America’s Education Report Card & Supporting Education Freedom: Andrew Handel on Voice of Reason

As American schools enter the new academic year, troubling data from The Nation’s Report Card highlight a persistent challenge: increased spending is not translating into improved student outcomes. ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force Director Andrew Handel spoke with host Andy Hooser on Voice of Reason outlining the landscape facing students and policymakers nationwide.

Hooser opened the discussion by asking about the general state of education and whether states are making progress in empowering families and expanding education freedom.

“12th grade reading and math scores fell to their lowest levels ever reported, and the eighth-grade science scores fell to their lowest level since… the states still have a lot of work to do,” Handel remarked.

Despite federal and state investments nearing $857 billion annually, student achievement continues to lag.

“It’s really interesting, because you can look at how these different states perform on The Nation’s Report Card, and then you can also look at how much they’re spending, and you actually find that the relationship is the exact opposite of what you’d expect.”

Some of the nation’s highest-spending states, Handel noted, show disappointing results. New York spends $33,000 per student annually yet ranks 22nd in fourth grade reading scores. Alaska spends $22,000 per student but ranks 49th. By contrast, Idaho and Utah—each spending under $10,000 per student—rank 13th and 7th, respectively.

“It’s about states giving parents flexibility,” Handel said. “It’s not about throwing more money at these public-school systems. It’s about making sure that those dollars are flexible, follow students to the best learning environment.”

Hooser then pressed on what explains the differences between states. Handel pointed to school choice programs.

“All those states that spend less per student, those are all states with really strong school choice programs… any student can use it, and all it does is it takes the money that would have otherwise been spent to teach that student in a public school, and it follows that student to a different learning environment that works better for them.”

Handel also raised concerns about student readiness for higher education.

“Thirty-two percent of 12th graders didn’t even demonstrate a basic level of… reading knowledge. One out of three 12th graders who are literally about to graduate and go into college… lack a basic level of reading, and so the numbers are just stopping.”

The conversation later turned to teacher shortages, which Handel said are compounding these challenges.

“Every single state has… depending on the state, it can be for different reasons… salaries just aren’t competitive with other careers. But the thing we’ve seen… really difficult for good teachers to get and get into the classroom.”

ALEC is pushing for alternative certification pathways that lower regulatory barriers and expand the pool of qualified teachers.

For Handel and ALEC, the path forward is clear: empower families with flexible funding, reduce barriers for educators, and focus on ensuring students master foundational skills before graduation.