the school choice movement will hinge on bold leadership—both inside and outside the education system. Visionary leaders like Kyle Gamba, who founded La Luz, a microschool in Denver where students split their time between classrooms and learning in the community, are crucial. These leaders understand the needs of families and are willing to create new models that better serve students.
Leaders like Sal Khan have impacted the system from the outside-in. Just 30 minutes a week on Khan Academy can improve a child’s learning, and Khan has worked with their consumer to make sure that learning is customized, engaging, and effective. They are now reaching over 120 million kids in over 190 countries.
But leadership extends beyond the classroom. Political air cover and advocacy are equally important. State organizations like NewMexicoKidsCAN, Tennessee SCORE, A-Plus Education Partnership, and others provide the support necessary to push through bold changes. National leaders like Jeb Bush have been instrumental in advancing school choice, combining accountability and innovation in the relentless pursuit of a better education system. If we are going to respond to families across this nation, it will take a new generation of education leaders to be courageous, to take risks, and to provide an answer to the tired narrative that it is a zero-sum game and that America should settle for what it has always had. Philanthropy must be there to support these efforts, helping to build strong coalitions and counter-narratives that can withstand opposition.
A Call to Action
As this movement grows, the role of philanthropy becomes even more critical. Philanthropic organizations are uniquely positioned to take the risks that traditional systems cannot. They have the flexibility to invest in new models, respond to emerging trends, and support the leaders who are driving this revolution.
Philanthropy must also be willing to back bold, innovative ideas that challenge the status quo. Whether it’s expanding ESAs, funding micro schools, or supporting new educational technologies, philanthropic organizations must step up to ensure that every family has the freedom to choose the best educational path for their child.
The school choice movement is gaining momentum, but its long-term success will depend on the continued support of philanthropy. By investing in education leaders, empowering families, and advocating for policy change, philanthropy can help ensure that this revolution leads to a better, more equitable future for all children.
Bill Daniels, founder of the Daniels Fund, believed that opportunity is what America is all about. It’s time for us to give families the opportunity to choose the education that best fits their child’s needs—and philanthropy can help make that vision a reality.
While we have seen significant successes at the K-12 level in the last generation (despite fierce resistance), reform efforts on university campuses have largely yet to bear fruit. During our fourth annual Givers, Doers, & Thinkers conference, which will take place on October 24 (with a welcome reception on October 23) at Pepperdine University, we’ll explore what we’ve learned from the K-12 ed reform movement, and how those lessons can be applied in higher education reform. Hanna Skandera will appear as a panelist, and we look forward to seeing you there!