WASHINGTON – Twenty-two education providers from Arkansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma were named winners of the Yass Award for Education Freedom today during a live event from Washington, DC.
Great education is a vital link for students to become successful citizens, and after more states boldly adopted new student-centered education policies, the Yass Prize launched a new initiative, the Yass Award for Education Freedom. Arkansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma were selected for their tenacity and universality in moving all families toward education freedom.
“We know a good education is the key to a happy life,” says Janine Yass, founder of the Yass Prize with her husband Jeff. “We salute Governors Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma for achieving bold changes in law.”
The Governors were invited to nominate up to ten outstanding education providers who have the capacity to ramp up quickly to serve more students.
“Arkansas, Iowa, and Oklahoma went from nearly zero to 100 in offering families the ability to use their state education dollars to make all educational decisions for their children,” said Jeanne Allen, Director of The Yass Foundation for Education and Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform.
As the Governors said in their video messages, students should be able to be educated in a way that best meets their needs, and programs like the ESAs and Tax Credit programs being enacted can ensure great education is sustainable for all students, and not just those with the means to leave their zoned public schools.
The 22 organizations will be awarded a substantial amount of philanthropic seed funding to serve more students in the coming year. Together, among these schools alone, more than 5,000 more students will have the education they deserve, a number sure to exponentially grow in the coming years. The 22 Yass Award for Education Freedom recipients, as well as the remarks by the Governors, are listed on the website. For general non-press inquiries, please write [email protected].
Media Contact:
CATHLEEN HEALY
202-365-4636
[email protected]
