The Friedman Foundation plays a critical and unique role in the school choice movement. As the only national organization dedicated solely to advancing Milton and Rose Friedman’s vision of an education system where all parents are free to choose, we bring an unsurpassed clarity of purpose to the education reform debate.

Milton Friedman has said that our goal is to educate the public on the need for educational choice and that we are a clearinghouse for the school choice movement. Through our programs and activities, we do just that. We provide all the tools necessary to empower local groups with everything they need to effectively promote school choice in their states.

To further our educational aims, we develop the school choice movement in new states. Our goal is to expand the movement to all 50 states, and to create sustainable, locally led efforts that will exist for years to come.

We also seek to advance the school choice movement in target states and sustain the movement in states that have already enacted school choice programs. Our goal is to make sure that local groups have everything they need to make real progress on the issue.

A large part our of work focuses on informing and educating policymakers on the benefits of school choice. This constituency is critical to systemic education reform, and our goal is to change their hearts and minds through clear, tactical and effective communications.

Whether you are new to the issue, a long-time advocate or just an observer, it is critical to know the facts about school choice. Through our high-quality research and world-class communications program, we provide the public, policymakers and the media with the most up-to-date and accurate information about school choice.

The Foundation’s role is to be a one-stop clearinghouse for school choice; a place where people can come to get what they need to promote the Friedmans’ vision of educational liberty for all parents. Our leadership, experience and proven track record make us uniquely qualified to implement this vision. Just ask Cheryl Smith, a Utah parent who, with our help, can now use a voucher to help make sure her son gets the best possible and most appropriate education.

The Friedman Foundation understands that school choice does not happen overnight. It can take years to cultivate the right environment, which is why we are committed to being the entrepreneurial arm of the school choice movement. We seek to create opportunities for educational freedom in states where policy leaders may not be actively debating the issue.

As with any new venture, it takes massive amounts of preparation to create the ideal conditions for success. In partnership with local activists and organizations, we provide services and programs that build momentum and help create a positive atmosphere for school choice.

• Assessment – Using experience gained from many school choice efforts, we analyze a state’s readiness for school choice and identify its strengths and weaknesses.
  
  
• Developing Local Leaders – Local leadership is vital to a successful school choice effort. We search out and develop local leaders and potential funders and provide them with the information, training and resources to effectively begin promoting school choice in their state.
  
  
• Building Local Partnerships – In addition to finding local leaders, we reach out to other organizations and key individuals to develop long-term partnerships to implement strategic plans and build the school choice movement.
  
  
• Preliminary Planning – Once we have finished our assessment, we provide help in developing an initial strategic plan of action.
  
  
• Seed Money – We provide funds to help build up the infrastructure needed to effectively promote school choice, but only after leaders have been identified, partnerships begun and plans made.
  
  
• Statewide Database – We have developed a database that provides local advocates with a password-protected website that can be used to collect all the facts, issues and activities specific and relevant to their state.

A long-term vision is required to make school choice a reality in any state, and we believe local advocates need early support in order to be successful. The Foundation is committed to working with entrepreneurial-minded people in the early stages of a local movement, so that they can more effectively promote the Friedman gold standard of school choice.

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When school choice emerges as a serious public policy option in a state, the Friedman Foundation is there with a variety of services and products to help advance the issue.

While every state is different, there are some basic components of a school choice effort that are critical to making it a reality. Persuading the public and policymakers to support school choice is hard work. The Foundation provides our local partners with many of the tools needed to get the job done.

• Bill Design Assistance – We provide technical bill-drafting assistance to ensure that proposals will work for parents and private schools, withstand constitutional scrutiny and meet Milton Friedman’s gold standard of true school choice.
  
  
• Community Outreach – We work to boost support for school choice by hosting educational seminars for community leaders, undertaking efforts to increase grassroots support and organizing training for parents.
  
  
• Gauging Public Support – We undertake state-specific polls to assess the initial level of public awareness and support for school choice.
  
  
• Message Development – After gauging initial public support for school choice, we undertake additional polling to identify the best messengers and to create a clear understanding of winning messages.
  
  
• Paid Advertising – When needed, we use our nationally recognized public awareness expertise to develop and undertake print and radio advertising campaigns that educate the public on the benefits of school choice.
  
  
• Fact-Finding Trips – Regardless of whether a state is pursuing tax credits or vouchers, Milwaukee remains a great place to see school choice in action. That’s why we sponsor fact-finding trips to Milwaukee for parents, community leaders and legislators — many of whom start out skeptical but come back supportive of school choice.
  
  
• Strategic Planning – Given that the success of school choice relies on creating an effective multi-year strategy, we help local leaders develop, implement and fund a state-specific strategic plan of action.

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When a school choice program is enacted in a state, the work of the Foundation is nowhere near finished. School choice programs are constantly under attack legally, legislatively and administratively. The Foundation is committed to providing ongoing educational support to those states that have already passed school choice.

In addition, states with school choice programs are often prime prospects for expanding educational freedom, either by broadening the existing programs or adding new ones. It has been said that “there is no such thing as a little bit of freedom.” Once people get a taste, they want more. Once people see school choice working in their state, they want more. The Foundation is committed to providing services and resources to help local leaders fulfill this aspiration.

• Strategic Advice – We advise local leaders on strategic and tactical issues that arise once a program is enacted, such as dealing with implementation deadlines and developing forms for parents and private schools. Moreover, we provide support on ways to defend and expand the program.
  
  
• Research and Resources – Based on need, we provide state-specfic research highlighting the benefits of the state’s school choice program for parents, children, taxpayers and policymakers. In addition, we widely disseminate information about the success of school choice in other states and provide communications and media support to local groups.
  
  
• Project Support – We provide funds to help local leaders undertake specific educational projects and programs that raise awareness or increase support for the state’s already-enacted school choice program.
  

As more and more states join the school choice fold, the importance of sustaining their success and taking the next step forward is critical to the overall movement for educational freedom.

State with school choice programs provide the evidence that school choice works — that it helps students learn more, gets parents more involved and helps public schools improve.

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When opening their Foundation, Milton and Rose Friedman envisioned “an ongoing effort to inform the public about the issue and possible solutions, an effort that is not episodic, linked to a particular legislative or ballot initiative, but that is educational.”

That is the approach we take when educating not only the public, but public policymakers and legislators. We provide them with the facts about school choice in a clear and effective way by hosting policy briefings, producing research and policy papers and providing expert testimony and advice to legislative bodies.

Through this program area, the Foundation seeks to be an ongoing resource that helps inform and guide the public policy debate surrounding educational choice.

• Bill Design Assistance – When requested, we offer advice in designing effective school choice legislation. In addition, along with our national partners, we helped develop model legislation highlighting the best practices for school choice bills.
  
  
• Briefings – We educate legislators and policymakers on the need for and benefits of school choice, regularly bringing in nationally recognized scholars to address specific topics of interest.
  
  
• Good Policy Guide – We produce tailored policy guides for state legislators that include information about existing school choice programs around the country and answer common misconceptions about school choice.
  
  
• Highlighting the Benefits of School Choice – Policymakers receive regular reports from us on the progress of school choice and the benefits of existing school choice programs. We also sponsor fact-finding trips to Milwaukee so that policymakers can see firsthand the effectiveness of school choice.
  
  
• State-specific Briefing Papers – We produce a regular publication called School
  Choice: Issues in Brief, which is targeted to state legislators and which addresses specific concerns raised by policymakers about school choice.
  
  
• Testimony – When requested, we provide expert testimony on the merits of specific school choice proposals.

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Because school choice is a complex issue, opponents of educational freedom work to cloud the debate with negative rhetoric. The Foundation recognizes this tactic, encountering it in every state in which we work. To offset the negative rhetoric and myths, we found a simple solution — provide credible research and solid facts.
We produce three main research products — Issues in Depth, Issues in the States and Issues in Brief. Issues in Depth is our national product, where we conduct original research on the main issues surrounding school choice. Issues in the States provides state-specific information about school choice, and Issues in Brief digests research for state legislators, sometimes taking it to a specific legislative district. This research concentrates on:

• Advancing Milton and Rose Friedman’s Vision – Through our research, we lead the school choice movement toward the Friedmans’ vision of educational freedom for all. Every year, we analyze where we are in the school choice movement and where we still need to go to reach the Friedman gold standard.
  
  
• Showing that school choice saves money – We lead the nation in providing analyses of the financial impact of school choice programs on state and local budgets. These pieces are essential in showing legislators that school choice saves money. We also produce research that clarifies complex school financing formulas and illustrates the true cost of educating a public school student.
  
  
• Studying public opinion – The public wants school choice, a finding shown by most state and national polls on the issue. This information is essential to educating legislators and the media on what the public really wants.
  
  
• Highlighting the benefits of school choice – We also analyze all other aspects of school choice including voucher use, constitutionality, case studies, segregation and student/school performance. As we debunk one myth, our opponents champion another; our goal is to show that school choice works for everyone.

Providing research, undertaking studies and conducting numerous polls is a big part of every state’s strategic plan. We arm advocates with the weapons necessary to fight the rhetoric. All over the country, our research is cited and used in public debate. Legislators refer to our studies during floor debates, newspapers discuss our policy papers and some opponents reevaluate their stance in light of the facts we present.

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As much as the war is won in state legislative bodies, the educational battles leading up to the victory are fought over the airwaves, in newspapers and through community discussions. Educating the public about the facts and benefits of school choice is vital to the success of any effort or program.

The Foundation emphasizes the critical need for effective communications as part of every strategic plan, whether that plan is based on educating the public about a specific school choice issue or about a particular product we are releasing.

• Strategic Communications Planning – For some groups, meeting communications needs may not fit into their budget. They may not have time to develop strategies or access experienced communications progressionals. We offset this need by providing expert advice and assistance in developing plans and strategies, and in accessing communications professionals.
  
  
• Media Relations – A major component of the Foundation’s efforts involves promoting school choice to media outlets at the national and state levels. Whether developing op-eds, pitching stories, arranging editorial board meetings, providing media training or holding press conferences, our goal is to ensure that our side is heard in the school choice debate.
  
  
• Advertising – As with many communications strategies, there may be a need to educate the public through advertising. Being one of the first groups to produce national advertising campaigns on school choice, we draw on our experience to craft effective and message-driven radio, television and print ads.
  
  
• Publications – Our flagship publication, The ABCs of School Choice, is a compilation of facts and figures on all of the nation’s school choice programs, and is used by both long-time advocates and those new to the issue. Our magazine, The School Choice Advocate, delves deeper into the issue with insightful commentary on the school choice movement. In addition to these, all our publications focus on one goal: creating an educated public that can make an informed decision.
  
  
• Web Communications – We place a premium on effective communications through the Internet. The Foundation has developed technologies that create a network of school choice information that can be used by all our school choice partners. In addition, we connect groups from all over the country with regular updates and success stories.

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