Originally published on July 19, 2021 in the Arizona Capitol Times.
While efforts to broadly expand Empowerment Scholarship Account, or vouchers, eligibility failed this year, school choice advocates found other reasons to celebrate the legislative session.
They got a range of wins from open enrollment policy changes and voucher access tweaks to transportation modernization grants and flexible instructional time models…
But legislation that did pass highlights the different options students have in the state and give parents more information to make decisions, said Matthew Simon, advocacy and government affairs vice president for Great Leaders, Strong Schools.
“This was one of the best sessions for kids and families in 20 years, probably since ’94,” Simon said.