School choice changed my life – that’s why I fight for others to have the same chance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – On Tuesday, I was honored that my governor, Ron DeSantis, recognized my story as he highlighted Florida’s school choice success during his State of the State address.

As the governor said, “Florida has close to 1.5 million students enrolled full-time in various choice programs” – and these programs have made a difference for countless students just like me. 

Along with my 11 brothers and sisters, I benefited from a program that gave education choices to my parents, first-generation Americans who would have otherwise struggled to afford a quality education for their children.

Because of Florida’s school choice, we have a family of successful rising leaders who will make a difference in our communities for years to come.

School choice was a lifeline for me, transforming my academic journey from a time when I felt inadequate to where I am today. I not only graduated college, but now am able to work daily with some of the nation’s foremost leaders in the fight to ensure every child can access these same life-changing opportunities.

I have been able to meet with families, school leaders, and legislators all across the country as their states consider following the path that Florida has pioneered. 

When I first got involved as a college student with the American Federation for Children’s Future Leaders Fellowship, I was shocked to hear the stories from my counterparts across the country.

Unlike in Florida, many states restrict or do not even offer choice in education. Options are limited to luck or wealth, and the types of sacrifices that families make every day just so that their children can get a chance to succeed are heartbreaking. 

My family knows something about sacrifice. As immigrants, my parents knew nothing would come easily, but that opportunities were boundless in their adopted country.

Thanks to Florida’s strong school choice programs, one thing we never had to sacrifice was the high quality education my parents knew would set us up for success.

Thanks to school choice, my family now has four college graduates, six siblings currently pursuing higher education, and two more following in our footsteps.

As the governor said, when anyone questions the power of school choice, I simply point to my family.

My story is just one among many success stories coming out of Florida, a north star for education freedom advocates for decades thanks to its pioneering programs. And things are not slowing down.

The Florida Legislature, under the leadership of DeSantis, recently extended eligibility to every child in the state. From humble beginnings in the 1990s, Florida now boasts hundreds of thousands of students enrolled in private choice programs, and countless more who have a meaningful choice to attend other district schools or one of more than 700 charter schools.

All families – especially those like mine who would have struggled to afford better options – now have a world of possibility in front of them.

And as this year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed, a rising tide lifts all boats. Florida secured the third and fourth positions in reading and math, a remarkable ascent from the state’s ranking of 35th and 36th 30 years ago, when school choice was just a burgeoning idea.

Educational freedom is a win-win for everyone.

I was proud that the governor recognized my story on Tuesday, but even more thrilled that one day soon, my story will be the rule, not the exception. I’m determined to fight for that goal until we make it a reality.

Hera Varmah is a graduate of Florida’s tax credit scholarship programs and External Relations Associate at the American Federation for Children.