Education Savings Accounts: The New Frontier in School Choice

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School choice has been central to American education policy debate for a quarter-century. But throughout, school choice has been just thatschool choice. In a potentially profound development, Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) reimagine parent choice in ways that may upend many assumptions that have framed issues of school choice in the past. ESAs offer something wholly new, allowing parents to customize their childs education by stitching together traditional schools and different education providers, including tutors, therapists, online and blended models. Of course, a raft of new questions and potential challenges accompany these new ESA programs, which in 2015, existed in five statesArizona, Florida, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennesseeand were introduced by legislators in another sixteen. Yet, for all their potential import, ESAs are barely understood. This volume seeks to provide a comprehensive, fair-minded treatment of ESAs and will address the rationale for them, the challenges they pose, what it takes for them to work and the political and legal dynamics at play.

Reviews

Education Savings Accounts: The New Frontier in School Choice provides a hands-on view of one of the most important conversations in school choice today. Rather than cheerleading any single view, the authors offer questions and insights that help the reader understand how ESAs work and discover what they could mean for American education reform moving forward. -- Debbie Lesko, Arizona Senator
The unfortunate lesson of history is that a public education model that treats parents inequitably treats their children no differently. The authors of this book outline a bold, new direction that disrupts this failed status quo. By empowering all parents with the freedom and resources to seek better educational options, we better ensure the success of their children in the classroom and in life. -- Jeb Bush, Governor
This book features contributions from the nations leading school choice scholars, legal experts, and advocates that address how ESAs work, what it will take for them to deliver on their potential, and how policymakers and parents should think about this new educational option. As a promising new frontier in American education, it is vital that those who support ESAs be thinking from the start about the challenges they pose and how to address them. This book is a useful tool to do just that. -- Frederick Hess, author of Letters to a Young Education Reformer; director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute
ESAs are the most exciting new thing to hit the education reform stage and this volume presents the perspectives of an all-star cast on this new reform's potential. Even if it isn't as hard to get as tickets toHamilton, everyone involved in education policy will want to grab a copy of this book so they can better understand how ESAs work, the regulatory and accountability challenges they face, as well as the legal and political advantages they offer. -- Jay P. Greene, endowed chair and head of the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas, Ph.D., endowed chair and head of the Department of Education Reform, University of Arkansas

Author Bio

Nat Malkus is a research fellow in education policy studies at AEI. His work has appeared in publications including the Elementary School Journal, ZDM: The International Journal on Mathematics Education, and Theory and Research in Social Education, as well as popular outlets such as US News & World Report. Adam Peshek is director of educational choice at the Foundation for Excellence in Education, where he provides strategic support to state leaders interested in developing, adopting, and implementing policies that increase educational options for students. Since 2014, Mr. Peshek has focused on ESAs and has worked in each state with an ESA program from policy formation through implementation. Gerard Robinson is a resident fellow in education policy studies at AEI. He previously served as Floridas commissioner of education, as the secretary of education in Virginia, and as president of the Black Alliance for Educational Options.