AZFed for Children

Educational choice organization, advocate of school choice programs and parental awareness.

[AZFed for Children @AZEdChoice]

Congratulations to all Arizona families! Arizona Expands School Choice to All Students - American Federation for Children https://t.co/Yed1JTnJ01

[Tommy Schultz 🇺🇸 @Tommy_USA]

You assumed all of your deleted posts don't live forever in screenshots...

These are your own posts / reposts showing how you killed the ONLY deal to save school choice that was on track to pass (night of June 11 / morning of the 12th).

Why did you delete the posts...?

Just so everyone reading is clear how you all played Russian roulette with 100,000 kids in Arizona:

There was a bipartisan deal June 11th - with provisions that a super-majority of AZ voters support - until you all found out, and pushed heavy on the "No Deals!" narrative. You amplified the Scot Mussi's (@azfec) legislative action alert called "Don't Cut a Deal that Kills ESAs!" with a URL that is called ".../no-deal," which sent emails to legislators during the GOP caucus on the 11th (that action alert now deleted, your posts now deleted... screenshots below).

On the morning of the 12th, @JasonBedrick and @DeAngelisCorey from @Heritage reposted Pam Kirby’s "Reject the deal! Don't be weak!" with Jason’s (now deleted) action alert. Jason posted against “this crummy anti-ESA deal” and “Keep it up!" on the morning of June 12th with the action alert (you forgot to delete that one). @matthewladner reposted. Jason posted after “Your calls/emails are working!” and that reporting for nationally norm referenced tests was out.” (That post now deleted)

Deal dead morning of the 12th. And damage done so that any further deal would be poisoned from the start.

You then demanded changes in subsequent deals that developed on the 12th. Those changes didn't have the votes. We at AFC still supported any deal that would stop the unions' school choice-killing initiative before the legislative session clock would run out. Zero Dems supported the final deal. Legislative session over.

After session ends on the Friday the 12th, @ClarkRimsza posts on @AZlovesESAs that “Yes, there was a potential deal on the table” but you opposed it “because there are "non-negotiables” (that Instagram post now deleted).

A note on the “non-negotiables” / “red lines” that you all keep mentioning: every universal ESA program - except Arizona - in the country has a reporting mechanism where some or all general population students in the program will report out nationally norm referenced tests. 84% of Arizona private schools already administer these tests (Common Sense Institute survey). All Florida and Arkansas homeschoolers receiving the ESA report out these tests results or submit a portfolio like in Utah - and the results are always FANTASTIC for school choice kids. It blunts the union assaults on these programs. Arizona polling confirms this: When asked if ESA students should “take a national or state test that measures academic progress” 80% of Arizona GOP voters agreed, 80% of ESA supporters agreed - as did 68% of ESA families.

On June 14th, we sent an email alert that 100,000 Arizona kids are in serious jeopardy of losing their scholarships and detailed how it happened. This would be the biggest catastrophe in the history of the school choice movement. You all scramble to delete your posts.

On June 24th, you all halfheartedly wake up to that reality, posting about your support for a deal in a possible special session to advance modest changes and drop the petitions. Clock is ticking until the July 1 deadline for any special session. I realize this is what you'd all urgently like credit for. By June 29th, Jason writes a blog post with thousands of words lamenting how BAD any slight tweak is, with a sheepish line 26 paragraphs into it about needing to support a deal or holding out for more revisions. But Jason was privately messaging lawmakers admitting that these changes aren't "a big deal" and "affect a very small number of families." Which is it? (screenshots in thread)

The reality: In order for any Arizona special session to happen this past week, Dems had to get on board. Yet you all push for MORE changes to the deal, and those changes had absolutely no chance of getting a special session called. The last "1 for 1 trade” deal had less than 1% chance of a single Dem supporting. We at AFC still supported the deal as we will support any chance to stop catastrophe. Dems don’t agree to a special, no session happens.

In summary: You all blew up the bipartisan deal on the 11th through the morning of the 12th (deleting every post that you could that showed the evidence). All subsequent deals, which AFC backed fully, had slimmer chances thereafter, and incredibly, you pushed for a weaker deal along the way as the Dems had all the leverage.

This isn't a game.

After you all blew up the best chance to stop it, 100,000 Arizona kids - curiously not mentioned in your overnight social media barrage about yourselves - remain at severe risk. I stand by everything we said about who's at fault. And we'll keep standing up for the kids.

- By the way, let's be clear: the only reason ANY deal was possible? The unions' school-choice-killing petition was stymied from guaranteed victory by the petition efforts we supported with Fortify. If Fortify didn't intervene, the unions would have had 500,000+ signatures, easily, in early June. In that scenario, no legislative deals to stop them, and no way to stop their massive GOTV operation once they are on the ballot.

[Kevin Biesty @KevinBiesty]

If your child attends a non-govt school, if you know someone who does, or if you support empowering parents to access the ed that meets their child’s needs please act and share. Don’t allow out of state interests to take scholarships away from AZ kids. @AZSenateGOP @AZHouseGOP

[Tommy Schultz 🇺🇸 @Tommy_USA]

Sen. Hoffman is willing to risk kicking 100,000 kids off of Arizona’s biggest school choice program - all while giving the unions a MASSIVE turnout machine in November. These policies exist in every other school choice state. Kids aren't political pawns or bargaining chips.

[Brian Jodice @afcpress]

BREAKING: School Choice or School Spending? Florida’s 15-Year Experiment Points to the Answer (via @parthurgraff in an exclusive for @EducationNext)

Using the highest quality research in both areas, I find that scaling Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program over 15 years improved public school student achievement through competition much more than we’d expect had the same amount of new funding instead been spent directly through the public school system. In fact, the academic benefits for public school students in schools facing higher levels of competition were 11 times higher than what the best research on school spending would predict. In contrast to fearful predictions that this scholarship program would undermine public education, my apples-to-apples comparison demonstrates it proved to be a cost-effective method of raising public school achievement at scale.

Read more: https://t.co/Q8hoIGMLFj

[Dr. Steve Perry @DrStevePerry]

There are reasons that AZ has some of the best schools in the WORLD. It STARTED w the politics. @DougDucey IS a visionary who put kids first and, as a result, AZ is disportionately represented among the @USNewsEducation Top High Schools, crushing @AFTteach & @NEA strongholds.

[Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey]

BREAKING: A nationwide school choice bill is now scheduled for markup in Congress.

It is expected to pass the Republican-controlled House Ways and Means Committee.

This will be the first time a nationwide school choice bill passes out of committee in U.S. history.

[Tommy Schultz 🇺🇸 @Tommy_USA]

So proud to have Stacy Hock on our board of directors at AFC!

https://t.co/O5cHaXSSt6

[Matt Beienburg @MBeienburg]

Arizona Public School Leaders Treat Themselves to Taxpayer Funded Soirées, Spas, & Wine Tastings at 5-Star Napa Resort for DEI Training🧵

[Shawnna LM Bolick @ShawnnaLMBolick]

Thank you all for your continued support! 🙌🏻🇺🇸💕😊

[LIES Of Anti School Choice @LIESofSOSaz]

Thank you ladies for supporting all students.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
@johninphx @merissacaldwell @Wadsack4Arizona @azwomenofaction @ALegalProcess

[Ted Cruz @tedcruz]

Congratulations, Corey! This is a big win for the school choice movement.
https://t.co/GgK7LQ4SYy

[Matt Beienburg @MBeienburg]

NEW: Next time you hear that Arizona's ESA program is a handout to the rich...

Turns out taxpayers spend billions more subsidizing wealthier families in the public school system than helping similarly situated students through the universal ESA expansion.

[Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey]

BREAKING: Democrat Senator Anthony Williams delivering powerful remarks FOR SCHOOL CHOICE:

"Why should we segregate by income the haves and have nots? There are parts of Pennsylvania–rural & urban–not being served by the public experience. Billions of dollars will not change it"

[Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey]

We are winning.

[LIES Of Anti School Choice @LIESofSOSaz]

According to a recent study by pew research center 82% of teachers say public education has gotten worse and expect education to be worse five years from now. Thank goodness for ESA’s. #schoolchoice @DeAngelisCorey @matthewladner @JasonBedrick @MBeienburg

[Doug Ducey @DougDucey]

Arizona’s universal ESA program gives every family the opportunity to attend a school that fits their child’s needs. The program serves more than 76,000 students and continues to grow.

That’s why @GeorgeWill is dubbing it “too popular to repeal.”
https://t.co/WWifJ45xWo

[Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist @DeAngelisCorey]

"Schools are, for many Americans, where contact with government is most intimate. And most unsatisfying. It is, however, much more satisfying here than it was before Arizona chose choice."
https://t.co/8uecS2PAqd

[Arizona Department of Education @azedschools]

Superintendent Horne is fighting against disinformation from opponents of Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. #EducationForAll

[American Federation for Children @SchoolChoiceNow]

"You're seeing families from historically underrepresented and underserved communities that are accessing these programs and want to have a choice." @shakamitchell explains how school choice programs would open new opportunities to South Carolina families. #SchoolChoice

[Walter T. Blanks Jr.👑 @WaltBlanksJr]

I love sparring with legislators, and this exchange is no different.

Rep. Parkinson missed the mark by disregarding my story, insinuating I’m being used, and reducing my experience and involvement to the color of my skin.

This is what I experienced firsthand: I struggled and begged my mother not to send me to the school I was zoned for. School choice saved my life, and regardless of what the naysayers come up with, I will continue to fight to make sure my voice is heard.

I look forward to our next conversation, Rep. Parkinson. I’m not going anywhere!