This month, Cascade Policy Institute is releasing a new report explaining why government-mandated “affordable housing” doesn’t actually make housing more affordable. In The Affordable Housing Scam, author Randal O’Toole writes that while “U.S. taxpayers spend tens of billions of dollars a year subsidizing housing for low-income households,” those units cost “about 20 percent more per […]
January 21-27 is National School Choice Week, the world’s largest annual celebration of parental choice and effective education options for all children. This month, 183 participating Oregon schools and organizations will raise awareness about K-12 education options in our state. Oregon students today benefit from district public schools, public charter schools, private and parochial schools, […]
In 2023, eight states passed universal or near-universal educational choice laws. Education Savings Accounts, vouchers, and education tax credits are different policy approaches; but the goal of each is the same: to put parents “in the driver’s seat” of their kids’ education. A strong majority of voters agree that parents should be able to choose […]
A long-standing question about taxpayer-funded school choice programs like vouchers, education tax credits, and Education Scholarship Accounts is whether such programs would cause tuition to rise at private elementary and high schools. A new study by the Heritage Foundation shows that school choice programs have kept elementary school costs from increasing in their states and […]
A June 2023 RealClear Opinion Research survey of registered voters shows public support for school choice has increased seven points since 2020. Seventy-one percent of voters—up from 64% three years ago—say parents should “have the right to use tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school […]
Three states recently expanded education options for K-12 students through school choice laws. States that are empowering families to find the right fit for their children’s educational needs are opening doors of opportunity for generations of students. In May, Nebraska passed the Opportunity Scholarship Act. The tax credit-funded program provides opportunities for children to attend […]
Cascade Policy Institute has released a new report evaluating the effect of an Education Savings Account program on local public school district budgets. “Education Savings Accounts Can Boost Per-Student Spending in Public Schools” examines funding for every Oregon school district. The report finds that if 5% of public-school students used an ESA program to transfer […]
January 22-28 is National School Choice Week, a celebration of opportunity in K-12 education. Every January, thousands of independent events draw attention to the ways school choice brings quality education to millions of students. Families increasingly believe parents should be able to choose among the schools and resources that best meet their children’s academic and […]
A June poll of Oregonians conducted by Nelson Research and sponsored by the Oregon Moms Union (an education advocacy group) found that most Oregonians are unhappy with the K-12 education system. It also showed that 73% of Oregon voters support school choice, including 60% of Democrats. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as national polls consistently […]
The Heritage Foundation recently released its first Education Freedom Report Card. The report analyzes and ranks each state’s “education freedom” according to factors related to school choice, transparency, regulatory freedom, and spending. The report seeks to assess what states do well, identify where they can improve, and help policymakers achieve real reforms. Florida takes first […]