How Teachers and Organizers Challenged the First U.S. Education Savings Account Voucher Program
Beth Lewis had a wake-up call about the political powers at play when she witnessed Arizona legislators easily pass a bill she and fellow teachers opposed. The bill, pushed by then-Republican Governor Doug Ducey, expanded education savings accounts to cover all students in the state. This move allowed families to use public funds for private education, draining resources from public schools.
The billʼs passage was a victory for the Koch brothers and their allies, who heavily funded Arizona lawmakers and supported the voucher expansion. It was also backed by former President Donald Trumpʼs education agenda, with then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos applauding the move.
However, Lewis and others formed Save Our Schools Arizona, aiming to overturn the legislation through a ballot referendum, Proposition 305. Despite facing well-funded opposition, including from groups like Americans for Prosperity, SOS Arizona rallied volunteers and garnered enough signatures to challenge the law.
The fight against the voucher program highlighted its flaws. Contrary to its purported aim of aiding low-income families, most participants came from affluent areas and used the funds for private school tuition, including religious education. The program drained millions from public schools while providing little oversight on how funds were spent.
The campaign against Prop 305 became a focal point in Arizonaʼs political landscape, with 2018 Democratic candidates like David Garcia aligning themselves against the voucher expansion. The movement gained support from grassroots organizations like LUCHA, which mobilized Latinx voters against the initiative.
The oppositionʼs efforts aimed not only to defeat Prop 305 but also to expose the influence of special interests in Arizona politics. Despite facing well-funded opposition, they remained hopeful, believing their campaign had already succeeded in raising awareness about the importance of public education.
🔭 This summary was human-edited with AI-assist.
