George Khalaf of the Arizona House Legislative District 3 expressed concerns regarding the frustrations of “radical progressives” over parental control in children’s education. He addressed what he described as “lies about school choice and the Empowerment Scholarship Account in Arizona.”
“There is nothing that frustrates radical progressives – like Governor Katie Hobbs and Democrats in the AZ House and Senate – more than when parents are in charge of their children’s education,” said Khalaf, Candidate, according to Facebook. “So many lies about School Choice and the Empowerment Scholarship Account. I set the record straight with my latest video.”
According to a Facebook post shared by Khalaf on January 13, 2026, he highlighted frustrations among certain political figures concerning parental involvement in education. The post promotes his video addressing inaccuracies in discussions about educational options in Arizona and underscores support for programs enabling family-directed learning.
In Arizona, the Empowerment Scholarship Account program currently serves 99,780 students as of January 12, 2026. This program allows families to allocate state funds toward tuition, tutoring, and other educational expenses. The growth of this program reflects increasing interest in flexible learning options across the state. Data from the Arizona Department of Education indicates that the average award amount is approximately $10,000 per student.
Nationwide, approximately 1.3 million students participated in private school choice programs as of 2025, representing about 2.6 percent of all K-12 students. States such as Florida and Arizona have higher participation rates, with Arizona at around 9 percent. This expansion suggests broader access to alternative education funding mechanisms across multiple states.
Khalaf immigrated to the United States from Lebanon at age five after his parents fled the civil war. He graduated from Arizona State University and resides in Scottsdale with his wife and three sons. He founded Data Orbital in 2014, focusing on political data and polling, and serves as managing partner of The Resolute Group while advocating for education freedom.
