School choice law lifts this state to top education rank
October 9, 2023
By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square
After a legislative session where Florida lawmakers passed universal school choice, the state was recognized as the nation’s best in a recent report for its policies on education
The nonprofit American Legislative Exchange Council, which previously published the Report Card on American Education over the past 25 years, has a new publication, The Index of State Education Freedom: A 50-State Guide to Parental Empowerment.
In the overall rankings, Florida was first with an A grade, followed by Arkansas and Indiana. Arizona was 4th with a B grade, followed by Iowa, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Idaho and Utah. West Virginia was ranked 10th.
The publication released Thursday, evaluates each state on its policies designed to empower students and their families regarding freedom in education. The index focuses on five categories: Funding and financing programs, charter schools, homeschooling, virtual schooling and open enrollment.
“This new ranking further proves that Florida is the national leader in education,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news release. “By focusing on academic achievement, expanding school choice and empowering parents, Florida continues to see unprecedented success in our classrooms.”
In the publication’s introduction, author Andrew Handel, the Director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force and Director of the Center to Protect Free Speech at ALEC, stated that the rankings are based on state policy, not test scores.