Ensuring each and every student has the ability to receive an education that fits their unique learning needs shouldn’t be political. This is something we’ve been saying for years.

After all, a good education is the cornerstone for a better and brighter tomorrow. Our economic prospects as a nation depend on us having an educated workforce to compete globally. Education teaches values and helps in the development of society as a whole. For many students, a good education may come from the neighborhood school down the street. That’s wonderful and we love that for those students. But, for others, their learning needs require something different.

Ensuring these students have access to the education model that can serve their needs shouldn’t be something only endorsed by one party over another. We’ve seen in our own research a wide majority of Americans across the political spectrum support school choice and providing families with access to alternative educational options. A survey we sponsored last year conducted by WPAi found a majority of voters (61%) believe America’s public education system is headed in the wrong direction. This sentiment cut across partisan lines, but was highest among Democratic men (79%), Republican men (76%) and Independent men (67%).

But what was most telling was parents of school-aged children are willing to take this sentiment to the ballot box. By a 54-13 margin, voters say they would be more likely to support a candidate who supports education freedom with expanded options and money following the student. This majority view was consistent with voters on both sides of the aisle.

That’s why it was so shocking to read the news about Georgia Democratic lawmaker Mesha Mainor essentially being forced to choose between her party and her beliefs on school choice. According to ABC News, “Mainor said legislative Democrats drove her out of the party for breaking party orthodoxy, claiming at a Tuesday news conference outside the Georgia Capitol that they had ‘relentlessly tried to sabotage every single thing that I have done for District 56’ and ‘publicly slandered me in every way imaginable.’”

Earlier this month in Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who campaigned on the promise to deliver school choice for all K-12 students, succumbed to intense pressure from teachers’ unions in the state. Voters will have an opportunity to hold Shapiro accountable in 2026.

Elected officials who want to put student opportunity and success over buildings and maintaining the status quo shouldn’t be penalized. We should welcome different ideas on how to educate our children, because as we’ve seen time and time again, a one-size-fits-all approach to education doesn’t work for every student.

School choice programs, including education savings accounts, charter schools and virtual schools, are overwhelmingly favored by families of color. Many of the same elected officials that publicly oppose school choice programs are the same ones that send their children to private schools. School choice shouldn’t be reserved for the wealthy and privileged.

It’s time to take politics out of education and make school choice the bipartisan issue it is for voters.

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