SE Valley Times

Celebrating National School Choice Week

In honor of National School Choice Week 2024, the East Valley Teen Homeschool Network (EVTHN.net) organized a heartfelt gathering to celebrate school choice and to learn how to safeguard and preserve Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) for their future use.

This event was an intimate Teen Town Hall with ESA proponent, Arizona State Sen. Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson). Wadsack engaged with twenty ESA homeschool teens, sharing her profound insights about the importance of school choice and the essential need to safeguard ESA for all Arizonan students.

"Elections Have Consequences"

The event provided an invaluable opportunity for ESA homeschool teens to delve into the intricacies of school choice and its impact on educational opportunities. A key takeaway from the event was the realization that safeguarding ESA necessitates active participation in the democratic process, particularly through informed voting for candidates who support ESA. 

Senator Wadsack emphasized this importance, stating, “Vote. You need to vote,” said Wadsack. “You need to make sure that you are always making sure that those who support ESA get re-elected or elected.”

“We need to get those who are against ESA out. Elections have consequences,” Wadsack said. “That’s probably the best message I can give you.”

Understanding Legislative Processes and Challenges

The event also provided valuable insights into the legislative processes and challenges surrounding educational policy. Senator Wadsack walked the teens through how laws are passed in AZ. The teens also learned about the significant impact of legislative decisions, such as when Governor Hobbs vetoed 146 bills last year, some of which would have positively affected Arizonans. 

“We had bills that should not have been vetoed, and some of them were very, very important and we don’t understand,” said Sen. Wadsack. “Politics is funny.Things can be used in a way that is just, it’s not right, it shouldn't be done that way.”

“They play politics with what they say,” she said.

This served as a reminder of the complexities involved in advocating and passing bills that support school choice and ESA.

Addressing Misconceptions and Advocating for ESA

During the event, the ESA teens also gained a deeper understanding of the misconceptions surrounding ESA and public school funding. They learned that public schools receive 100% of ESA students’ federal funding and 10% of ESA students’ state funding, while ESA students are left with only 90% of state funding for their education. 

Sen. Wadsack highlighted this point, stating, “Schools get $8,000 for you and you're not even there,” said Wadsack. “So I’m curious why they’re upset because it doesn’t make sense.”

“That’s the reality that never gets spoken about to anyone,” she said. “So they’re not losing money, they’re actually getting paid to do nothing.” 

This realization prompted questions from the teens about the allocation of resources and why Public Schools & Save Our Schools (SOS) should prioritize serving the students they have, rather than seeking to abolish ESA.

Attempts to Abolish ESA

The event underscored the potential impact of political shifts on ESA, highlighting the concern that a majority shift in the AZ House and AZ Senate could lead to the abolition of ESA. 

“State Rep. Leezah Sun (D-Phoenix) has openly called for the abolishment of ESA,” said one teen in attendance. “What needs to happen in order for them to abolish ESA?” 

Senator Wadsack replied, “You’re in the Senate building, we have a one seat Republican majority. Mine,” replied Wadsack. “One seat is the protection of ESA over here.”

“In the House, they have a one seat Republican majority,” said the senator. “We have one senator and one representative protecting ESA right now. If they get rid of 2 seats we become a Democrat majority. In my opinion, we lose the state. ESA will be abolished. It will be gone.” 

As a result, the teens recognized that safeguarding ESA hinges on the collective effort of informed voters who prioritize supporting Republican candidates. Democrats want to abolish ESA, while Republicans want to safeguard ESA as a right for all Arizonan students.

(Editor’s Note: Rep. Sun recently resigned from the Arizona House of Representatives following the release of an ethics report that alleged a "pattern of disorderly behavior” by the legislator.”)

Protecting ESA

The Teen Town Hall was an intimate experience for ESA homeschool teens to learn about the significance of school choice and how to safeguard ESA for their future use. Currently, the AZ Senate and the AZ House, with their one-seat Republican majority, are protecting ESA for all AZ students. 

“If you leave well enough alone, they can’t do anything to it,” said Wadsack. “Anyone who opens an ESA bill opens the rules, and Governor Hobbs will come and dismantle ESA. 

“So part of protecting ESA is not touching it and putting ESA into a bubble, and we all stand there to protect it,” she said. 

By fostering an understanding of the legislative processes, addressing misconceptions, and emphasizing the role of informed voting, this event equipped ESA homeschool teens with a better understanding of how to advocate for policies that uphold school choice and safeguard ESA.

Mai Mosa is a homeschool mom who lives in Gilbert, Arizona.