On October 28th, the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute (TCCRI) hosted an impactful Education Policy Summit in Austin, bringing together policymakers, educators, and thought leaders to discuss the future of education in Texas. Among the event’s highlights was a dynamic panel on school choice and what makes education policy strong for families. The panel included Texas State Representatives, education savings account program administrating organizations, and education advocates, including Heidie Nesset, director of policy operations at yes. every kid. foundation.
The discussion centered on the transformative potential of education freedom around the nation, to which Nesset offered a compelling vision of how policy which trusts and empowers families can transform the educational landscape. She highlighted the importance of streamlined policy frameworks to enable seamless implementation, fostering competition among education service providers to drive innovation and deliver quality alternatives for families.
“One of the biggest opportunities with education freedom programs is when families have the ability to choose education service providers and start competing for students,” she emphasized. “We see the ability for families to make informed decisions about what truly meets the needs of their students. And so, we want to empower families to do this.”
Additionally, Nesset spotlighted the flexibility offered by education savings accounts, stressing their role in empowering parents to design customized learning experiences. “When we put in policy language strict guidelines on parents, we’re really stifling the innovation and the creation of new ways in which they can educate their child. We would advocate for the opportunity to allow for some unique and innovative solutions to help parents curate and customize the educational experience of their children,” she stated.
This vision has been put into practice by Nesset and the yes. every kid. foundation. implementation team through their day-to-day consultation with state agency officials, as well as their ESA Implementation Roadmap, which provides guidance for state ESA administrators to approach their program design with families in mind.
With legislative leaders and private-sector experts contributing to the dialogue, the summit underscored the collective drive to empower families and create innovative educational pathways for students across the state. The wide-ranging discussion was a testament to the breadth of expertise of the panelists, and their passion for ensuring that Texas families are trusted and empowered to find the best possible education to meet their kids’ unique needs.
