Promoting the expansion of school choice for the benefit of Iowa's children.
Des Moines, Iowa
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- Following 150
- Followers 291
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MYTH: Using ESA funds at religious schools violates the separation of church and state.
FACT: The U.S. Supreme Court has held that states may include religious schools in neutral school-choice programs selected by parents. #SchoolChoice
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Education freedom is empowering families with more options to shape their children’s education.
From open enrollment to ESAs and other innovative programs, parents have more opportunities to choose an educational path that supports their child’s individual needs and goals.
washingtonexaminer.com/resto…
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Rob Sand wants to bring back an income cap for Iowa’s Students First ESAs. That would make eligibility depend once again on what a family earns rather than whether they want a different school for their child. #StudentsFirst #SchoolChoice
iowaace.org/rob-sand-income-…
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MYTH: Iowa’s ESA program just pays families whose children were already in private school.
FACT: In year one, 33.7% of ESA participants had not previously attended a nonpublic school, including public-school transfers and incoming kindergarteners. #SchoolChoice
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True.
If he is consistent on this issue and not wanting to hurt private schools, @RobSandIA should also argue to means test Iowa public schools.
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School Spotlight: Mount Pleasant Christian School has served southeast Iowa families since 1993, offering Christ-centered K–12 education and accepting Iowa ESA funding. Learn more: mtpleasantchristian.com #SchoolChoice
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When an unexpected financial setback threatened a family’s school choice, an ESA helped keep tuition within reach. Their daughter also went from failing grades to As in a difficult subject. #StudentsFirst #SchoolChoice
iowaace.org/esas-made-a-diff…
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MYTH: Private schools get public money through ESAs with no accountability.
FACT: Iowa ESA students must attend accredited nonpublic schools, which face state accreditation, reporting and testing requirements. ESA spending is also limited to qualified expenses. #SchoolChoice
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It doesn’t.
1. **New paper**: Does private school choice cause public schools to close?
Using 3 decades of national school-level data, I find little evidence that choice broadly or immediately increases closure risk.
Paper: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.…
See 🧵👇
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A $50 gift can help Iowa families learn about the educational options available to them. Give a family a roadmap to school choice and support Iowa ACE today. #SchoolChoice buy.stripe.com/eVq5kw0p403E5…
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Rob Sand has proposed three major changes to Iowa’s ESA program: broader private-school admissions requirements, limits on tuition increases, and a return to income eligibility limits. We examine each proposal. #StudentsFirst #SchoolChoice
iowaace.org/rob-sand-esa-ref…
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MYTH: Iowa’s ESA program does nothing for rural families.
FACT: ESA students live in communities across Iowa, and rural families already using nonpublic schools receive the same $8,148 ESA as families elsewhere in the state. #SchoolChoice
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A very good point!
“This is just a federal tax credit. It’s not a federal education program. It’s just a tax credit. Keep that in mind at all times.” This is the advice that EdChoice's Senior Advisor for Legal Policy @lesliehiner shared with the group during State Policy Network's Annual Meeting last month. Here is a breakdown of what we know so far about the new federal tax credit for scholarships program.
edchoice.org/2026-this-is-ju…
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We should listen to what Hispanic parents are already telling us. Many are looking at their children’s education and asking whether another school might be a better fit.
iowaace.org/hispanic-parents…
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.@DMRegister focuses on the obligations public schools carry. Our response looks at what that comparison leaves out: taxing authority, funding streams, special-education funding, and existing private-school oversight. #StudentsFirst #SchoolChoice
iowaace.org/des-moines-regis…
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MYTH: Iowa’s ESA program has no oversight.
FACT: Iowa law limits spending to qualified education expenses, requires fraud-prevention controls, and authorizes audits and reviews. Odyssey administers ESA transactions for the state. #SchoolChoice
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Calling all High School Juniors & Seniors!
Iowa high school juniors and seniors can experience the legislative process firsthand through the 2027 Iowa Legislative Page Program. Applications are due Friday, Oct. 16. Learn more and apply: legis.iowa.gov/careers
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Support for ESAs rises sharply once people understand what they are. @edchoice found support jumped from 54% to 78% among adults after a basic explanation. Clarity matters. #StudentsFirst #SchoolChoice
iowaace.org/esas-support-edc…
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