Ten Republican-led states have passed universal school choice since 2021, yet much of the South is lagging. There’s a simple explanation: Many Republican lawmakers are teachers-union allies and likely need to be defeated in primary elections for school choice to pass.
Republicans against school choice have largely couched their opposition by asserting that rural areas have few private options and need strong public schools. It’s a flawed argument, since universal school choice would create new private options and spur competition that improves public education.
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