School Choice Picks Up Steam Ahead of Nevada’s Legislative Session

Legislation and a viral video follow Texas’s new school choice law, adding momentum to a national movement for promoting options.

A school sign in Orange, Calif., on Aug. 15, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

School choice in the Silver State, and potentially the rest of the nation, recently got a huge boost from a 9-year-old art prodigy with a 170 IQ.

During a hearing for Nevada’s proposed AB 584 Educational Accountability Act last month, Juliette Leong of Reno told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee that she performs high school math, has won six national math competitions, has performed music at Carnegie Hall, and has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars from the sales of her paintings to charities.

“And no school could accommodate my needs,” she said, “so I’m homeschooled.”

“What about a child with the same potential, except whose family cannot afford to homeschool? It’s not just about academics. It’s about unlocking talent, building confidence, and creating opportunities.”

Public comments were recorded, and state lawmakers left the Nevada Capitol in Carson City for the summer on June 2. The video went viral, creating a buzz ahead of the start of the coming academic year and the next legislative session.

AB 584 would add accountability measures for low-performing public schools while also creating a funding stream to make other public schools, charter schools, private schools, and homeschooling options available to students who are otherwise assigned to chronically low-performing schools. It also allows counties to establish new charter schools, according to the legislation, which has bipartisan support.

“This isn’t about pitting sectors against each other; it’s about embracing a pluralistic vision of education where public and charter schools alike are held to high standards and given the resources to succeed,” the nonprofit Nevada Policy organization said in a statement on May 23 after the Ways and Means Committee meeting.

The Nevada State Education Association teachers’ union opposes the legislation, saying it fails to address “chronic underfunding, educator shortages, large class sizes, and lack of student supports.”

Texas became the latest and largest state in the nation to offer universal school choice after Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law last month. The $1 billion legislation established an education savings account program that can be used for private school tuition, special education services, transportation, and homeschooling expenses.

The Texas law pushed the number of U.S. students eligible for school choice into the national majority, as more than 50 percent of students in 23 states and the District of Columbia have options beyond the public school assigned to them by ZIP code, according to the Education Commission of the States.

Jonathan and Willa Leong, parents of the child who testified before Nevada legislators, said Juliette attended Montessori Schools in California at the age of 3, before the family moved to Nevada four years ago. They homeschooled her rather than enrolling her in public schools that were still struggling with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jonathan Leong said the Reno community has been very accommodating and has a vibrant arts scene that has allowed his daughter to thrive.

He said he’s unaware of public schools in any state that allow elementary school-aged children to enroll in higher grade levels. Juliette has applied for a spot at the prestigious Davidson Academy, a private school in Reno, where she would enter as a fifth-grader.

“It comes down to, what do you do with a child like this?” Jonathan Leong told The Epoch Times. “It’s a balance between what she should be learning and allowing her to do what she wants to do.”

In Juliette’s case, that’s painting, reading, and playing the violin. She had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall at age 5 and sells her artwork to customers from across the globe.

Jonathan Leong is a strong supporter of nonprofit agencies and volunteer work and had no problem persuading Juliette to donate her art proceeds to charities.

“As a parent, you try to give her the value of being kind,” he said.

Leong, who grew up in Oakland, said the American public school system has changed very little in 40 years and is missing the opportunity to recognize high achievers early on and position them to excel and aspire to bring positive change globally.

The United States excels in scholastic athletics and doesn’t hold back the best competitors, which is a philosophy that should be carried over to academics, Leong said.

Likewise, he added, Singapore and other Asian nations that lead the world in public education use methods to identify students’ motivations, challenge them, and guide them to achieve high test scores and rewarding careers.

“It’s not one-size-fits-all,” he said. “The U.S. doesn’t look at versatility and variety. We’ve got to try something different. Open up your eyes—the world is moving.”