In 1776, our Founding Fathers envisioned a nation of free and independent states, where “all men are created equal,” born with the natural rights to life, liberty, and prosperity. Education was a critical component to the success of our infant nation and our citizens’ ability to realize their American Dream. This remains true today. Our ever-evolving education system did not begin with Horace Mann’s centralized, standardized, and secularized public school system that exists in many states today. Instead, schools were free from bureaucracy. They taught moral instruction and civic literacy through their local leaders with local control. This Fourth of July, millions of children in the United States have a new freedom to celebrate—a freedom that is just as worthy of fireworks and fanfare—education freedom.

Education freedom is a family’s ability to choose a unique educational path that fits their child’s individual needs—regardless of where they live, the school they are zoned into, or family income. Education freedom allows children to access schools and learning environments that unleash their highest potential, help children break cycles of poverty, and enable children to live meaningful and fulfilled lives. Access to education freedom is critical to allowing all children to achieve the American dream—a dream our Founding Fathers risked it all for. Here are some education freedom wins from around the nation that deserve celebration this Fourth of July:

  1. The Texas legislature passed universal choice legislation in May, the largest school choice expansion in history. The law establishes an education savings account (ESA) program that offers up to $10,000 per student to attend a private school of their choice. Students with disabilities will qualify for up to $30,000 annually. The Texas program is designed to grow with demand promising every student who is waitlisted will be fully funded in the next application cycle.
  2. Tennessee passed the Education Freedom Act of 2025 in February, which allows for 20,000 ESA scholarships statewide with special priority given to low-income families. The legislation allows for a 25% increase in scholarship awards in year two.
  3. The Wyoming legislature passed HB199, or the Steamboat Legacy Scholarship Act, in March, allowing families $7,000 for education expenses. The law even allows for the state’s lowest-income families to pay for Pre-K costs, expanding access to early childhood education.
  4. Idaho passed the Parental Choice Tax Credit in February, giving families access to $5,000 per student or up to $7,500 per student with disabilities for education spending on qualified expenses such as tuition, transportation, curricula, tutoring, and more. 

America has a long way to go to foster an education system that provides high-quality and equal opportunities for all American children, but our Founding Fathers would be proud of the progress we have made and the education freedom that 45% of American children will have access to by 2026-2027, when the Texas legislation goes into effect. Families can choose schools that fit their religious principles and moral viewpoints, while their children can access alternative instructional environments that unleash their potential. 

Schools are slowly breaking free from government control and centralized offices that make independent decision-making nearly impossible. In many ways, America’s education system is returning to its 17th-century roots—in a new, improved, and more just way—a way that makes “liberty and justice for all” possible.