Politics
Jehu King: School choice debate needs student voices
I am a first-generation Black student from ZIP code 32209 in Jacksonville. I attended KIPP Bold City through KIPP Jacksonville, and I am now a sophomore at Howard University, where I am an economics major with an Arabic concentration. I am also a member of the Humanities and Social Sciences Scholars Program and have a research interest in Black banking.
I was only able to get where I am because of the liberating school choice opportunities available to me in Florida.
I am not alone in that feeling. Yet Florida’s school choice system is being challenged in court by the Florida Education Association. The lawsuit argues that expanding voucher and charter school programs violates the state constitution’s promise of a uniform, efficient, safe, secure and high-quality system of free public schools. It also raises concerns about money being pulled away from traditional public schools and about different accountability rules for private schools that accept state scholarships.
Those are serious arguments, and they deserve serious attention. But too often, the people most affected by these decisions are left out of the conversation. Students become numbers in a funding debate instead of people whose lives are shaped by the outcome.
For me, school choice was never abstract. My mother made her decision based on what she could see in front of her: Some schools had stronger outcomes, clearer college pipelines and more consistent support systems than others. KIPP represented a place where expectations were clear, discipline was reinforced, and college was treated as the standard outcome rather than an exception.
That decision was not about rejecting public education. It was about finding an environment that gave me a better chance of succeeding.
At KIPP Bold City, those expectations shaped me. We had to show up, stay focused and prepare for college as if that future belonged to us. That structure changed how I saw myself. It taught me discipline, consistency and the belief that I could move beyond the limits others might place on me.
That foundation is part of why I am at Howard University today. I am building on what I started in Jacksonville while continuing to grow as a scholar and leader. My work now includes educational equity and youth advocacy because I understand how much a school environment can shape a student’s confidence, direction and future.
I have also had experiences outside the classroom that deepened that understanding. Through leadership programs and a trip to Ghana, I saw how education carries meaning beyond grades and test scores. It is tied to history, identity and opportunity across the African diaspora.
That experience reinforced that inequality in education is not just about who gains access, but about who gains access to possibility itself. Education is one of the most powerful tools people have to change the conditions they are born into, and access to that tool should not depend solely on geography or circumstance.
That is why this lawsuit matters. On paper, it is about constitutional language, funding and accountability. In real life, it is about whether families like mine can continue to choose the environment that best supports their children.
School choice should not be treated as a threat to students. It should be understood as a tool that helps families find the setting where their children can thrive. Different students need different environments, and families deserve the freedom to make that choice.
As this case moves forward, I hope the conversation stays centered on students. Behind every policy argument is a young person trying to learn, grow and imagine a future that feels possible. I am one of those students.
My journey from a low-income area to Howard, from KIPP to national advocacy and global learning, was made possible by access to an educational option that fit my path.
That is why protecting school choice matters. It is not just about preserving a program. It is about preserving access, opportunity and the possibility of liberation through education.
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Jehu King is a sophomore at Howard University and a graduate of KIPP Bold City in Jacksonville.
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