Education Freedom Unleashes Opportunity Across America: Andrew Handel in The Washington Times
Across the nation, the education freedom movement has morphed from a rising whisper into a resounding roar.
The Washington Times recently published an OpEd by ALEC Education and Workforce Development Task Force Director Andrew Handel, highlighting the growing momentum of the education freedom movement. As Andrew writes, this movement is gaining traction nationwide, creating more opportunities for students while empowering parents seeking greater choice in their children’s education.
Across the nation, the education freedom movement has morphed from a rising whisper into a resounding roar. President Trump has promised to champion this liberation as he steps into his second term, just as the Republican Party platform reflected in 2024. With state after state embracing this concept, there is much to celebrate.
Standing atop the mountain, not by chance but by design, is the free state of Florida. Ranked No. 1 in the American Legislative Exchange Council 2025 Index of State Education Freedom, the Sunshine State’s educational landscape is a testament to what can happen when policy meets opportunity. Here, they have dismantled the one-size-fits-all approach to education, allowing dollars to follow students to their chosen schools: charter, home, virtual, micro or beyond traditional boundaries. The star of this show is the Family Empowerment Scholarship Program, a beacon of how policy can pivot to serve the individual needs of children, not just the system.
Florida isn’t alone in this revolution. The index also spotlights other states making giant leaps. Ohio, for instance, moved up 10 spots in the rankings after opening the EdChoice Scholarship Program to every family, democratizing educational choice and igniting a new era of educational equity.