Encore: Rejecting Public Education in Arizona

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 24 March 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Education is a hot topic in the United States. President Donald Trump recently began taking steps to dismantle the Department of Education, saying it’s a waste of money and it had failed students. However, in the US, it’s the individual states, not the federal government, that really decide education policy. The states run schools, set the curriculum – and largely fund them too.

The so-called ‘parents’ revolution’ is happening in America - and it’s a revolt against the public education system. School choice campaigns are gaining ground across the country, fighting for tax-funded vouchers giving parents the opportunity to select their preferred school. More and more families are ditching institutions altogether, with home-schooling reportedly the fastest growing form of education in the US. Why are families turning away from traditional schooling, and what does this mean for the future of America’s education system? In 2024, reporter Alex Last, went to Arizona to look at a revolution in its education system – backed by so-called ‘School Choice’ advocates.

Produced by Ellie House for BBC World Service.

(Image: Beth Lewis, teacher and executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona. Credit: Ellie House/BBC)

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Last. Now, education is a hot topic in
0:06.3	the United States. President Donald Trump recently began taking steps to dismantle the Department of
0:12.0	Education, saying it's a waste of money and have failed students. As it happens, though, in the US,
0:18.1	it's the individual states, not the federal government that really decide education
0:22.4	policy. The states run most of the schools and largely fund them too. So back in 2024, I went to
0:29.5	Arizona to look at a revolution in its education system, backed by so-called school choice advocates.
0:36.8	This episode, of course, aired before Donald Trump was re-elected president,
0:41.5	but I think it's still definitely worth a listen
0:43.9	because Arizona has been seen by top Republicans
0:47.4	as a model for education across the United States.
0:52.4	Hi, everybody.
0:54.7	Welcome, welcome.
0:57.9	Hi, everyone.
0:59.2	It's early evening in a small office in Phoenix, Arizona,
1:02.7	and Rachel, a former teacher,
1:04.7	is running an online phone bank
1:06.5	on behalf of a campaign group, Save Our Schools, Arizona.
1:10.4	She's getting volunteers to call voters
1:12.8	ahead of local elections. Their mission is to drum up support for candidates who back public
1:18.4	school education. For Arizona is at the forefront of a political battle over the future of education
1:25.3	in America. All right, so we are at the front of the political battle over the future of education in America.
1:35.6	All right, so we are actually going to be making calls into two different areas today.
	...

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