Alliance for School Choice

Alliance for School Choice
Name	Alliance for School Choice
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	2011
Headquarters	United States
Focus	School choice advocacy

Alliance for School Choice is a nonprofit advocacy group focused on promoting school choice policies such as scholarship tax credits, voucher programs, and education savings accounts. The organization operates in the United States and engages with state legislatures, philanthropic funders, policymakers, and media to influence debates involving public charter schools, private schools, and K–12 funding mechanisms.

History

The organization emerged in the early 2010s amid national debates following high-profile reforms associated with No Child Left Behind Act, Race to the Top, and the expansion of charter schools in cities like New Orleans, Detroit, and Washington, D.C.. Its formation coincided with efforts by advocacy networks connected to figures such as Betsy DeVos, Jeb Bush, and institutions like the American Legislative Exchange Council and the Goldwater Institute. Early campaigns referenced policy experiments in states including Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio, and engaged with legal disputes echoing cases like Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue and debates over Zelman v. Simmons-Harris. The group has interacted with national organizations such as Activism, The Heritage Foundation, and Common Core-opponent coalitions during legislative sessions in capitals like Tallahassee, Columbus, Ohio, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Mission and Activities

The stated mission centers on advancing options for families through mechanisms like scholarship tax credits, vouchers modeled on programs in Milwaukee, Washington, D.C., and Indiana, and education savings accounts similar to initiatives in Arizona and Florida. Activities include legislative drafting assistance, coalition building with state think tanks such as the Institute for Justice and the Buckeye Institute, media campaigns involving outlets like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and convenings with policymakers from parties including the Republican Party (United States) and school-choice supporters across ideological lines. The organization frequently produces policy briefs, hosts panels featuring experts from institutions like Harvard Kennedy School, Stanford University, and Georgetown University, and participates in litigation strategy discussions echoing precedents set by the Supreme Court of the United States.

Policy Initiatives and Advocacy

The group advocates statutory changes by drafting bills aligned with model legislation circulated by networks such as the American Legislative Exchange Council and promoting measures adopted in states like Florida and Arizona. Priority initiatives have included scholarship tax credits inspired by models in Pennsylvania and Iowa, universal voucher proposals similar to those debated in West Virginia, and education savings account programs informed by pilots in Nevada and Utah. Advocacy tactics include lobbying state legislators in chambers like the Florida House of Representatives and the Arizona Legislature, mobilizing parent coalitions patterned after groups in Tampa, Phoenix, and Cleveland, and coordinating with national funders historically associated with Walton Family Foundation, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, and other philanthropic actors active in school choice debates. The organization also responds to litigation trends involving cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and engages amici filings alongside groups such as the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Funding and Partnerships

Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations, individual donors, and partnerships with state-based think tanks and advocacy groups. The Alliance collaborates with organizations like the Goldwater Institute, the American Federation for Children, and the Institute for Justice on campaigns and legal strategies, and has received support from foundations that have also funded work by entities such as the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation. Partnerships extend to state coalitions in Ohio, Arizona, Florida, and Indiana, and to education providers including voucher-accepting private schools in urban centers like Milwaukee and Washington, D.C.. Financial disclosures and donor lists have been discussed in reporting by outlets such as ProPublica, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics link the organization's agenda to broader disputes involving privatization and accountability exemplified in debates over charter schools in New Orleans and voucher impacts in Milwaukee. Opponents from unions like the National Education Association and advocacy groups including Stand for Children and Parents Across America have raised concerns about effects on public school funding, segregation issues reminiscent of controversies in Jefferson County (Colorado) and legal questions similar to those in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. Journalists and researchers at institutions such as The Atlantic, Education Week, and ProPublica have scrutinized donor influence, transparency, and the outcomes associated with voucher programs. The organization has also been part of contested legislative fights in state capitols including Tallahassee, Columbus, Ohio, and Phoenix, Arizona, drawing protests from community groups and labor organizations.

Impact and Evaluations

Evaluations of programs the Alliance has supported draw on empirical studies from researchers at universities like Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, and Georgetown University. Findings in the broader school-choice literature include mixed results: some studies report improved student outcomes in contexts like Milwaukee and Washington, D.C., while others find negligible or negative effects on standardized measures in places such as Ohio and Florida. Analyses by policy centers including the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute often emphasize heterogeneity across populations and the importance of regulation seen in European and American comparative work. The organization's legislative successes and setbacks have shaped state-level landscapes in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, and Ohio, influencing debates about school finance, access for low-income families, and the role of faith-based schools in publicly funded choice programs.

Category:Education advocacy organizations in the United States