Policy Priorities
Increasing Education Opportunities
Increasing Early Literacy
Creating Greater Student Outcomes
Improving Spending on Education
For American families and students today, education provides a pathway to the realization of their aspirations and a realization of their dignity. Right now, public education achieves neither end. The key to a better education system, one that serves both America and Americans, is advancing policies that puts American families first, including choice. That’s exactly what the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is here to achieve. AFPI will formulate educational policies that provide educational opportunity for all American families. This means putting parents and students—not bureaucracies, unions, or politicians—in charge of the education of America’s next generation. AFPI aims to restore our system of public education to its original, legitimate purpose: educating and raising the next generation of Americans, facilitating their dreams—and our prosperity.
AFPI aims to restore our system of public education to its original, legitimate purpose: educating and raising the next generation of Americans, facilitating their dreams, and our prosperity. Providing a high-quality education with opportunities that benefit every student will create greater outcomes for our next generation.
Team
Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Education Opportunity & Director, Center for the American Child
The Honorable Scott Turner
Chair, Center for Education Opportunity
Julia Butch
Policy Analyst, Center for Education Opportunity and Center for 1776
Allison Schuster
Communications Specialist and Policy Advisor, Center for Education Opportunity; Center for the American Child
General Mick Zais
Senior Fellow, Center for Education Opportunity
Latest
America First vs America Last: K-12 Education Reforms
America First Policies for Education Approach: Reduced unnecessary federal oversight, empowered the states, and promoted school choice and parental rights.
Minnesota’s Record on Education: High Costs with Poor Results
Minnesota policymakers spend on everything but school choice.
Don’t let Governor Hobbs take away school choice!
With less than one in three fourth-grade Arizona students reading at grade level, now is not the time for Governor Katie Hobbs to play politics with children’s futures. Arizona now has a massive education funding surplus; the governor should invest it in school choice policies that put the best interests of students first.
Myths Vs. Facts: School Choice in Arizona
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs is trying to eliminate universal school choice, claiming it would “bankrupt” the state. But in August 2024, the Arizona Department of Education released its revised budget for the year—and had a $4 million education funding surplus. Governor Hobbs should prioritize what is best for Arizona families instead of spreading disinformation about school choice.
State Policy Actions to Support Microschools, Another Option for Families
Microschools are gaining popularity as parents become increasingly dissatisfied with rapidly declining public school curricula and low academic performance.