Senator Jon Husted on School Choice and the Science of Reading

The Right to Choose Schools

• 🎯 Parents should have the right to choose where their children attend school, a principle supported by 35 states with private school choice and 47 with charter schools.
• 💡 The Zelman case in 2002 affirmed parents' right to choose, leading to programs like Ohio's Ed Choice scholarship, which now serves over 100,000 students.
• 🏛️ A new program, administered by the Department of Treasury and implemented in January 2027, allows taxpayers to redirect funds to scholarship organizations instead of to the government.

A Diverse Educational Landscape

• 🏫 The speaker emphasizes that not all children learn the same way, have the same passions, or come from the same backgrounds, making a one-size-fits-all approach to education difficult.
• 🛠️ Providing a menu of options, including career tech education and other pathways, is crucial for the success of families and children.
• 👏 Educators in all types of schools—public, private, charter, career tech, and magnet—are doing vital and challenging work.

The Science of Reading

• 📚 The science of reading is a research-based method for improving literacy, encompassing five key elements: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
• ⚠️ Some popular but problematic curricula have not been based on research, leading to a need for policy to ensure teachers are trained in evidence-based methods.
• 📈 It is essential to provide teachers with the right instructional materials, coaching, and support, and to measure outcomes to ensure children's success.