Sarah Huckabee Sanders unveils school choice plan after State of the Union rebuttal
Jeremiah Poff
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-AR) outlined plans to enact a universal school choice program Wednesday, the day after she delivered the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s state of the union address.
The new governor announced her “Arkansas LEARNS” initiative at the state Capitol in Little Rock on Wednesday, which included a plan to enact universal school choice by 2025, establish a minimum teacher salary of $50,000 a year, and provide 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to teachers.
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“Our new Education Freedom Account allows parents to enroll their kids in whatever school is most appropriate for their family, whether it be public, private, parochial, or homeschool,” Sanders said. “We’re rolling out this program for our most at risk families first, and within three years it’ll be available to every family in Arkansas.”
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Sanders, who served as White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump, announced the initiative the day after delivering the Republican response to the State of the Union. The universal school choice program, if enacted, would add Arkansas to an increasing number of states that are enacting similar programs.
Republican lawmakers in Iowa and Utah passed universal school choice programs last month, adding the two states to a roster that already included Arizona and West Virginia. Similar efforts are underway in a number of other states, including Texas, Florida, and Wyoming.
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Sanders also announced plans to hire 120 literacy coaches to increase literacy rates in the state and expand school safety initiatives.