Ainsworth speaks at Education Freedom Day: 'It's time for Alabama to not be last in the nation

MONTGOMERY — Lieutenant Gov. Will Ainsworth spoke to a large crowd of students from Montgomery on Tuesday at the Alabama Policy Institute (API) Educational Freedom Day event on the State House steps.

API president and CEO Stephaine Smith spoke first, discussing how school choice was an issue API had been fighting for in Alabama for the past 35 years.

Ainsworth thanked Smith and API for their leadership on school choice for so long.

"This is about children," he said. "This is about kids in our state and making sure that every child in our state, no matter where they live, has educational choice and educational freedom."

Ainsworth added that the issue is also about parents and that parents should not be forced to send their children to failing schools due to their zip code and zoning. He argued parents should be able to ask themselves, "What is the best option for my child?"

Discussing his recent trip to Washington D.C., Ainsworth said if the nation's capital could fix their school system with school choice, where they have 48% charter schools and 52% public schools, the same could be done in Alabama. The Republican from Boaz invoked a free market approach to education so that all schools must compete against each other, raising the bar for education.

"It's time for Alabama to not be last in the nation. We want to be first in the nation," he declared.

He said the school choice bill in the state legislature will do just that. He added that "this session Alabama will be one of the leaders, if not the leader, in the nation on school choice."

Ainsworth doubled down on his support for school choice much like he did in the 2023 session to repeal the grocery tax, saying, "We are going to do everything in our office's power to make sure that legislation gets passed."

He thanked Gov. Kay Ivey, State House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainbow City), and State Senate Pro-Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) for their support. He also recognized State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) and State Rep. Danny Garrett (R-Trussville), the two Education budget chairs, for their support.

It’s time for real school choice in Alabama. Parents know what’s best for their child, and I will fight for families to have as many options as possible—public schools, charter schools, private schools, or home schooling. Alabama students come first. pic.twitter.com/GJmAYqmjuu
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) February 13, 2024