The Turn of the Tide in School Choice Advocacy?
While celebrated by free-market think tanks and conservative or libertarian-leaning politicians, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) does not typically hold much sway with state Departments of Education. That, however, appears to be changing. The organization recently released its annual report, the ALEC Index of State Education Freedom, which ranks each state based on “education freedom programs,” such as charter school, homeschool, virtual school, and open enrollment policies.
With an A grade for charter schooling, virtual schooling, open enrollment, and robust private school choice options, it is no wonder that Florida tied for the top spot in the 2025 report. What stood out about this achievement wasn’t the ranking itself, but the way Florida’s leaders responded. The state’s Department of Education and its education commissioner, Manny Diaz, Jr., didn’t quietly note the honor—they celebrated it.
This public embrace of education freedom is rare in the world of public education, but it is exactly what we need to see if school choice policies are to become the norm nationwide.
More often than not, public school officials are openly hostile to school choice programs. For this reason, school choice advocates have long faced an uphill battle. Policies like charter schooling and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) are often met with fierce opposition from entrenched interests that prioritize preserving the status quo over empowering families. Teacher unions, school boards, and even some state education department heads often argue that school choice policies drain resources from traditional public schools. Or they argue that non-public schools are not accountable when parents can freely choose whether to attend them, but the school is not fully regulated. These claims, though often overstated, fuel the resistance to change.
Even when reforms are enacted, they are frequently treated as reluctant concessions, quietly implemented without fanfare by state departments of education. This reluctance to promote education freedom has hampered progress.
A prime example of what I mean recently took place just down the road from the Florida Department of Education at a Leon County School board meeting. Bill Mattox, a school choice advocate for the free-market James Madison Institute, was invited to address the school board on issues related to school choice policies. Upon completing his opening remarks, he was grilled by the public school officials. The superintendent of the school district even told Mattox, “You’re brave to be here.”
It should not take bravery to talk about education freedom in public school settings. Yet, for many school choice advocates, hostility from the education establishment is an expected reality.
This is why the response by Florida’s commissioner and Department of Education is encouraging. By publicly celebrating their ALEC ranking, Florida’s educational leaders signaled their commitment to the principles of education freedom. They demonstrated that policies like charter schools and ESAs are not mere fads—they are core to ensuring families have access to educational opportunities.
This shift in rhetoric is critical to the continued expansion of school choice policies and programs. Education policy is shaped as much by perception as by law. When education leaders champion school choice, they help normalize these policies and build public confidence in their effectiveness. Florida’s example shows how celebrating success can energize supporters, persuade critics, and create momentum for further reforms.
Politicians, such as Governors Doug Ducey of Arizona and Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas have shown what it means to be champions of education freedom. It is no wonder their states rank second and third on ALEC’s list. But few other governors, and even fewer public education administrators, have shown such commitment. In many states, resistance to school choice remains deeply entrenched, particularly in states that rank near the bottom of ALEC’s list. Education leaders in these states often fear backlash from powerful interest groups and a vocal segment of the public that equates school choice with an attack on traditional public schools.
While the tide appears to be turning toward greater education freedom, there is still progress to be made. True success will come when education leaders in every state, including those at the bottom of the rankings, publicly embrace and celebrate the principle of education freedom. Only then will families across the nation have access to the opportunities they deserve.
