All children deserve a chance at a great education, no matter where they live. At its heart, educational choice is simply the idea that all parents, regardless of means, should enjoy the freedom to choose where and how their children are educated. As the nation’s legislative advisors, IJ’s attorneys regularly help legislators and policymakers ensure that educational choice initiatives will pass constitutional muster. And as the nation’s preeminent courtroom defender of educational choice programs, the Institute for Justice intervenes in legal challenges to such programs on behalf of parents nationwide to protect and defend their right to direct the education and upbringing of their children.
Educational Choice Cases
Arkansas School Choice
In 2023, Arkansas’ education reform bill, known as the LEARNS Act, went into effect. The LEARNS Act created the state’s Education Freedom Accounts program, which provides eligible families with thousands of dollars to cover certain…
Educational Choice Legislation
Educational Choice | Tax Credit Scholarships
Education Savings Account Act: Tax-Credit Funded
Our present system of delivering publicly funded education is in need of dramatic reform. Educational choice programs provide that reform as they shift the power from state boards of education and school districts to parents. …
Educational Choice | Publicly Funded Scholarships
Education Savings Account Act: Publicly Funded
Our present system of delivering publicly funded education is in need of dramatic reform. Educational choice programs provide that reform as they shift the power from state boards of education and school districts to parents. …
Educational Choice Research
Educational Choice
The Status of Use-Based Exclusions & Educational Choice After Espinoza
In this article, Michael Bindas discusses the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Espinoza v. Montana Department for Revenue, in which the Court held that states cannot bar families participating in educational choice programs from choosing…
Educational Choice
12 Myths and Realities About Private Educational Choice Programs
Educational choice programs—defined broadly as programs that provide parents with financial aid to help their children opt out of the traditional public school system—are a hallmark of meaningful educational reform. Yet despite widespread news coverage…