When I started T.H.R.I.V.E. Christian Academy in 2013 with just two first graders, I didn’t imagine that within a decade it would be a fully accredited K-12 school with over 300 thriving students. While I’m proud of our work at T.H.R.I.V.E. and know that we’re empowering children to achieve their full potential, I believe our radical and tremendous growth is proof that parents are looking for alternative education options.
Kids are unique. They have different interests, abilities, gifts, and challenges; what works well for one child may not work for another. Schools and educators have the burden of adapting instruction to fit the educational needs of each child while also empowering them towards success. That’s why education freedom is essential for a society that cares, not only for each child, but also about the future. And here in Georgia, we care!
Senate Bill 233 (SB 233) is proof of that. It makes permanent the teacher pay raises that have been given over the past six years and allows public schools to use capital outlay dollars for building Pre-K facilities. The long overdue SB 233 allows low-performing and underfunded public school students to transfer to other public schools outside their home districts, opening new education options for students statewide. It also provides additional funding for schools in the bottom 25% to help them address student needs.
Additionally, SB 233 creates a highly targeted Education Savings Account (ESA) pilot program, the Georgia Promise Scholarship, which has the potential to provide quality education options to students who need them the most.
ESA legislation has been passed in several states recently, and a flurry of innovation has followed. From microschools to specialized private schools, parents are strategically using their children’s education funding to ensure their child’s potential evolves into academic success. By putting the decision-making as close to the kids as possible (in the parents’ hands), each child can get exactly what he or she needs to thrive. Thanks to SB 233, Georgia parents now have the power to spend their voucher on private school tuition, home-schooling supplies, therapy, tutoring or even dual enrollment for their high schooler.
With SB 233, the students attending the lowest performing (bottom 25%) of public schools in Georgia will be able to get a scholarship to attend an accredited school of their parents’ choosing. The bill prioritizes students from families below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level (the same threshold for Obamacare subsidies). These are the Georgia students who are most vulnerable. If we can help them get the education they need, we can lessen the likelihood of cyclical poverty and help them achieve their academic standards, exceed the stereotypes of their context, and achieve their personal goals.
Based on the testimonies of students who have transferred to T.H.R.I.V.E. Christian Academy, I believe parents across Georgia will be thrilled to access to educational options. We can give account upon account of students and parents who have come to love their education freedom afforded by SB 10, the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship signed into law in May 2007. Our 100% graduation and 100% college acceptance rates prove that the combination of education freedom funded by scholarships paired with passionate educators produces both scholars and good citizens.
Parents of special needs children across Georgia have enjoyed having more control over where their children spend their days and select classroom sizes and curricula that are best suited for their learner. Now this education freedom has been extended to parents of general education students as well. The stories of success will skyrocket.
I’m incredibly encouraged by the broadening of K-12 education options and scholarship-funded opportunities in Georgia. I extend my gratitude on behalf of education entrepreneurs, the guardians of students in low-performing schools, and Title I students across Georgia – we thank the Georgia legislature for listening to the voices of all and making the decision that secures our bright future.
Monica Hall is the founder of T.H.R.I.V.E Academy and a McLeod Society Fellow at Black Minds Matter.