State education superintendent: Educational savings accounts would enrich Louisiana

The choice for some families, however, may be private, parochial, learning pods or even home study programs. ESAs allow these options under a belief that parents know what’s best for their children.

With ESAs, funds are deposited into a state-operated account for each student and debited for options which could include tuition, books, technology, special needs providers or tutoring. Educational quality must be assured and could be measured by parent surveys, learner satisfaction and academic assessments in key areas like reading and math. ESAs provide choice for all families, regardless of income or ZIP code. No one can know in advance which students will need an alternative, so choice should be available to every family.

Forward-thinking states are adopting innovative choice policies for families. Arizona, Iowa, Utah and West Virginia now have ESAs. Arkansas just adopted them. Nearby states like Texas, Florida and Oklahoma have ESA bills moving through their state legislatures.

If this were SEC football, Louisiana would never sit idle while other states improved their programs. We would act.

Educational freedom also spurs economic development. When attempting to recruit and retain companies, Louisiana will face a competitive disadvantage without ESAs. Business owners, seeking locations where employee families can flourish, will select states where parents have access to good public schools but also educational flexibility. Without ESAs, we should be concerned about our ability to recruit and retain high-quality companies and the high-wage jobs that follow.

Educational outcomes matter to everyone. When students graduate prepared, they have a higher quality of life. In turn, we have a quality workforce, stronger economy, healthier citizens, safer neighborhoods and higher property values.

We have a choice. Louisiana can be an early adopter of an innovative educational option for students and parents. We can expand options beyond our strong traditional public schools and valued public charter portfolio.