There’s an untold story about the education freedom revolution sweeping the country — and it has some very particular unsung heroes.
This fact was on full display in Nebraska on Wednesday.
There, Gov. Jim Pillen signed a significant school-choice law, but the greatest credit goes to the policy’s legislative champion — state Sen. Lou Ann Linehan.
She’s the latest in a long line of women leaders who’ve pushed education freedom across the finish line.
In fact, without women, this revolution would never have happened.
Since 2021, 11 states have enacted universal education freedom, including education savings accounts that empower families, enabling them to spend thousands of dollars a year on the alternatives to traditional public schools that are best for their kids.
Last year alone saw more education freedom laws than the previous 50 years combined.
These historic victories owe a lot to Nebraska’s neighbor, Iowa, where Gov. Kim Reynolds laid the groundwork for success — in Iowa and nationwide — long before Iowa’s legislature passed a universal ESA law in January 2023.
When Reynolds ran into roadblocks in 2022 with the state legislature, she took the bold step of backing primary opponents for lawmakers who voted against ESAs.
Her handpicked candidates easily won, setting the stage for Iowa’s transformational legislation in 2023.
Reynolds didn’t stop with her own state.
In late 2022, she became chair of the Republican Governors Association, framing priorities for 27 GOP-led states after the midterm elections.
She made ESAs her top goal, repeatedly urging her fellow governors to pass them as soon as possible, while giving them policy support and media cover.
She led by example in Iowa, and in the months that followed, state after state followed her lead.
One of those states was led by another female leader who went above and beyond — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
It took just seven weeks between her calling for ESAs and signing them into law.
And like Reynolds, she’s since helped still other governors navigate the politics to pass this agenda, showing that education freedom is particularly good for rural areas.
When Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced his ESA bill in late 2023, Sanders joined him on stage — a sign of her influence on the national debate.
Gov. Kay Ivey in Alabama moved even faster.
She signed ESAs just three-and-a-half weeks after advocating for them in her state-of-the-state address in February.
Outside of the governor’s offices, women legislators have been out in front of ESAs.
In North Carolina, Rep. Tricia Cotham was the decisive vote for ESAs in 2023.
She switched parties specifically to empower families with more education freedom.
Why have so many women played such a pivotal role in empowering families?
Perhaps it comes down to the reality that so many are mothers and grandmothers.
Reynolds has 11 grandchildren, who deserve to go to the schools that are best for them.
Sanders has three school-age children, and while they aren’t eligible for ESAs yet, they will be starting next year.
Mothers are uniquely attuned to the needs of their kids — and uniquely interested in getting them the right education experience.
Since women often play a primary role in family decision-making — both on spending and the education of their children — it stands to reason that they’d actively push for a policy that gives their families more freedom and flexibility on schools.
Beyond elected office, there are countless school-choice organizations rallying moms to both support and use this newfound freedom.
And as the 2024 elections approach, suburban moms are set to play a central role in rewarding elected leaders who passed education freedom — and potentially punishing those who didn’t.
According to a YouGov poll in 2023, 77% of mothers agree that making K-12 education more flexible would improve America’s education system — and 68% support education savings accounts.
In the past three years, more than 20 million students have been given unprecedented freedom to find better schools that give them the best future possible.
There’s more work to do, especially in states that haven’t enacted universal education freedom.
Ultimately, every state should empower families and students to find the education that works for them, regardless of their income, abilities or home address.
Principled women in elected office have led the way, but now it’s up for a diversity of leaders to finish the job.
Erica Jedynak is COO of yes. every kid., where Shannon Pahls is public affairs director.
