Arizona’s trailblazing Empowerment Scholarship Accounts program enables the families of more than 102,000 students to choose the learning environments that work best for their children.
All Arizona K-12 students are eligible for an education savings account, which lets families direct their children’s education funding toward private schools, tutoring, curricula, therapies, and other educational expenses that fit their children’s unique needs.
Families love it. Three-quarters of parents of school-aged children in Arizona support it.
Yet, although the ESA program is very popular and highly accountable, special-interest groups pushing two separate ballot initiatives are seeking to curtail and regulate it. Advocates working on both campaigns have been caught on camera giving false information to voters whom they are soliciting to sign their petitions.
The initiative aims to regulate the Empowerment Scholarship Account program in several ways, including restricting eligibility to families earning under $150,000 annually—less than the median income of an Arizona firefighter married to a registered nurse—which could kick tens of thousands of children out of the program.
Although students with special needs would still be eligible, they would have to spend 45 days in a public school before getting access to the ESA.
As the Goldwater Institute detailed, the initiative would impose a host of unnecessary and harmful regulations on private schools and homeschoolers. It would also severely restrict what families can buy with their ESA funds, and it would confiscate any unspent funds remaining in a family’s ESA at the end of the year, punishing families who have spent wisely and saved. Those funds would be redirected to district schools that did not educate the ESA students.
The second campaign, Fortify AZ, is more surprising. It is backed by the American Federation for Children, a pro-school choice group.
Their initiative mostly mirrors the union-backed anti-ESA initiative, including a modified version of a provision that the Goldwater Institute has warned “[t]hreatens to block parents from buying basic school supplies and grind the ESA program to a halt with mindless bureaucratic red tape.” However, it would retain the ESA program’s universal eligibility and would not confiscate yet-to-be-used ESA funds.
Nevertheless, the American Federation for Children initiative is worse in other ways, as it would impose regulations and restrictions that the union-based initiative does not.
For example, it would require all ESA students to take a standardized test—something no school choice law in Arizona has required in three decades—and would eliminate two of the four ways that families can spend their ESA funds, leaving only direct pay and “Marketplace,” which is an online platform managed by ClassWallet.
The last provision is particularly puzzling, as the American Federation for Children claims its initiative is intended to “strengthen fiscal accountability and prevent fraud,” which it would supposedly accomplish through “an online marketplace payment system.” According to the Arizona Department of Education, only 0.3% of ESA funds have been spent on fraudulent or egregious purchases, and nearly all the fraud was in Marketplace.
Meanwhile, the two payment methods that the American Federation for Children would inexplicably eliminate—debit cards and reimbursements—have almost no fraud. It makes zero sense to eliminate the more accountable payment options in the name of “accountability.”
The American Federation for Children ballot initiative goes against the wishes of nearly every ESA family, 90% of whom say they support having ESA debit cards.
Arizona School Choice Advocates Oppose Both Initiatives
“The entire Arizona school choice coalition opposes both anti-ESA initiatives,” explains Jenny Clark, the founder and executive director of Love Your School, a local school choice group.
“These initiatives have the potential to disrupt the education of tens of thousands of students,” warned Clark. “They would make it harder for families to use their ESAs, impose unnecessary regulations of private schools and homeschoolers, and even throw children out of the program and potentially out of the schools that serve them.”
Dan Kuiper, the executive director of the Arizona Christian Education Coalition, agrees. “These initiatives were crafted and funded by out-of-state special interest groups without any input from Arizona families or education providers.”
Kuiper worries that if either initiative were to pass, it “would force education providers who serve even one ESA family, including those who serve children with disabilities and special needs, to become part of the government bureaucracy that has already failed many of these families, causing them to seek the alternatives that the ESA offers their children.”
National school choice organizations are also weighing in. EdChoice, the nation’s premier school choice organization, also opposes both ballot initiatives because they would impose “new restrictions” that “would do little to improve accountability while directly reducing the flexibility that families value most.”
Caught on Camera: Initiative Backers Misleading Voters
Under Arizona law, citizens can bypass the Legislature by collecting enough signatures to place a measure directly before voters. Once enough valid signatures are gathered, the initiative goes on the ballot, and a simple majority decides the law.
The ballot initiative process depends entirely on voters understanding what they’re signing. That process is undermined when activists give false or misleading information to voters.
Unfortunately, that is exactly what signature gatherers working for both initiatives are doing.
In one video taken by an ESA parent, a signature gatherer working on behalf of the American Federation for Children initiative made it appear as though the ballot initiative was creating a new school choice program rather than curtailing an existing one. She claimed erroneously that the ballot initiative was “to help out with the cost of charter schools, private schools, tutoring, for the kids.”
Not only do charter schools not charge tuition, but full-time charter school students are not eligible for ESAs.
Worse, the American Federation for Children signature gatherer appeared to encourage Arizona voters to also sign the other, union-backed anti-school choice petition, claiming that it is “the same thing,” albeit with an income cap. “This is just to help get it onto the ballot,” she explained, “either or, whichever one you sign.”
When the ESA parent challenged the signature gatherer, noting that the ESA program already exists, she had no response.
This was no isolated incident.
In another video, a signature gatherer working for the American Federation for Children erroneously stated that their initiative was “to keep the ESA scholarship for families.” Of course, no initiative is needed for that.
Even more troubling, the American Federation for Children signature gatherer misrepresented the initiative, falsely portraying it as “not restrict[ing] ESA funds.”
As in the other video, the American Federation for Children signature gatherer told the voter that she could “sign both” anti-ESA petitions.
In a third video, a pair of signature gatherers representing each of the two initiatives falsely claimed that their ballot initiatives expanded school choice.
When asked what the ballot initiative would do, one signature gatherer misrepresented that it was “to support the children so that they get the funding … to receive the funding and expand the Empowerment Scholarship program.” The second gatherer also fraudulently asserted it was “to expand the [ESA] program.”
When the voter asked the first signature gatherer how the initiative would expand the ESA program, she replied, “By adding more funds.” That is false. The ESA program is already fully funded via the state funding formula. Neither initiative adds additional funding.
The series of false statements by the signature gatherers working for both anti-ESA initiatives could lead to legal trouble.
Arizona Revised Statutes § 19-116 states: “A person who is a circulator of an initiative or referendum petition and who induces any other person in the circulator’s presence to sign the initiative or referendum petition by knowingly misrepresenting the general subject matter of the measure is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor.”
Likewise, Arizona Revised Statutes § 19-119.01 states that “any fraudulent means, method, trick, device or artifice to obtain signatures on a petition” constitutes “petition signature fraud.”
Whether Arizona’s anti-school choice attorney general actually prosecutes the fraud is an open question. But one thing is certain: Both anti-ESA ballot initiatives would hurt the children who currently benefit from the ESA.
“Neither of these initiatives deserves to reach the ballot,” said Clark. “If you’re approached to sign either one, the right answer is simple: Decline to sign.”
Jason Bedrick is a Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy.
Arizona AG Kris Mayes’ Communications Director Richie Taylor deleted his X, Bluesky, and LinkedIn accounts after screenshots of his alleged posts surfaced on “groypers” and “violence on the right.”
Corey A. DeAngelis, a Senior Advisor with Americans For Fair Treatment, shared a screenshot allegedly taken from Taylor’s X account, which read, “Lots of people learning about groyper’s tonight because of violence on the right in this country.”
The post appeared to advance the unsubstantiated theory that Charlie Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, is a member of online commentator Nick Fuentes’ fan base, known as “groypers,” who have rhetorically feuded with Kirk and Turning Point USA over the years.
— Corey A. DeAngelis, school choice evangelist (@DeAngelisCorey) September 17, 2025
As reported by the Associated Press, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray revealed Tuesday that evidence, including a text confession and a note, shows the suspect targeted Charlie Kirk, stating, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” and “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
The comments would seem to preclude the assassin from views that could be “on the right,” as Taylor’s alleged post suggested. Gray declined to address whether Kirk was targeted due to his views on transgenderism on Tuesday, telling reporters, “That is for a jury to decide.”
Last month, Taylor came under public scrutiny for “vicious ad hominem attacks” against Jenny Clark, founder of Love Your School, a nonprofit that advocates for parental rights, school choice, and resources for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) and special education students.
🚨Update: the Head of Communications for @AZAGMayes , @richietaylor – has deleted posts against me which were extremely aggressive, untrue, unprovoked and vicious ad hominem attacks.
I make policy arguments supported by available facts, they prefer to personally attack people. pic.twitter.com/qkeXlqG9KU
Following the incident, Clark posted an update saying, “Update: the Head of Communications for @AZAGMayes, @richietaylor – has deleted posts against me which were extremely aggressive, untrue, unprovoked and vicious ad hominem attacks. I make policy arguments supported by available facts, they prefer to personally attack people.”
Richie Taylor, Communications Director for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, was called out on social media earlier this week. The Democrat staffer allegedly launched “vicious ad hominem attacks” against Jenny Clark, founder of Love Your School, a nonprofit that advocates for parental rights, school choice, and resources for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) and special education students.
Clark sat on the State Board of Education, appointed by former Gov. Doug Ducey in 2022, as a public member known for her advocacy for ESAs and School Tuition Organizations (STOs), and for vocally opposing Governor Katie Hobbs on both topics. She was ousted from the role by Hobbs in March after her term expired.
Following an August 27th segment on KTAR’s Outspoken, which featured Clark, AZGOP Chairwoman Gina Swoboda, and KTAR Legal Analyst Barry Markson, a terse exchange between Taylor and Clark began.
More from ESA Debate on @OutspokenKTAR:@ClarkRimsza provides important context that more than 99.9% of ESA purchases are proper educational spending.@BarryMarkson1: I think 99% of the parents using the program probably are using it right. I absolutely agree with you! pic.twitter.com/zfpLMTfDlO
The disagreement appeared to arise when Taylor referred to Clark as a “grifter” and put her name in quotation marks, which led Clark to point out Taylor’s collaboration with her during his time as Communications Director for the Arizona Department of Education. She wrote, “Why is my name in quotes, Richie! How weird! Remember when you were at the AZ Dept. of Ed. and we partnered to get flyers out about the ESA program in 2021? Here’s a screenshot for reference! Feel free to keep attacking the Arizona ESA program – right into 2026, please!”
Why is my name in quotes, Richie! How weird! Remember when you were at the AZ Dept. of Ed. and we partnered to get flyers out about the ESA program in 2021?
The exchange escalated with Taylor posting, “lol indeed. You caught me acting in good faith. Wow impressive. Again, you had a dem superintendent wanting to work with you and you f***ed it over at every turn because it would have ruined your grift.”
Why is the Head of Communications for @AZAGMayes posting in my X account, totally unprovoked, and cussing me out?
We have had cordial exchanges before when he was at ADE and I worked to get flyers out for them on ESAs (which I shared in screenshots).
In response, Clark shared the post and asked: “Why is the Head of Communications for @AZAGMayes posting in my X account, totally unprovoked, and cussing me out? We have had cordial exchanges before when he was at ADE and I worked to get flyers out for them on ESAs (which I shared in screenshots). Inappropriate and odd.”
Responding to another now-deleted post, she asked, “Why is the Head of Communications for an elected Attorney General @AZAGMayes personally attacking a working mom, who started a non-profit on school choice, and is helping families? I mean, is this the type of class and leadership we have come to expect from democrats? Odd!”
She replied to the post, writing, “It’s such an abrupt and unprofessional personal attack. I’m not sure what prompted it! I’ve never had issues with @richietaylor before, all of a sudden today they’re attacking me personally on my X threads. It’s actually very concerning, on a few different privacy levels, too.”
Taylor then doubled down replying “Cry more and get used to it.”
In the most recent post in the social media clash, Clark shared a screenshot of the now-deleted post in which Taylor allegedly wrote to her, “lol. You make so much money off the program and you know it[.] Why don’t you tell people how much? And you also know you torpedoed any real reform because you were trying to get your preferred vendor the contract to manage it.”
According to ProPublica, citing public tax records, Clark drew a salary of $102,000 in her role as Executive Director of Love Your School. No public record of her applying for “preferred vendor status” was found in the State Board of Education’s available online records.
In her post, Clark wrote, “Update: the Head of Communications for @AZAGMayes, @richietaylor- has deleted posts against me which were extremely aggressive, untrue, unprovoked and vicious ad hominem attacks. I make policy arguments supported by available facts, they prefer to personally attack people.”
A majority of the Arizona State Board of Education (ASBE) members are serving on expired terms. Governor Katie Hobbs’ office has yet to replace them, but now she’s targeting one member in particular with an historically strong advocacy for school choice.
Board members serve a four-year term under gubernatorial appointment with State Senate consent.
Six of the 11 members on the board are serving on expired terms. The board also has one vacancy, making it six of 10 existing members to be serving on expired terms.
The terms for Jason Catanese and Vice President Dr. Scott Hagerman expired last January. The terms for President Katherine Haley, Jenny Clark, Dr. Daniel Corr, and Julia Meyerson expired last month.
It appears that Clark and her expired term came on Hobbs’ radar with the signing of the Phoenix Declaration: An American Vision for Education from the conservative think tank, Heritage Foundation, last week during its Conservative Vision of Education Conference in Phoenix. The declaration advocates for school choice, curriculum transparency, ideology-free classrooms, Western and Judeo-Christian education, character-based learning models, merit-based academic standards, and a greater emphasis on civics education.
10 educational and public interest groups, along with over 50 scholars and education policy experts, signed onto the declaration. Clark signed on with the organization she founded, Love Your School.
Following this development, Hobbs’ office called on Clark to resign last Wednesday. When Clark refused, Hobbs’ staff allegedly advised of a letter to arrive last Friday confirming Clark’s term ending. Clark claimed she had received no such letter as of Monday.
“Honestly, I’m surprised @GovernorHobbs didn’t remove me when she took office (which was fully within her abilities as Governor). Clearly, the 9th floor has been struggling the last couple of years!” said Clark. “I’ve enjoyed advocating for all students (including Arizona ESA families) while on the board, and I know the current board has a significant task ahead with the absolute CRISIS in math and reading AZ public schools are facing with the latest NAEP scores. I look forward to seeing the timely, aggressive, and student-centered approach they will take regarding this crisis.”
On Wednesday I received a call from @GovernorHobbs office asking me to submit a resignation from the Arizona State Board of Education since my term was up in Jan. Knowing several other board members are still serving in expired terms, I declined. I was called back and told a…
One of Hobbs’ main campaign promises was to eradicate the universality of the school choice program implemented by her predecessor, Republican Doug Ducey, in 2022.
Over the course of her two-year-long fight with the Republican-controlled legislature, Hobbs scaled back her original goal of undoing the universality of the state’s school choice model.
This year, Hobbs is vying for a budget proposal slashing funds to the states Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) Program. Hobbs proposed graduated income limits, with a restriction to household incomes at or above $200,000.
House Speaker Steve Montenegro indicated in statements to the press that this budget was a nonstarter for Republicans.
“While we share a commitment to improving the lives of Arizonans, the Governor’s budget proposal as presented raises concerns about parental choice, fiscal responsibility, public safety, economic growth, and the undue burdens it places on the backs of taxpayers,” said Montenegro.
Nearly 86,500 students have entered the ESA Program as of Monday.
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“I have to go to a homeschool event for my grandson this weekend,” my co-worker said.
“Homeschool? What’s that?” I inquired.
And that was the beginning of a huge life-changing path.
My family and I moved to Arizona from NY in the 90s and had not heard of homeschooling. Since I never felt comfortable sending my first born to pre-K and was concerned about his education in grade school, I found this crazy idea of homeschooling very intriguing. Before I knew it, we pulled our son out of public school. My six children have since graduated from homeschooling and those 25 years were a gift from God, a privilege, an honor, and the greatest blessing.
Homeschooling may seem daunting, because it is. But that’s okay. If your heart is heavy because you’re sending your kids off every day, or you are concerned with the state of education, or you want to be your child’s main source of knowledge and values, then I would venture to say you are up to the challenge.
Let me address some common concerns and questions.
Question: “Homeschooling would be a challenge financially for my family. How can I afford it?”
Answer: It certainly was a financial challenge for my family. We were a two-income family and I had a career, though in retrospect, I really wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. So, we made sacrifices. No vacations, not everyone got braces, sometimes we only had one car, we had a humble home, my husband worked long hours, and we’ve been graced with family support. We also used affordable resources like the public library. We have never regretted the sacrifices because honestly, we found it to be a gift. And now, as of last year, Arizona offers home educators the ability to use funds to educate your children at home through the ESA program, which makes doing so more affordable, especially for families in need.
Question: “What about socialization?”
Answer: I’ll be honest: this is a tough one and it will most likely take a great deal of effort on your part to socialize your kids. But let’s take a step back and first realize that having children in a classroom with kids their same age who must be quiet most of the day is not ideal. It is the norm for modern day society, but not ideal. Picture this: going to a park (okay, for this to be pleasant, imagine it’s November or March) once a week with a group of moms, some dads and even grandparents, sitting around chatting with your baby in your lap while your young kids dig in the playground sand, play tag, and climb trees; your older kids are playing board games, listening to music, and chatting. These gatherings are called homeschool park days. Imagine having co-ops (planned learning groups run by homeschool families), book clubs, writing, science, history, project clubs, homeschool theater, music, speech, PE, art, etiquette classes, service, holiday and church activities often with the same families. Many places, like museums, rec centers, and theaters, even have classes just for homeschoolers. There are plenty of homeschool groups to choose from, such as the wonderful Catholic one my family joined a few years ago. There are even homeschool field trips, dances (my kids organized a few), proms, and graduation ceremonies. Can you begin to picture the beautiful bonds and enriching friendships you will form with other families? The life lessons learned and the unique relationships that are formed are priceless.
Question: “It’s important for children to hear other people’s ideas. How does one achieve this as a homeschooler?”
Answer: Again, this is a challenge, but not unsurmountable. It is vital that children are exposed to differing views for them to have a well-rounded learning experience. This is best achieved through engaging with other homeschool families and through extracurricular activities. Activities such as book and writing clubs, co-ops, church groups, and park days provide ample opportunities for the sharing of ideas and healthy debate. More than likely your kids will also participate in traditional after school activities like sports or music lessons where they can interact and engage with others.
Question: “I can’t homeschool. I don’t have the patience, the time, or the skills. How can I homeschool if I am not qualified?”
Answer: Simply put, you can. Because you love your children, you will find a way to practice patience, make time, utilize the skills you have, and find help with the ones you lack. The resources abound, from science center classes to tutors. As far as time goes, homeschooling generally takes a lot less time per day compared to traditional school, which is wonderful; it allows time for self-study and exploration of subject areas your children are interested in pursuing. My children have studied remarkable things on their own: American history, geology, nutrition, music composition, novel writing, graphic art, coding, politics, quantum physics, and theology! They found their own resources, mentors, and inspiration. And I was able to incorporate lessons on life skills such as personal finance, sewing a button, and how to give a good handshake. You can do this. Pray, lean on your spouse and family, and call a friend for support to get you through the decision process and those tough days.
Question: “There are so many homeschool resources out there. How do I choose the right curriculum and the right method?”
Answer: Ugh, I know. This can take a while. I went from a brief, rigid homeschool method to student-directed schooling to unschooling. I would wake up in the middle of the night many times to brainstorm a great new idea or to wonder if I was on the right path. The best thing I can say is to be kind to yourself, read and research, talk to others, and don’t be afraid to change. Most of all, enjoy and love your kids. I have had the greatest joys in my life waking up every day, because really: every day is a learning day. Every day offered the privilege of being with my children and being their primary source of learning (along with my husband). My fondest memories are laying on the floor reading. Reading, discussing, debating. We still do this!
There are so many homeschool choices from traditional online classes to learning through play. While I never did online work or followed a curriculum, I can say those options work for many families. I preferred learning through play (Lego, blocks, board games, critical thinking activities), exploring the outdoors, projects, reading, discourse, and writing. My family concentrated on rhetoric and logic. Through homeschooling, we were able to focus on virtues that can be incorporated into everything you do with your children, as God intended. Homeschooling is a natural and healthy opportunity to foster your children’s value system throughout their formative years so that they have a sound foundation as they enter the adult world.
Question: “How can my high schooler get accepted into college?”
Answer: I had some challenges because I designed my children’s education from scratch and composed their transcripts and diplomas. But as homeschooling became more the norm than when I started, college acceptance became easier. Most colleges have a homeschool applicant path. Many homeschool families choose to get official homeschool transcripts and diplomas through homeschool programs. Some children attend their local community college, get an associate degree, then transfer to a four-year university (though this path may limit the possibility for scholarships). My suggestion is to start the college search early. Get an idea of what your child is most interested in studying, and start researching what the requirements are for homeschool applicants. When the time comes, your child can study for and take any necessary standardized testing, then apply to a couple of “safe” schools that are most likely doable, a couple of dream schools, and a couple of in-between options. Know the deadlines, get recommendation letters if needed, and fill out those applications.
Question: “But what about…?”
Answer: There are so many questions, right? I highly suggest these helpful resources:
And guess what? I work with AZ Women of Action and would be happy to talk with you about homeschooling! Pray on it, do some research, join a couple of homeschool groups, and send in the homeschool affidavit. The blessings of homeschooling will bring you and your family priceless experiences and insurmountable joys. Send us an email to get in touch with Adrienne if you have questions about homeschooling your children!
Adrienne Johnson is a mom of six and serves on Arizona Women of Action’s Executive Team. You can find out more about their work here.
