FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 20, 2024

CONTACT:
Rachael Slobodien
rachael@opportunityarkansas.org

OPPORTUNITY ARKANSAS RELEASES NEW REPORT DEBUNKING FIVE MAJOR MYTHS ABOUT EDUCATION FREEDOM

‍CONWAY, AR — This week marks one year since the historic LEARNS Act cleared the Arkansas Senate Education Committee, the beginning of the legislative process that would ultimately result in supermajority support for the law in both chambers. In recognition of this milestone, Opportunity Arkansas will be releasing a series of original products this week related to the LEARNS Act and education freedom. The first of these products is a new research report, released today, that dispels five major myths surrounding education freedom.

Despite the overwhelming popularity of education freedom, many leftist groups and some in the media seek to spread misinformation about the program. This new report shines light on the myths and provides the facts about how education freedom actually works–and how it is already helping thousands of Arkansas families.

In the report, “Fact vs. Fiction: Dispelling Five Myths About Arkansas’s Education Freedom Accounts,” Opportunity Arkansas’s Visiting Economist Hayden Dublois and Founder and CEO Nic Horton tackle five primary myths about education freedom which include:

Fiction #1: “Public money should not go to private institutions.”

Fiction #2: “There are no EFA-participating schools near failing public schools.”

Fiction #3: “Vulnerable kids are not helped by education freedom.”

Fiction #4: “Education freedom accounts only help ‘rich’ kids.”

Fiction #5: “EFAs are just a fancy name for ‘school vouchers.”

In reality:

1. “Public money” regularly flows through private institutions.

2. 97% of Arkansas kids in failing school districts live within driving distance of an EFA school.

3. Most EFA enrollees are vulnerable students with a variety of disabilities.

4. EFAs break the unfair link between economic status and opportunity; and

5. EFAs do not function anything like vouchers and are even more flexible for Arkansas families than a voucher system.

“Despite the popularity and excitement surrounding education choice, opponents are determined to spread misinformation so we realized it was essential to get the truth out,” stated Opportunity Arkansas Founder and CEO Nic Horton. “The opposition knows how much this program threatens their grip on the next generation of Arkansans. They want to keep our kids dumb and dependent–and they want to keep private schools reserved for ‘rich’ kids and rob an entire generation of Arkansas kids of opportunity. But those days are over.”

“The EFA program is flexible, fair, and helps the most vulnerable among us. After decades of a two-tiered education system, education freedom is finally leveling the playing field and is changing the trajectory of families all over the Land of Opportunity–and that’s exactly why opponents fear it so much.”

The myths report in its entirety can be found here.

For meetings, bookings, or interviews, contact Rachael Slobodien via email at rachael@opportunityarkansas.org.

About Opportunity Arkansas Foundation
Opportunity Arkansas Foundation is an independent, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization on a mission to renew the Land of Opportunity by simplifying government and solving generational problems for the next generation. OA stands ready to partner with state policymakers who share these goals. To learn more, visit www.OpportunityArkansas.org.