Utah Builds on Its Education Freedom Momentum: Andrew Handel on The Rod and Greg Show

ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force Director Andrew Handel joined The Rod & Greg Show on 105.9 KNRS to discuss the release of the 3rd edition of the ALEC Index of Education Freedom and Utah’s national ranking with hosts Rod Arquette and Greg Hughes.

The conversation started with an overview of ALEC’s newly released education freedom report, highlighting Utah’s seventh-place ranking and A-minus overall score. Utah’s ranking improved from eighth place last year, showcasing the state’s commitment to school choice.

“Utah did very, very well,” Handel said. “That’s a testament to Utah policymakers. The Governor and the Legislature have really made this a priority over the years, not just making sure that funding follows students, but making sure that all learning environments are accessible to families.”

The discussion then turned to the implementation challenges of school choice programs across different states. Handel explained that 17 states, including Utah, have universal school choice programs, each with unique approaches.

“What’s great is that we have these 50 laboratories of democracy,” Handel noted. “Utah being one of them with the Utah Fits All Scholarship, and other states have done it a little bit differently. Some states have tried to open it up, others have tried debit cards for these programs. States like Iowa have approved providers who get access to an online marketplace, and then parents can go on there, and they can purchase whatever school supplies or things they need.”

Handel explained further that states are still fine-tuning how these programs operate as they scale up for future goals.

“Implementation of these programs is something that policymakers especially are paying attention to,” he emphasized, given the needs of each state.

Arquette noted that many red states rank near the top in school choice and asked about progress in blue states. Handel highlighted the federal tax-credit scholarship program from the “one big, beautiful bill” and pointed to North Carolina’s Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, who plans to opt into the program. He also noted that Colorado, a blue state with a Democratic governor, has also opted in, demonstrating bipartisan support for school choice.

“When it comes to school choice, that this is really not a partisan issue,” Handel remarked. “This is something that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents all support.”

The conversation then turned to examining the measurements that factored into each state’s education freedom ranking. Handel outlined the five categories: student-centered funding, charter schools, home schools, virtual schools, and open enrollment, and how Utah performed in each of them.

“We also look at charter schools, home schools, virtual schools, and open enrollment, which is your public-school choice,” he said. “Utah does really well in all those categories.”

Handel reiterated the importance of making various learning environments accessible to families.