WASHINGTON, DC—The Invest in Education Coalition (IIEC), a national school choice advocacy group, launched a
TV and digital ad campaign for National School Choice Week, that advocates for the passage of the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA).
The ads feature stories of school choice beneficiaries who support the federal Educational Choice for Children Act that they say will ensure that every child can get access to the educations options that best meet their unique needs.
The first ad of the campaign features Ashley Elliott, a former student from Oviedo, Florida whose parents were drug addicts. Ashley, who spent time in and out of foster care, credited the state’s school choice program for turning her life around. Now she is advocating for school choice to be provided for all American students and parents.
“I am the first in my family to graduate from college. If scholarships like the one I was on were made widely available, it would provide such a relief to families. We should ensure that all students have access to an education that works for them,” Ms. Elliott stated in the ad.
“Children should have every opportunity to succeed in school, regardless of income or zip code. School choice provides this opportunity,” said Dr. Cassidy (R-LA). “This National School Choice Week, we celebrate parents’ ability to make the best educational decisions for their family. Proud to lead the Educational Choice for Children Act, which expands school choice and empowers families to pick the school that best fits their children’s needs.”
“As we celebrate National School Choice Week across America, I urge my colleagues to stand with our nation’s K-12 parents and students by giving them greater educational freedom and opportunity,” said Representative Adrian Smith (R-NE). “I’m proud to sponsor the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), the leading school choice bill in Congress with 142 co-sponsors in the House. The ECCA will directly empower parents in Nebraska and across the country to choose the school or education service that works best for their children.”
Invest in Education Coalition (IIEC) is calling on lawmakers to support the ECCA, a federal tax credit scholarship bill that would help up to two million students access a school or education service of their parents’ choice.
Scholarships are funded with private donations, not federal money, and donors receive a federal tax credit. Students could use scholarships for tuition, tutoring to address learning loss, special needs services, or education technology. The legislation has more than 140 U.S. House
co-sponsors and 29 Senate
co-sponsors.
School choice is one of the few non-partisan issues that is widely popular across the country. According to a new poll from RealClear Opinion Research, which surveyed 1,000 registered voters in December 2023, candidates’ support of school choice makes voters across-the-board more likely to support them. Overall,
76 percent of voters polled say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports school choice, including 77 percent of Democrats, 86 percent of Republicans, and 67 percent of Independents.
Anthony de Nicola, Chairman of the Invest in Education Coalition, said that this campaign featuring real parents and students is a testament to the importance of school choice legislation.
“National School Choice Week is an opportunity to spread awareness of the importance of legislation that expands school choice so that every parent is empowered to choose an education that sets their child up for success,” said de Nicola. “The ECCA would help up to two million students access an education of their choosing or fund tutoring and special needs services, to better prepare them for college or a career path.”
Group Launches Ad Campaign Pushing for Federal School Choice Tax Credit
