Erika's Blog

Arizona parents are embracing school vouchers, but the governor wants to end them. Exploding ESA use says families are all-in for school choice.

Arizona has earned a national reputation for empowering families with educational choice. For decades, the state has trusted parents, not bureaucracy, to decide where and how their children learn. Today, that legacy is under threat.

Gov. Katie Hobbs has called for eliminating Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program, arguing it would bankrupt the state. But the facts tell a very different story.

Parents didn’t ask for an education revolution. They were pushed into one. When schools closed, lessons moved online, and basic expectations broke down, parents got a front-row seat to a system that too often puts bureaucracy ahead of kids. What they saw changed everything. Parents want control back, and most Americans agree. A national poll conducted in November by the America First Policy Institute with Kellyanne Conway makes that clear. Fifty percent of voters now support eliminating the U.S. Department of Education and returning education authority to states.

Members of the Chicago Teachers Union filmed themselves protesting federal immigration enforcement and anti-DEI measures at a local Target on Friday, sparking criticism both online and from experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. In a video posted on Tuesday by the union, members can be seen entering a Chicago area Target holding anti-ICE signs, harassing employees and demanding answers about whether Target will “protect” its employees from ICE. 

Public school buildings belong to all Florida families — not just select groups or programs. In a state where billions in taxpayer dollars fund school infrastructure, the question shouldn’t be “who gets access?” — but “are we maximizing the value for every student, every community, and every family?”

In this op-ed originally published in the Tampa Bay Times, I explain why Florida’s taxpayer-funded school buildings must remain inclusive, equitable, and accountable to all students — regardless of the type of education program families choose.

As we close the book on 2025, I’ve been sitting with the Lord in gratitude, thinking about the doors He opened, the challenges He allowed, and the growth that came through both. This year stretched me in the best ways and reminded me, again and again, that obedience isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. One of the biggest decisions I made this year happened on January 1: I handed the reins of my company to my co-founder and now-CEO, Adam Mangana, and I stepped into a new role as Board Chair…