School Choice promises to be big issue for next Republican presidential nominee

Since the economist Milton Friedman promoted the concept of School Choice in the middle of the last century, Republicans have been gradually incorporating it into their political agenda. The last president to push this policy was Donald Trump, who chose Betsy DeVos as his Secretary of Education.

In her position, which she held until January 2021, the Michigan Republican promoted this policy throughout the country. By the end of his administration, the number of students benefiting from this type of program amounted to approximately 621,000, more than triple the number in 2011.

"Many in Washington think that because of their power there, they can make decisions for parents everywhere. In this worrying scenario, the school building replaces the home, the child becomes a pawn and the State replaces the family. Let me suggest that we could fix the education of so many children in America if we 'go Dutch. School choice is not a question of 'if,' it's a question of when,'" she said in 2020.

DeVos even wrote a book about her progress and the future of education in the United States, "Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child."

To not lose the progress made so far, a major pro-School Choice group seeks to promote the issue among the Republican Party's leading presidential candidates. The group is the Invest in Education Coalition, which is spending six figures on political ads in Wisconsin, days before the first Republican debate in Milwaukee.

"Here's a message every Republican presidential candidate should embrace: Parents deserve choice in education," states one of the ads, while interspersed with images of several candidates, such as Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Christie and Doug Burgum.

Anthony de Nicola, a well-known Republican donor, funds the group. "Now more than ever, empowering parents to ensure their children receive the best education possible should be a priority. This scholarship tax credit will expand educational freedom and opportunity for up to two million low- and middle-income students across the country," he said in a statement.

Educational Choice for Children Act

The announcement openly pushes the Educational Choice for Children Act, legislation that has 140 Republican co-sponsors in Congress and that the group hopes will pass sooner rather than later. It would provide $10 billion in tax credits, up to $5,000 or 10% of a person's income. Of course, it is also backed by DeVos.