GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (April 17, 2025) — Since 2021, twelve states have authorized Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) as universal or near-universal vouchers to cover either tuition at minimally-regulated private schools or pods (mini-schools with children of like-minded parents); or costs associated with homeschooling, from books and online curricula to field trips and ancillary goods and services deemed essential. These ESAs make nearly all students eligible, regardless of family income.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (April 10, 2025) — Scholars, advocates, and policymakers have long expressed the concern that many private schools receiving tax-payer subsidies through voucher programs would fail to serve children with disabilities. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, in collaboration with School Choice Wisconsin, recently published a report challenging those concerns.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (February 12, 2025) — The expansion of voucher programs, which provide tax-payer-financed subsidies for families enrolling students in private schools, has prompted a debate about their fiscal impact. A recent EdChoice report argues that these programs do not negatively affect public school finances and actually save tax-payers substantial sums of money. A new review explains how this argument rings hollow.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (February 6, 2025) — A recent Fordham Institute report analyzes several perceived threats to educational opportunities for students who score well on standardized tests and class grades. It contends these threats come from those who are overly concerned about “equity” and who seek to undermine programs designed for these high-achieving students.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (January 28, 2025) — A recent Fordham Institute report argues that post-pandemic enrollment declines will inevitably force districts to make the controversial decision to close some schools. Embracing this possibility, the report provides dual criteria of substantial declines in enrollment and chronic low performance as indicators of which schools should be closed first, naming nearly 500 specific schools that meet the criteria.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (January 21, 2025) — A recent Bellwether report explores how much public financing charter schools receive and whether they are funded fairly compared to traditional public schools, specifically in the District of Columbia. After finding disparities, it offers a series of recommendations to reduce those disparities, but upon review, these findings and recommendations are not well-supported. 

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (December 3, 2024) — A recent Progressive Policy Institute report purports to examine the impact of charter schools on the achievement of students who remain enrolled in district-run public schools. Based on the data in the report, however, it shows only a weak relationship between the presence of charter schools and increases in achievement for all students, which contradicts the report’s claims, according to a new review.

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN (November 26, 2024) — A recent three-part report from Bellwether, an education non-profit, explores the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in K-12 education and offers recommendations for policy-makers and practitioners to navigate this emerging landscape.