Denver mother fights for her daughter’s education as advocates make nationwide school choice push

FIRST ON FOX: Facing limited options, Denver resident Mariah Wakefield was determined to find a school that suited her adoptive daughter Jasiya’s unique gifts.

“Not that the school system was a terrible idea, she just needed a little bit more for her to succeed,” Wakefield told Fox News Digital, noting that Jasiya was formerly enrolled in Denver Public Schools.

The bond between Wakefield and Jasiya runs deep. Wakefield became Jasiya’s legal guardian after the girl’s mother died in 2013, when Jasiya was just 4 years old.

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In the years that followed, Wakefield navigated significant adversity, including household changes and personal instability while grappling with bereavement and incarceration. Throughout the turbulence — and as other children moved in and out of the home — Mariah prioritized Jasiya’s future.

Help arrived at a pivotal moment through ACE Scholarships, a national Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) that stepped in to help Wakefield enroll Jasiya in a school where she could thrive.

Now, Wakefield wants every parent to know about the organization — especially as ACE launches a nationwide awareness campaign centered around President Donald Trump’s federal school choice initiative.

The program, centered on the Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC), allows individual taxpayers to receive up to a $1,700 dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for cash contributions to qualified nonprofit SGOs ($3,400 for married couples filing jointly). Under the legislation, state governors must formally opt in for local families and educational organizations to participate.

More than half of U.S. states have already signed up to participate. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis was the first Democratic governor to announce his state’s participation, dismissing critics at the time by telling local media he “would be crazy not to” join, noting that the program provides crucial funding for tutoring, after-school programs and summer enrichment. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has also faced calls from school choice advocates as states navigate enrollment options.

A Department of Education official recently told Fox News Digital that “competitive pressure” will ultimately compel blue states to capture the influx of private donations created by the tax credit incentive.

Trump’s landmark school choice program comes as major blue city school districts struggle to retain students since the coronavirus pandemic.

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For decades, school choice has been a contentious issue among many Democrats, who contend that choice models draw funding away from public school districts and weaken labor unions. However, the surge in demand for alternative education — including charter schools, private schooling and homeschooling following the COVID-19 pandemic — has pushed several prominent leaders to reevaluate their stance.

Many organizations, such as the ACE Scholarships, advocate allowing parents to send their kids to schools outside their neighborhood or opt out of going to public school in general. Established 26 years ago, ACE Scholarships issue privately raised scholarships for lower-income families. Since its inception, ACE says it has delivered more than 121,000 scholarships worth over $395 million to students in 13 states. 

In response, ACE embarked on a multimillion-dollar national campaign called “Make It Possible.” The initiative aims to raise public awareness of the EFTC and educate taxpayers on how directed tax credits can expand access to K–12 education.

“While national advertising is designed primarily to inspire and engage Americans, ‘Make It Possible’ is part of a broader, yearlong effort to help taxpayers and families understand the new federal initiative, how it works, and how they can participate,” the organization said in a statement. “ACE will also provide educational resources designed to address common questions, clarify misconceptions, and help taxpayers navigate the new opportunity.”

ACE seeks to expand support for school choice in Democratic-led states, where teachers unions have frequently opposed policies that direct public funding toward private education.

Denver is among ACE’s primary target markets for the ad push, alongside Washington, D.C., New York, Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Kansas City, Orlando and Philadelphia. 

For Wakefield, school choice policies were key to unlocking her daughter’s potential.

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“So we had this opportunity to go into this, and we just took advantage of it,” Wakefield said to Fox News Digital. “I feel that everybody should be notified and have the opportunity to be able to have a different outcome of life for your child.”

“Sometimes it’s really hard to just get into somewhere just because you don’t have enough money, enough funding, enough time, any kind of contributions,” she added. “So for them to be able to choose a different place to go to is probably the highlight of being able to expand their child’s potential … and get them to where they should really be.”

Today, Jasiya is thriving as a student at Kent Denver School.

“For too many American children, financial circumstances determine which educational opportunities are within reach,” said Kristy Badger, chief marketing officer at ACE Scholarships. “Every child has unique talents, interests and learning needs that shape how they thrive. Now, the EFTC will bring together what’s possible for countless students in America.”