The American Federation for Children condemns fringe political figures who have today destroyed the best chance at preventing catastrophe for the 100,000 kids who depend on Arizona’s school choice program. We are deeply grateful for the steadfast work of Speaker Montenegro in advancing a reform bill, despite it falling short.
The so-called “Protect Education Act,” a union-backed ballot initiative that would gut the program, now remains at risk of being on the ballot in November. In March, AFC announced its intent to support Fortify AZ in offering a real alternative to this fake “reform” petition run by the unions. Fortify AZ gained enormous momentum and presented a real alternative to the union initiative, which was previously on track to reach the ballot. Unfortunately, attention-seeking political figures and radical SOS activists destroyed this opportunity by refusing to accept commonsense policies, including those that enjoy 70% support among voters and are in place in every other ESA program with universal eligibility.
Statement from Tommy Schultz, CEO, American Federation for Children:
“Today represents a monumental loss for families, thanks in large part to those who claim to support them. Offering real reforms to voters eager for them could have translated into meaningful progress and stopped the fake ‘reform’ petition that will gut the program. Unfortunately, a small number of bad actors intervened. We are not surprised to see radical teachers union activists objecting to the prospect of the school choice-gutting petition being pulled and commonsense reforms enacted; it is outrageous to see the same from supposed school choice supporters. Should Arizona’s school choice program be ripped away from thousands of students overnight and fundamentally broken for the rest, parents will remember whose actions spoke louder than words.”
About AFC:
The American Federation for Children is the nation’s largest school choice advocacy organization and the most successful force for education freedom in America, passing over 200 laws across 32 states throughout our history. Our affiliated Super PAC, AFC Victory Fund, is the only nationwide Super PAC focused on advancing school choice.
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