Policy & Politics

School Choice & Charters

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, policies, governance, research, advocacy, and institutions around school choice and charters.

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  • The Latest

    Collage-style illustration of tall vertical clippings of green lockers, a school bus and a wooden desk, all split apart. In between the images are clippings of text from the IRS webpage that has information about the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit.
    Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
    School Choice & Charters Opinion Don’t Be Fooled by Claims That Tax-Credit Scholarships Can Help Public Education
    The latest federal school choice scheme is a Trojan horse, argue Miguel Cardona and Robert Kim.
    Miguel Cardona & Robert Kim, October 23, 2026
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    5 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Opinion What Could a Blue Wave Mean for School Choice?
    A Democratic wave could slow school choice’s momentum, but established programs are hard to undo.
    Rick Hess, October 20, 2026
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    5 min read
    Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
    Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Private school choice programs—such as Texas' education savings accounts—are shaping debates in close races in a handful of states.
    Julio Cortez/AP
    School Choice & Charters School Choice Could Prove Pivotal in Some Midterm Races This Fall
    "The politics of school choice are being scrambled in real time," says one advocate.
    Arianna Prothero, October 20, 2026
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    8 min read
    Alex Impion, 12, shines a flashlight on a model moon held by Necmeddin Aljabri, 8, at Riverside Elementary School in Cleveland on March 14, 2024. The two were learning about the upcoming total solar eclipse, a topic that has challenged and inspired teachers in and near the eclipse's path.
    Alex Impion, 12, shines a flashlight on a model moon held by Necmeddin Aljabri, 8, at Riverside Elementary School in Cleveland on March 14, 2024. An Ohio court has found that the state's voucher program, EdChoice, is unconstitutional, providing a choice to the private schools that must honor the taxpayer-funded vouchers rather than to Ohio families.
    Carolyn Thompson/AP
    School Choice & Charters Court Declares Ohio School Choice Voucher Program Unconstitutional
    A state appellate court found a voucher program harms public schools and violates Ohio’s constitution.
    The Associated Press, October 16, 2026
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    2 min read
    Federal tax dollars flow into a public school. Federal school choice funding.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
    School Choice & Charters Q&A How Much Will Federal School Choice Benefit Public Schools?
    "The money is there," says a researcher trying to project how much is there for public school students.
    Arianna Prothero, October 15, 2026
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    5 min read
    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026.
    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026. Pritzker is among 16 governors who have yet to announce whether their states will participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, the first national school choice program.
    Gabriela Passos/AP
    School Choice & Charters Democratic Holdouts Still Aren’t Committing to Trump’s School Choice Program
    Sixteen governors still haven't said whether they'll opt in to the first national school choice program.
    Matthew Stone & Arianna Prothero, October 14, 2026
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    6 min read
    Creative Minds students find their partners during daily family time in Wichita Kansas.
    Students find their partners during daily family time on Sept. 15, 2026, at Creative Minds, a microschool run by the public school district in Wichita, Kan. Interest in microschools has surged in recent years, and some school districts are starting their own. One example is in Indiana, where Superintendent George Philhower of the Eastern Hancock district has started the Indiana Microschool Collaborative.
    Melissa Lukenbaugh for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Q&A To Compete With School Choice, This Superintendent Turned to Microschools
    More school districts have started microschools. George Philhower has started a network of them.
    Arianna Prothero, October 8, 2026
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    4 min read
    MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Students move through the halls at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
    The Trump administration has released proposed regulations outlining how the first nationwide school choice program will operate when it launches next year. The regulations leave some major questions unaddressed but clarify other aspects for the tax-credit scholarship program.
    Caroline Yang for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Explainer New Rules for Federal School Choice: What You Need to Know
    Proposed rules from the IRS offer some details on how the first nationwide school choice program will work.
    Arianna Prothero, Mark Lieberman & Matthew Stone, October 1, 2026
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    14 min read
    The tax credit program would allow individuals who donate up to $1,700 to a scholarship granting organization to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit in exchange. Pictured are students at Northeast Elementary located at 1024 Fleming Ave. in Jackson on Aug. 20, 2025.
    Students at Northeast Elementary School in Jackson, Mich., on Aug. 20, 2025. A tax-credit scholarship program launching in January will allow individuals who donate up to $1,700 to a scholarship granting organization to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit. Those SGOs can give out awards to cover private school tuition as well as some expenses for public school students.
    Abra Richardson/mlive.com via TNS
    School Choice & Charters Federal Education Tax Credit Rules Are Finally Here. What We Know So Far
    The Treasury Department unveiled regulations governing a massive infusion of education funding nationwide.
    Arianna Prothero & Mark Lieberman, October 1, 2026
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    5 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Opinion What Do Parents Look for in a School?
    Test scores aren’t the whole story. The CEO of GreatSchools talks about what parents want.
    Rick Hess, September 22, 2026
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    5 min read
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    Daisy Wisbey, 11, and Eleanor Mukiri, 10, work on an engineering challenge at Creative Minds in Wichita, Kan., on Sept. 15, 2026. The Wichita public schools runs Creative Minds as a microschool, in which students from multiple grades learn together in a project-based learning format. Wichita is among a handful of public school districts that have begun their own microschools.
    Melissa Lukenbaugh for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Microschools Are Spreading. Some School Districts Have Opened Their Own
    Districts see the small learning communities as an alternative for families that may otherwise leave.
    Arianna Prothero, September 16, 2026
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    8 min read
    President Donald Trump, center right, walks with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, center left, and guests after a back to school event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump, center right, walks with Education Secretary Linda McMahon, center left, and guests after a back-to-school event in the Rose Garden of the White House on Monday, Aug. 24, 2026, in Washington. A new report envisions a number of scenarios in which the new federal school choice program launching next year could become one of the nation's largest K-12 funding streams.
    Alex Brandon/AP
    School Choice & Charters Could Trump's School Choice Program Rival Title I or IDEA in Size?
    A new report looks at how much money could be raised under different scenarios.
    Arianna Prothero, September 10, 2026
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    6 min read
    CapitalCity004B
    Seniors line up during their graduation rehearsal at the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington on June 11, 2026. A new analysis breaks down the number of students in each state who could qualify for financial awards under the new federal tax-credit scholarship program launching next year. The awards could cover private school tuition as well as certain expenses for traditional public and charter school students.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Vast Majority of Students Could Qualify for Trump's School Choice Program
    Although most students are expected to be eligible, four factors will shape its ultimate size.
    Matthew Stone, July 30, 2026
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    7 min read
    Vermont State House 24197596488760
    The Vermont State House in Montpelier, Vt., on Friday, July 12, 2024. Vermont last week became the first state to enact rules restricting scholarships awarded under a new federal school choice program to public school and low-income students.
    Ted Shaffrey/AP Photo
    School Choice & Charters A State's New Law Sets Up Clash With Trump's School Choice Program Rules
    A state passed new requirements if it opts in to the new federal scholarship tax credit program.
    Matthew Stone, June 23, 2026
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    6 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Opinion What the International Debate Over School Choice Can Teach Us at Home
    A scholar highlights a new push to forge a consensus on parental rights—from New York to Africa.
    Rick Hess, June 23, 2026
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    6 min read