Giving Compass' Take:

· According to Education Dive, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reemphasized the importance of Education Freedom Scholarships and school choice at the 2019 Reagan Institute Summit on Education.

· How does school choice impact students and their success? Does school choice affect education equity? How can donors support the expansion of Education Freedom Scholarships and school choice? 

· Read and learn more about school choice and Education Freedom Scholarships.

Nearly two months after U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos unveiled her latest school choice-centered proposal, she addressed an audience of hundreds Thursday on why its companion legislation needs to pass in Congress.

Speaking at the 2019 Reagan Institute Summit on Education (RISE) and sitting alongside Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz — who introduced Senate Bill 634at the end of February — DeVos said Education Freedom Scholarships (EFS) "will ultimately mean a better education for more kids."

"We’ve encouraged people to think very broadly about what school choice can mean," she said, calling the initiative "critical in continuing to ... boost the momentum to offer more choice for more kids."

Under the proposal, taxpayers can choose to contribute to the program in exchange for dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits, meant to foster choice, that are capped at $5 billion annually. The credits would be for private donations to scholarship-granting organizations, and states could use the funds for dual enrollment, private schools, homeschooling and more.

With the Trump administration staunchly supporting school choice — among other pro-choice requests, the president's proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget asks for $500 million for the federal Charter Schools Program — public opinion has been shifting in favor of expanding students' educational options.

Read the full article about school choice by Jessica Campisi at Education Dive.