Parents are responsible for the education of their children. Our nation was founded at a time when parents had limited support in the discharge of that responsibility. In most communities it rested entirely on their shoulders. Today we have a public school system funded by federal, state and local governments and supplemented by business and nonprofit agencies. More research than ever before is being done on learning disabilities, Autism, ADHD, and mood disorders by universities, the Center for Disease Control, and nonprofit as well as for profit organizations. There are also several federal agencies to support parents of children with special needs as they transition from high school to college and the world of work. All of these measures are supports, not replacements for parents. Parents still have the right and the responsibility to educate their children as they deem appropriate to meet the best interests of their children. One of the key factors that allows parents to do this is school choice.
While families benefit from the support of government and other agencies, some feel they are losing control over the management of their child’s education. This is especially true when requirements are put in place for end of level testing, controversial curriculum, or lack of services for students with special needs. School choice has provided options for parents. They are no longer limited to the local public school. This has been a major paradigm shift for public school educators.
In the seventies and the eighties when I was raising my children, I remember hearing comments from teachers such as, “That’s just not the way I do things in my classroom.” I remember several stories of parents going to an administrator with a request or concern and feeling like they just encountered a deaf ear. The attitude seemed to be, “What choice do you have? We’re running the school and we’re going choose how it’s run. Take it or leave it.” I remember hearing parents complain about that situation, but feeling they didn’t have any choice or any other option. And so, they just accepted it.
There have always been private schools available to the families that could afford them. I had a friend in high school who attended a parochial school and felt it helped her focus more on curriculum without the social distractions. Sending your child to a private school is not a common option, but it is a possibility.
Charter schools began to open up and spread in the 1990’s and they became very popular. I remember a time, about a decade later, when I taught at a large public high school and the superintendent came to visit our faculty meeting. The topic of his message was that charter schools are on the rise, there was a private school being built in our district, and we needed to step up our game. We were no longer the only option parents had. We needed to compete.
That alone is one great advantage of school choice. If there’s only one grocery store in town, they can charge higher prices knowing customers will still pay it to save money in gas. If there are two or three grocery stores in town, that competition helps provide a better deal for the consumer. We’ve seen that in several areas of business. Education is no exception. When there’s choice, it enforces a level of competition. The service providers need to improve; they need to keep up.
Choice is always good, but most importantly, in the case of school choice, it reminds us of who is responsible for raising children. Families are best equipped and designed to meet the needs of children. State or federal agencies will not focus on the needs of the individual like a family will. Government agencies are going to be focused on political expediency, the cheapest, most efficient way to run the program.
Now we have more school choice than we did three or four decades ago, or maybe even two decades ago. We have more options. To use your school choice, there are two things you need to research: your child’s needs and the options you have where you live.
How well do you understand your child’s needs? What are they interested in? How do they learn? Do they need extra support in some areas? How much active time do they need? There are no right or wrong answers. Each child is an individual. They will each have their own unique strengths and challenges. Understand them, accept them, and know that your child is doing the best he can trying to learn about the world around him, about himself, and find his talents and abilities.
The second step is to know your options. What’s available in your area? How do you feel about the local public school? How much supervision is provided when your child interacts with peers? Are there any charter schools? What are they like? What is their area of focus? Is this something that would resonate with your child, motivate them, get them excited to get up in the morning and go to school? Are there any private schools? Do they fit within your budget? Does their program match your child’s needs? There are other options as well. Some parents choose to teach their children themselves. They prefer a homeschool, where they can completely control the curriculum, the delivery, the school hours, and the pace. If your child has medical problems or issues and frequently must miss school, are there any online options? Do any of the schools in your area provide a home study type of course that will help them stay current with their peers?
For most parents, the public school is the best option, but it’s a mistake to assume this. Take time to visit the school, meet the professionals who work there, talk to parents who send their children there, and then decide for yourself. It may be a top ranked school for academic excellence, but if it doesn’t connect with or engage your child, is it the best school for your child? Does the school’s focus match your child’s interest and needs? They may have an excellent athletic program with several sports offered and taught, but if your child is more interested in art than athletics, is it the best option for them?
After you’ve researched these two areas, your child and their unique needs and the options that are available in your area, it’s time to compare those two areas. Which school option comes closest to fitting and matching your child’s needs? Choose what will best meet your child’s needs. Decide with your child’s best interest in mind. Make your school choice count.