An eight-year-old child prodigy has gone viral for testifying before Nevada lawmakers in favor of school choice.
Juliette Leong, an eight-year-old philanthropist, TEDx speaker, painter, and aspiring surgeon and inventor, believes strongly in school choice.
So much so that she testified before the Nevada Assembly earlier this month in favor of AB 584, the Accountability in Education Act.
Listen (and note that she’s eight, not nine):
WATCH: A 9-year-old girl in Nevada testified in support of school choice legislation, urging state lawmakers to look out for students stuck in schools failing to meet their needs.
Nevada AB 584 would allow students attending low-performing schools to use public funds to attend… pic.twitter.com/Uw4BBhigyy
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) May 28, 2025
Speaking for about two minutes, Leong began by stressing how regular, everyday school just isn’t cutting it for exceptional students like her.
“[Some] families need options like smaller private schools, charter schools, and homeschooling,” she said. “I spell at a third-grade level and do high school level math, and no school could accommodate my needs. So, I’m homeschooled.”
“And because of that, I’ve performed at Carnegie Hall, won six national math competitions, and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations through the sales of my paintings. But what about the child with the same potential, except whose family can’t afford to homeschool?” she added.
That’s where AB 584 enters the picture.
“It’s not just about academics,” Leong continued. “It’s about unlocking talents, building confidence, and creating opportunities. It’s about teaching kids to solve problems and make a difference. Since every kid is different and every family has different circumstances, school choice is how we prepare Nevada students for real-world success, and that everyone who wants a job gets a job.”
“The world is moving forward, and Nevada needs to move forward with the world. Thank you, Governor Lombardo, for fighting for school choice,” She concluded.
Introduced by state Gov. Joe Lombardo in late April, AB 584 primarily expands school choice for students enrolled in low-performing schools.
Today, I introduced the Accountability in Education Act because Nevada students deserve better.
Our bill rewards great teachers, demands real accountability, and gives families and students unprecedented choice. pic.twitter.com/mAthZs5Unc
— Governor Joe Lombardo (@JosephMLombardo) April 25, 2025
The only thing holding the governor back is his state’s Democrat-controlled legislature. According to the Washington Examiner, in 2023, “He tried and failed to push key components of school choice through the legislature.” But two years later, he may have found a way out.
“He has leverage, because if there are gonna be certain things that the Democrats want to pass, and the governor has a veto power, so they have to figure out how to work with him so like, both sides can get what they want,” Valeria Gurr of the American Federation of Children said.
“Maybe not everything will pass, but certain pieces certainly will pass,” she added.
But that’s not all.
“He’s already given Democrats their pet priority: more money for teachers and schools,” according to the Examiner. “And when the academic results came back a year later, the governor said they showed little for the billions in new funding — Nevada’s schools remain some of the worst in the country. After the dismal results were published, his affiliated super PAC conducted polling on school choice, concluding earlier this month that the policy is solidly popular with the state’s electorate.”
“Now, the governor is arguing that the ‘excuse’ of more funding has been ruled out, and it is time to give parents more options about where to educate their kids, taking his pitch to a greater extent than the last time he tried to ram school choice through the legislature. With midterm elections looming, Lombardo has a pivotal pressure point to convince lawmakers on the other side of the aisle to sway on a politically popular item before they attempt to get voted back into office,” the reporting continues.
John Burke, a spokesperson for Better Nevada PAC, believes the strategy will work.
“Democrats have an opportunity to work across the aisle with the Governor, as they have in other states, to make reforms that will help students, teachers, and parents across our state,” he told the Examiner. “We hope that they will do the right thing. If they stand in the way, they will have to explain to their constituents why they are on the wrong side of history.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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